Best first Foods

[JMorris271]

Hi guys.
Concerning foods for new fish . Should it be the same diet as when they get larger? How do you learn how to feed your stock? Are there any guidelines?
Thanks

 

[Dkuhlmann]

It's best to have several different foods available for your fish and I keep a few standards.

NLS pellets in both .5 and 1.0 mm
Frozen Mysis keep a look out when you purchase some are much larger than others.
Frozen brine for an occasional snack, not much nutrition in them
Frozen mix like LRS this contains a mix of many different finely chopped foods for marine tanks.
And of course flakes, I have some very good quality flakes and my fish won't eat them :lmao:
If you are going to get a known difficult fish you can add black worms but might have to try live clams, live black worms, live white worms and a few others. But if you are going to get one of the hard to get eating fish you will need to research that particular fish for what's best to feed it.

 

[CStrickland]

+1
I like to start them on fresh clams that I open, then freeze, then shave into the tank. Almost everyone likes that and my first priority is usually get them settled, relaxed, and put on some weight. I keep some of the juice that comes out of the clams and after a while I start adding some to blendermush and soaking pellets in it. That's what I feed the whole tank and they don't come out of qt until they are comfortable to eat what everyone else does.

Sometimes it takes longer than others or I have to try diff tricks. The worst thing to do is rush it tho, like when you are trying to get a picky kid to eat and the harder you push the worse it goes.

Like D said, some fish need specific things so you have to check. Like should they have a decent amount of algae to snack, or to they need to eat shellfish to keep their teeth filed down etc.

 

[scooter31707]

I always have had luck with frozen Mysis shrimp and Nori seaweed sheets for my herbivores. I have heard of some hobbyist say to drop 1-2 drops into the food to entice the feeding response of the fish. I never had to get to that option so far. I always ask my LFS to feed the fish before I purchase them.

 

[Dkuhlmann]

I always have had luck with frozen Mysis shrimp and Nori seaweed sheets for my herbivores. I have heard of some hobbyist say to drop 1-2 drops into the food to entice the feeding response of the fish. I never had to get to that option so far. I always ask my LFS to feed the fish before I purchase them.

1-2 drops of what?

 

[scooter31707]

Sorry, 1-2 drops of garlic

 

[Buzz1329]

. . . . Frozen mix like LRS this contains a mix of many different finely chopped foods for marine tanks.

What's LRS?

Thanks, Mike

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Larry's Reef Service LRS frozen Reef Frenzy. Mike I'm surprised as long as you've been here haven't heard of it. Most guys with the larger tanks buy this stuff by the case LOL

http://www.larrysreefservices.com/home.html

 

[JMorris271]

Does anyone living away from the coast in the states have a way to get live clams I wonder for feeding?









/

 

[Mayberry]

LRS will feed everything in your tank. Great stuff, but a little pricey.

 

[C.Eymann]

I like to start new fish out on uls pellets if they will accept them, highly concentrated nutrition /protein and I can soak them in selecon and vitachem. I like to do this as it enables me to use a feeder and not become such a slave to the tank.

I made the mistake of starting my anthias on grated PE mysis. now having a heck of a time getting them on pellets I feed the other fish.

 

[toothybugs]

Does anyone living away from the coast in the states have a way to get live clams I wonder for feeding?



/

My grocery deli carries live clams.

Near-rural SE Chicago area.

 

[homer1475]

LRS reef frenzy, reef chilli, PE mysis, NLS pellets, flakes, and absolutely anything soaked in Selcon. Not 100% sure whats in selcon other then fatty acids, but anytime I put that in my tank, everything goes nuts for it, fish and corals!

 

[Buzz1329]

Larry's Reef Service LRS frozen Reef Frenzy. Mike I'm surprised as long as you've been here haven't heard of it. Most guys with the larger tanks buy this stuff by the case LOL

http://www.larrysreefservices.com/home.html

What can I say? I'm old school and slow on the uptake.

Hey, is this Larryreefservice connected to the famous Larry Jackson? Back on the CompuServe reef forum, he was the man. I was a mod on the incredibly unpopular reef aquarium literature sub-forum, and when I participated in online mod meetings, seems like 60% of the conversations were about whether he had stepped over the line or not. I loved the guy. Sent him a few Fungia anthocauli, and he was very appreciative.

Mike

 

[yellowtang03]

I always used NLS pellets, PE Mysis shrimp and Rods seaweed sheets in my tank and the fish love all of it.

 

[JMorris271]

Thank you all for a very good information. This will be so helpful getting a tank going.

 

[64Ivy]

I go with a little bit of everything: LRS, Rod's, Reef Nutrition, Ocean Nutrition, Mysis (both Hakiri and PE) and, particularly if I'm fattening up a butterfly, fresh clams and live black worms.