Clownfish feeding...

[mcgyver74]

Hey Everyone,
I currently have 1 clownfish in my 24gal NanoCube. I feed him Mysis shrimp every day (which he seems to like) However, I am going away for the weekend and I have a small dilemma

What else aside from Mysis will a clownfish eat? Can I feed him Flake?
Also is there an auto feeder ring of somekind I can get for him? (I have an autofeeder on my freshwater tank)

Thanks in advance

 

[Avi]

Usually Clownfish that take food well will eat flake good eagerly. I wouldn't hesitate to give it flakes. They tend to be good eaters and you could give it just about any good quality food meant for marine fish. Cyclopeeze is a very good food for them so you might want to get that for it. The kind of autofeeder that mechanically puts food in the tank according to a schedule that you program in would be all right but make sure it only has a small amount of flake so you don't overfeed and cause a nitrate or phosphate elevation since it's only a 24-gallon tank.

 

[ACBlinky]

If you're only going away for a weekend, I'd leave him without food. Automatic feeders scare me, I've read too many stories about them dumping in too much food and causing ammonia spikes. Leaving the fish without food for two or three days won't hurt him - just feed him on Friday before you leave, and first thing Monday when you get back.

 

[r0bin]

I agree, as long as he is healthy and everything he will be fine without food for that length of time.

 

[mcgyver74]

Yeah, auto feeders make me nervous also but I don't have much of a choice. I'm leaving thursday night and returning on Tuesday afternoon, I don't think 5 days without food is fair to the fish (I could survive 5 days without food, but I'd be pretty misrable about it)

Plus I'm not sure i'll be back on tues..this is a long motorcycle road trip and if I get caught in weather i"m not coming back till wed..

So a good flake is ok huh? that's good to know cause the LFS told me to feed them brine shrimp (which is surprisingly affordable) but since i only have 4 fish,,,3 in one tank and 1 in the other I feel like I'm overfeeding now so using flake would allow me to control that.

Ok so off to the LfS we go

Thanks again

 

[TekCat]

I agree, if it is only for a weekend, then feed him heavily for a couple of days before you leave. then, lower tank's temperature by degree or two, this will slow down his metabolism for the time he'll be without food.

Or better yet, have someone come by and feed him

 

[TekCat]

be careful with flake foods, they are not as nutritios as frozen ones, and they have highest content of phosphates.

I see that it is 5 days that you're gonna be out. feeding is going to be just one of the issues. unless you have auto-top-off, then you need someone to pour fresh water to replace evaporated water.

I strongly suggest, to have a buddy to come in and perform small chores.

 

[mcgyver74]

I wish I could find someone to stop by and feed him, heck even if they came by on Saturday and Sunday...For Friday, mon and tues morning he'd be fine.
(I'd feed him thurs night before I left, then Friday he'd be on his own, Sat he'd get fed, sun he'd get fed, mon he'd be on his own and tues I'd feed him

Would that be ok? I really don't want to hurt my fish

As for evap, the nano cube has a closed top, for some reason it doesn't have evaporation issues (I only do reg water changes) and my salinity is holding steady at 1.022

The freshwater tank has evap issues, but it won't evap THAT much

Now to find a willing chump...er I mean friend to feed my fish