Feeding?

[tehpineapple]

I'm starting to wonder if I'm over feeding. With my fresh water tanks I always fed every other day but one of the first people I spoke to about salt water told me to feed twice a day. I haven't had any losses and no issues with ammonia but I did just have a random diatom bloom even though I'm using RO/DI from my LFS. I'm also seeing a lot of green coralline growth.

Current stock:
2 Clarkii clowns (juveniles, about 1 inch from head to tail)
1 Watchmen Goby (about 2 1/2 inches)
1 Diamond Goby (about 3 inches)
1 Emerald crab
and an assortment of snails and hermits

I feed twice a day. Mainly small pellet food with the occasional flake food and frozen Mysis shrimp.

Should I change my feeding habits?

 

[Chuckd76]

I had the same type worries with feeding, too.
Was reading on here and other places how some folks were feeding up to six times a day and so I tried it and pretty much instantly had algae everywhere.
It took me a while but I finally found that the answer is to feed the same total DAILY amount, whether you feed once a day or six times a day. Break it up into smaller feedings so that your fish are getting smaller meals more often, just like people on a diet where they eat often.
To figure out how much to feed I fed a small amount that doesn't reach the bottom of the tank. Then repeated until the fish started slowing down and missing pieces of food. Anything that's missed is too much so you can subtract that amount/pinch of food.
The next time in the day you feed do the same thing and then you have your amount to feed.
From there, just observe the fish, make sure they are maintaining a good weight/profile and adjust amounts as necessary.

 

[CStrickland]

I'd ask the lfs to show you their tds readings next time you go in to buy water. They are notorious for not keeping up with filter changes.

 

[tehpineapple]

Awesome advice. I like your feeding method. I also think it's time to invest in my own filter.

 

[Perth_reefer]

I had the same type worries with feeding, too.
Was reading on here and other places how some folks were feeding up to six times a day and so I tried it and pretty much instantly had algae everywhere.
It took me a while but I finally found that the answer is to feed the same total DAILY amount, whether you feed once a day or six times a day. Break it up into smaller feedings so that your fish are getting smaller meals more often, just like people on a diet where they eat often.
To figure out how much to feed I fed a small amount that doesn't reach the bottom of the tank. Then repeated until the fish started slowing down and missing pieces of food. Anything that's missed is too much so you can subtract that amount/pinch of food.
The next time in the day you feed do the same thing and then you have your amount to feed.
From there, just observe the fish, make sure they are maintaining a good weight/profile and adjust amounts as necessary.

+1 here. Multiple feedings a day are preferable to one big feeding, however this is more important with some fish than others. As above, you are feeding the same amount of food (or sightly increased) but split into multiple feedings. If you do plan to increase the amount you feed for the benefit of your fish then make slow changes to allow your biofiltration to catch up, otherwise you will see nitrates and phosphates rise. You didn't mention how old your tank is, diatoms are a natural part of the life cycle of a new tank.

 

[tehpineapple]

Oh I thought I did mention it. it's 2 1/2 months old. I had a diatom bloom about 3 weeks in but between my trochus snails, the diamond goby and my magfloat, it all cleared up pretty quickly the first time.