Freeze Dried Mysis/General Feeding question

[hinesassociates]

First off ,I was wondering if anyone on here uses/has used Freeze Dried Mysis?

Also I have an issue with feeding in one of my nano tanks. I have 2 Neon Velvet Damsels in it. (This is a newish tank that has just been cycled and I like to put Damsels in there for a test before putting expensive fish or corals in.) Anyway I am having a problem with 1 not letting the other get to the small opening in the top of the tank to eat. I have been feeding them flake and they seem to eat it fine, but the little guy seems like he cant get to it. I would like to try something that would circulate more around the tank so he could get some food too because the flakes just fall to the ground and I end up feeding the tank if I put in extra. I was thinking about mysis and I came across the freeze dried stuff. Any suggestions on what food to use that will circulate better?

 

[SushiGirl]

Every freeze dried food I've tried just floats around. 2 damsels in a nano is going to end up being 1 damsel in a nano. They're aggressively territorial and like a lot of territory for their size.

So you have no powerhead for water movement in there?

 

[hinesassociates]

Every freeze dried food I've tried just floats around. 2 damsels in a nano is going to end up being 1 damsel in a nano. They're aggressively territorial and like a lot of territory for their size.

So you have no powerhead for water movement in there?

I do have a powerhead. And it may end up being 1 damsel... the tank is on my desk at work so I watch it all day and I dont see them fighting at all or picking at eachother except when I feed. The tank has a small opening (its a fluval edge 6gal) and the big one wont let the little one get to the food. I wanted to try something that they would either eat off the bottom or that would circulate better than flake in the tank. Also the damsels are not going to stay in the tank they are more of a second cycle or test...

 

[SushiGirl]

6 gallons is way too small for one damsel, much less two.
What were you planning on putting in the tank? Are you going to just let the damsels die as a test?

 

[hinesassociates]

6 gallons is way too small for one damsel, much less two.
What were you planning on putting in the tank? Are you going to just let the damsels die as a test?

The tank is gonna be for reef only... no I do not plan on letting them die. They will only be in there for a week or 2. Also they are 3/4 in. So they are still very small. They should be fine for a couple weeks if I can get food to that one.

 

[SushiGirl]

Reef only doesn't really tell me anything. Are you planning on putting fish in there? If not, why the test with the damsels? Obviously they're not going to be fine in there or you wouldn't be having territorial issues already.

It doesn't have to do only with the size of the fish, but their behavior. Damsels like more than 6 gallons (actually more than 10 or 15 gallons) of territory regardless of how big they are. 6 gallons is not a lot of territory. I could easily fit in my hall bathroom with another person for a few weeks, but I can tell you there sure would be some fighting going on!

 

[hinesassociates]

I dont think I will end up keeping any fish in there, but just as an fyi I removed one of the damsels and put it back in my 60 gal. Next week I will take the other one out and probably start with a zoa. Anyway in case anyone else wants to know I ended up feeding with a turkey baster and pre soaked food which seemed to work pretty well.