Is there an all sponge fish food?

[jarrod13]

Does any manufacturer make a food that is mostly sponge? I've heard that some angelfish blends have a little sponge in them but is there one that has more than all the others?

 

[reefgoddess808]

I haven't been able to find one that is mostly sponge, however I have recently started feeding the san fransisco bay brand angel and butterfly diet and my forceps butterfly and rock beauty angel love it! It does list sponge as the second ingredient so that's a start. I may also try the instant ocean omnivore grazing block as well.

 

[snorvich]

Angel Formula frozen. (Ocean Nutrition)

 

[Alberta-newb]

Ocean Nutrition's Angel Formula does have some sponge, but it is way down on the ingredient list after things like peas. My fish don't like it but I found Pro Salts angel Diet which has sponge second on the ingredient list after krill. My fish love it, unfortunately it's almost impossible to get here in Canada.

 

[jarrod13]

Ok so I'll try to get Pro Salts angel diet first and if I can't then I'll try San Francisco Bay or Ocean Nutrition. Has anyone tried Hikari mega-marine angel diet?

Thank you for the responses so far

 

[meanpressure]

Ok so I'll try to get Pro Salts angel diet first and if I can't then I'll try San Francisco Bay or Ocean Nutrition. Has anyone tried Hikari mega-marine angel diet?

Thank you for the responses so far

I use both Hikari angel diet and San Fran's angel diet every day
My angels do well on it

 

[HumbleFish]

Hikari Mega-Marine Angel contains sponge (I believe it's even the first ingredient listed).

 

[Marshall O]

All of my fish eat up the Hikari Mega Marine Algae I feed it eat least once a week.

 

[Dmorty217]

Brightwell aquatics makes a angel elixer that is specifically for sponge eating fish. I have it and use it but then again my emperor will survive just fine without any sponge, so I can't say if it is beneficial or if it works

 

[arnoldrew]

Would one of these foods be a good supplement for a FOWLR tank that only has a few angels, but also tangs, butterflies, rabbit fish, harlequin tusk, etc? Will they refuse to eat it or is it bad for them?

 

[ken6217]

Do you guys soak the frozen food in RO water first and drain to help cut down on phosphates? Or do you just soak in tank water and feed?

I havent fed this type of food in a while but I recall small particles and they are hard to not have it go down the drain when I pour out the RO water from the cup when I rinse.

Thanks,
Ken

 

[Marshall O]

For all of my frozen food, I fill up a cup with RO water, then put the food in a net so it is submerged. Once thawed, I dump all of the water over the food to get any fine particles out. The net has decent sized openings, large enough where I can't do this with frozen cyclops or rotifers. But this method has worked great for me for a couple of years now.

 

[ken6217]

Thanks. That sounds like a good idea.
Ken

 

[jarrod13]

Since I neglected to mention it before, I'm trying to get a hawaiin blue spotted boxfish to eat. He's been here for two months and hasn't eaten a single thing I have offered, luckily my tank is very established and had plenty of sponge and tunicates to feed from. I've tried almost everything to entice feeding with no luck. I have the orange and yellow sponges from the Carribean but he seems to not be interested in those at all, only the white sponge that grows naturally in the tank. If I knew a place that sold that or tunicates I would just buy them but I haven't had any luck finding someone who sells that. So that is where this question derived from.

I picked up some Hikari mega marine and no luck, just looked at it. Today I got a bottle of Brightwell Angelixir, it's a food soak specifically for spongivorous so we'll see if that works. Fingers crossed. I'm honestly surprised he hasn't died yet, he's been super skinny since I got him. Supplier told me he was eating mysis at his place in Hawaii... Ya right! Poor guy actually spent an extra day in shipping due to airplane issues, when I got him I thought he would die soon because his bounyancy was off and he just kept spinning in fast little circles. He's fine now, acts completely normal just refuses to eat.

 

[Alberta-newb]

jarrod13: please keep us posted on how things go. One thing I've learned is fish can be finicky! Go nuts for food one day and then not touch it the next. As I mentioned before, I've had good luck with Pro-salt Angel diet, and none with the ON. I can't get the Hikari anywhere here in Canada (I would love to try it).

I had a regal with the same issue and was on hunger strike. I went out and even bought live sponges to try to no avail. Eventually it started on the pro-salt. After about a week it ate everything and anything.

 

[ca1ore]

Hikari Mega-Marine Angel contains sponge (I believe it's even the first ingredient listed).

Key component of my feeding arsenal. In fact, my go-to food at the moment for an Achilles Tang in QT (along with spirulina brine)!

 

[jarrod13]

Thanks Alberta, I'll definitely keep y'all updated. If this doesn't work I'll try the pro salts next, only reason I haven't got it yet is I'll have to order it.

Ca1ore, hopefully with the Angelixir and the Hikari he'll finally take to it

 

[jarrod13]

Well, good news he finally started eating mysis soaked in the Brightwell Angelixir!! The first time he spit it out about half the time but the last two times he has eaten pretty good. Now just have to fatten him up. Thanks for all the replies!

 

[Alberta-newb]

That's great news