Feeding the Community Tank

[LCP136]

I just read your article Lee, and its great, but i'm still not sure what to feed my fish. The fish in my tank are 2 yellow skunk clowns, a bicolor blenny, a yellow tang, a coral beauty, and a royal gramma. I've heard so many things that are good to feed that im not really sure what to believe. I keep a live macro algae patch in my tank that my tang and coral beauty love. I've heard that I should mix table shrimp, saltwater fish like salmon, clams, scallops, mysis, nori and a few others all into their diet. What would you recommend for this mix of fish.

Also, what is your view on flake food?

[Ninong]

I just read your article Lee, and its great, but i'm still not sure what to feed my fish. The fish in my tank are 2 yellow skunk clowns, a bicolor blenny, a yellow tang, a coral beauty, and a royal gramma. I've heard so many things that are good to feed that im not really sure what to believe. I keep a live macro algae patch in my tank that my tang and coral beauty love. I've heard that I should mix table shrimp, saltwater fish like salmon, clams, scallops, mysis, nori and a few others all into their diet. What would you recommend for this mix of fish.

Also, what is your view on flake food?

I'm sure Lee will tell you no salmon.

[leebca]

I moved your post into its own thread so that it has a more prominent place.

Feeding the community tank is not that complex. First you decide what each fish eats for protein. Then you put it into its class by protein eating: either a
carnivore
herbivore
omnivore

Carnivores need whole sea foods. Look up what each eats in the wild.

Herbivores primarily eat vegetation.

Omnivores eat a mix of the two above.

Each marine fish only eats seafood. So if the food you choose isn't whole; isn't of sea origin, then its not the best food.

Marine fish don't digest land products very well to not at all.

How can you tell if the food you have is right? READ the label. If it contains only whole seafoods, its right. If it contains wheat or wheat products (like pellet food and most flakes), then it isn't the best food.

Herbivores need to nibble on macro algae. Feeding enough macro algae to last in the tank about 1 hour is the right amount, twice a day. If the algae hasn't been eaten within the hour, it is too much. Herbivores also need a good source of micro algae, like spirulina. READ labels.

Carnivores shouldn't just be fed flesh. Salmon, shrimp tails, and fish flesh aren't whole foods. The clam, saltwater mysis, krill, ocean plankton, ARE whole foods. Other foods that aren't whole but good include the flesh from scallop and squid.

This post: Feeding Marine Fish and Fish Nutrition is meant to do exactly what I wrote above BUT with all the added details as to why and how to find the right foods.

Different types of foods are listed in that post, linked above, so you can read about it and determine if it would be right for your fish.

With the community fish, feed first the macro algae to help get the herbivores eating. Next, feed the omnivores and carnivores with a frozen food made of whole sea foods. It isn't unusual that herbivores will be omnivores in captive life. But still provide an abundance of macro alage. You may have a culture of algae in your tank, but still provide a mix -- green, red, brown, purple algaes.

So, begin by listing each of your fish and, based upon your research, tell me what each fish is: herbivore, omnivore, or carnivore.