Feeding, Pods, and a Pellet Reactor

[myindoorocean]

Everyone has differing opinions on this, I think, and I'd sure love to hear some of them.

I like the idea of having pods and algae in my tank for the fish to eat, and keep the feeding to a minimum. Is this possible, especially in a new tank? My nitrates are a little high and I think it's because I'm over feeding. I've only got 4 or 5 small fish (chromis) and a couple of peppermint shrimp, and some snails and hermits in it. I added a couple thousand pods, and I'm hoping they'll live and reproduce. I also have a pellet reactor that I just put online a week ago feeding into my protein skimmer.

I've read that you need to have quite a bit of nutrients for the pellet reactor to function properly, and some have even suggested upping the feeding to accomplish this. This is counter-intuitive I think - what is your experience?

Is it unrealistic to think that my fish can live off of pods and algae and stuff they pick off the rocks? I did use dry rock and sand, so it didn't come with any critters. I added detrivores that I bought, though, about 3 weeks ago - live sand, bristle worms, etc. What if I add other fish - wrasses, tangs, clowns, etc? Will they decimate the pod population faster than it can reproduce?

I was feeding twice a day, but I was told by a knowledgeable (though somewhat old school) reefer to only feed twice a week! It seems like opinions are all over the board - how do you do it, especially with a new tank? How does the pellet reactor play into this?

 

[mfinn]

First I will say, I feed the fish in my 240 every other day.
I think a few fish that has nothing better to do all day except graze for food (pods), will decimate your pod population pretty fast.
I keep on a single pipe fish in my 50 and I have to supplement the pod population with tisbe pods once a month, and I feed him mysis every day.

 

[wes]

I feed my tank every other day. I have tangs a mandarin fish ,scooter blenny and some damsels and my pod population seems to be stable. Its a 200 gal. Plus I recommend feeding phytoplankton and oyster eggs to feed the pods.

 

[myindoorocean]

Plus I recommend feeding phytoplankton and oyster eggs to feed the pods.

How often do you do that?

 

[wes]

I do it every other day. I just follow the instructions on the bottle. I use Reef Nutrition products.

 

[myindoorocean]

Wes, how do you know if your pod population is stable? Do you restock from time to time?

 

[wes]

Wes, how do you know if your pod population is stable? Do you restock from time to time?

I don't restock. They breed pretty well so its not needed. I'm always looking during the day and at night for them in the tank and the population just from observation looks good. Plus my mandarin that only eats pods is very fat.

 

[trido]

I have always fed my tank twice a day. Nori in the morning for the tangs and meat in the evening for the fish and corals.

 

[ReefGeeker]

I feed my fish once a dayish some flakes and rinsed mysis, I have a mandarin and a OBD bio pellet reactor. I stock up pods every couple months in my fuge. All seems well for me in my 90g.