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View Full Version : What food for fish & coral in common language?



ferdinand
08-21-2012, 12:09 AM
Hi, i'm new in this saltwater world, already read & watch many about it & happy that i did, saving me lots of money & lives for those unimportant tools n chemicals but maybe because my english & chemistry also biology point in school not so good, got myself a headache to understand :

1. what food is needed by fish n corals so just wonder if we have a complete list of food of homemade or a list of food in common language like: clownfish eat .....yellow tang eat ....:confused: not in Chemicals language again pls =(

2. from what i read, correct me if i'm wrong, by using ATS, we dun need to give food for corals & just give food to fish, am i right??? or we still have to feed those corals? do we have the list of corals food too?

3. i don't have any tools to measure the chemistry in the water, do we need it badly? or do we have a DIY measure kits or a symptoms of unhealty water or things we need to cautions?

4. do we have a limit of fish or coral grow in our tank? example: like in 80 x 50 x 50 are 10 fish kind max or same fish limit in 1 tank so they're not killing each other or as many as we want just pay attention to reef safe or not reef safe? do we have a list of it too? list like: we can't have more than 2 clownfish in 1 tank or 2 tang in 1 tank?


Sorry if i asked so many list just got a headache reading in paragraph coz need it to translate it in my head first in my language to understand it.

Anyway, my big THX for Santa Monica, i learned this saltwater world for my youngest boy birthday gift & got myself like it too in the end, he loves clownfish so badly, he have a toy of clownfish that he bring along anywhere he goes even to school as his friend.
At first i was shocked by so many things need it & so many things must be done also not mention the cost of it, but few days ago i got a link of Santa Monica, well, u're like Santa at Christmas afterall, glad i found you.

also thx before for any of generous reply to this thread

Floyd R Turbo
08-21-2012, 06:50 AM
1) You can find this information online. Many fish will eat whatever you give them, some like a specific type. Some fish are picky about what they will eat, just like kids. Tangs are herbivores so you want to provide them with seaweed (Nori) or some kind of vegetable. Others can chime in on this.

2) Basically you feed the fish, and the waste from the fish will feed the corals - for the most part. You can also feed the corals directly, or you can prepare your own mixture of various foods and "feed the entire tank" every time you feed the fish. Raw table shrimp should be your primary ingredient in a DIY food mixture, then you can add many other things that you can either buy in a store or buy online and then make a batch of food and freeze it in a flat ziplock bag, and cut it up into cubes for daily feeding.

3) you can use the appearance of the tank, fish, and corals to judge the water quality, but this may not help you determine how to solve an issue - you would be guessing, and without a LOT of experience, your guesses would likely be wrong. I would suggest the following test kits (warning - chemical names coming!!):

Either Salifert Alkalinity or Hanna Checker Alkalinity (I have both, and both are excellent)
Salifert Calcium
Salifert Magnesium
Salifert Nitrate
Hanna Checker Phosphate (get extra reagents)
Some kind of pH test kit, but don't get worried about the level, you just want to try to keep it between 7.8 and 8.4 without swinging wildly (maintaining proper alkalinity prevents this)
Some kind of salinity testing device, at a minimum, I would suggest a handheld refractometer

4) there are many schools of thought on this issue. You should not over crowd a tank as some fish will suffer. Clownfish should be added in pairs, and you can add multiple pairs if introduced at the same time, or add pairs later but there will likely be a territorial battle. Tangs, if you put a tang in a tank less than 4' long and 100 gallons, you will encourage the "tang police" to stop by LOL. Tangs just need room to swim. Stocking your fish in the tank is more about making sure they are all compatible, adding them in the right order, and providing enough structure so that there are not too many territorial issues. Fish are like people in that each has their own personality, and reading online will only get you so far.

Hope that helps.
Bud

SantaMonica
08-21-2012, 08:25 PM
It is always good to start small, and watch how your scrubber changes in time. Add one coral at a time, starting with mushrooms and leathers.

Tell your boy to show his clown to everyone :)

ferdinand
08-21-2012, 09:19 PM
1) You can find this information online. Many fish will eat whatever you give them, some like a specific type. Some fish are picky about what they will eat, just like kids. Tangs are herbivores so you want to provide them with seaweed (Nori) or some kind of vegetable. Others can chime in on this.

2) Basically you feed the fish, and the waste from the fish will feed the corals - for the most part. You can also feed the corals directly, or you can prepare your own mixture of various foods and "feed the entire tank" every time you feed the fish. Raw table shrimp should be your primary ingredient in a DIY food mixture, then you can add many other things that you can either buy in a store or buy online and then make a batch of food and freeze it in a flat ziplock bag, and cut it up into cubes for daily feeding.

3) you can use the appearance of the tank, fish, and corals to judge the water quality, but this may not help you determine how to solve an issue - you would be guessing, and without a LOT of experience, your guesses would likely be wrong. I would suggest the following test kits (warning - chemical names coming!!):

Either Salifert Alkalinity or Hanna Checker Alkalinity (I have both, and both are excellent)
Salifert Calcium
Salifert Magnesium
Salifert Nitrate
Hanna Checker Phosphate (get extra reagents)
Some kind of pH test kit, but don't get worried about the level, you just want to try to keep it between 7.8 and 8.4 without swinging wildly (maintaining proper alkalinity prevents this)
Some kind of salinity testing device, at a minimum, I would suggest a handheld refractometer

4) there are many schools of thought on this issue. You should not over crowd a tank as some fish will suffer. Clownfish should be added in pairs, and you can add multiple pairs if introduced at the same time, or add pairs later but there will likely be a territorial battle. Tangs, if you put a tang in a tank less than 4' long and 100 gallons, you will encourage the "tang police" to stop by LOL. Tangs just need room to swim. Stocking your fish in the tank is more about making sure they are all compatible, adding them in the right order, and providing enough structure so that there are not too many territorial issues. Fish are like people in that each has their own personality, and reading online will only get you so far.

Hope that helps.
Bud

wow thx Mr. Floyd, i got some new knowledge again bout saltwater :)



It is always good to start small, and watch how your scrubber changes in time. Add one coral at a time, starting with mushrooms and leathers.

Tell your boy to show his clown to everyone :)

he already did santa, he can tell long story bot it.


i have 2 aquarium, 1 in 10 gallons n 1 in 40 gallons.
i try to start with 10 gallons first, cycle it about 3 weeks than a week ago i add 1 life rock, 1 clownfish, 1 damsel.
they seems to be allright, having nice appetite, planning to add 1 yellow tang, 1 hippo tang, 1 clownfish, is that ok for that 10 gallons tank? or already too crowded?

mushrooms & leathers are easy to take care? dun have to feed them?

thx again for both of you, Floyd & Santa :)

ferdinand
08-22-2012, 05:04 AM
It is always good to start small, and watch how your scrubber changes in time. Add one coral at a time, starting with mushrooms and leathers.

Tell your boy to show his clown to everyone :)

Santa, for scrubber is it vertical or horizontal will get the best result?

SantaMonica
08-22-2012, 11:55 AM
Vertical, with light on 2-sides, is always best.

I would not put the tangs in yet.

ferdinand
08-22-2012, 10:50 PM
Vertical, with light on 2-sides, is always best.

I would not put the tangs in yet.

oh ok, i'll hold the tangs & wait for more,

is it ATS lights on for 24hr, santa? or is it still like this: 18 hours on, 6 hours off

kerry
08-23-2012, 04:40 AM
18/6 is a good place to start.