What Food Do You Use?

[Shredder]

Have a 24g Nano. Yellow tang, three clowns, and a very shy green goby. I have been using Hikari Marine S. All fish are healthy and growing and it's gobbled up quickly, but I'm not happy with the oil slick that develops on the surface during the week. I can skim it off with a paper towel when I do my water change, but I am wondering if there is an alternative. Thanks!

 

[SynDen]

That oil slick isnt all from the food. Almost all frozen food will have a bit of fish oil but the majority of the stuff that accumulates on the surface of the water is proteins from the fish in the tank, and it is what a protein skimmer is designed to remove. Having that tang in a tank that is far to small isnt helping you either, as is other fish waste.
Proper stocking, Skimmers and better surface agitation from a circulation pump would eliminate that issue all together.

 

[Shredder]

Maybe, but I don't think so. I am running a four stage filtration system, UV sterilizer, as well as a protein skimmer. Water pump is pushing 363 GPH. All water parameters are well within tolerance, borderline perfect. I swap out 5 gallons weekly from the tank. The Tang is adolescent and I will move him to a bigger tank before size becomes an issue.

Any thoughts on food? Thanks!

 

[ReefCheif]

Either your skimmer isn’t adequately removing the built up proteins or you need more surface adjitation, as Angel mentioned above. Unless your feeding like 10 cubes a day theres no way the food is causing it. I feed super heavy, multiple types of frozen foods including hikari reef plankton, LRS, nano feast, rotifers on top of an auto feeder that dumps twice a day with TDO Chromaboost pellets. I dont have anytype of oil slick on my tank, but I also have a ton of surface movement and my skimmer cup fills up with thick nastyness almost weekly.

 

[TheDubbya]

Try 'New Life Spectrum'. I had been feeding frozen food exclusively for years, but this stuff works and it can be used in an autofeeder too. No oil slick to speak of. You sound like you know what you are doing, so good luck!

 

[Kayvon]

... an auto feeder that dumps twice a day with TDO Chromaboost pellets.

How do you feel about TDO? I was thinking of trying them but they are kind of expensive. Would you say they are better than something like New Life Spectrum?

 

[ReefCheif]

I use both foods. We use NLS on our maintenance accounts and I use TDO at home. Both good foods but ive noticed the colors on my fish at home are much more rich amd deep.