Power heads question

greech said:
Too much food period will result in poor water quality but don't starve your fish. The eye dropper will help get the food into the water column and target feed so you can have a little more control over the amount of food you put in the tank at a given time and put the food where you want it. For 2 clowns and a fireshrimp, I would use about 1/3-1/2 cube of mysis with a few pellets or flake mixed in for variety.
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Thanks!
I am getting ready for my water change today and when I feed, I will do what you say.
I guess I should also shut the power down, or else no matter where I target the food....it will just get blown away.
BTW - I already have a dropper in the house. I don't know what is was for, but it was wrapped and never opened..
Thanks for the help once again!
 
Yep, power down the PHs at least. I usually leave mine off for about 15 minutes so my snails etc can find any little bits of food that may have strayed. They need to eat too :). I really hope this all helps and I wish you the best with your tank.
 
greech said:
Yep, power down the PHs at least. I usually leave mine off for about 15 minutes so my snails etc can find any little bits of food that may have strayed. They need to eat too :). I really hope this all helps and I wish you the best with your tank.
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Well - I did everything the way you said, but I cannot be certain the shrimp ate. He just hides way back behind the rock. He used to come out when he saw the food floating by and grab it as fast as can be, but now he just stays hidden.
The clowns didn't care much for the shrimp either...I don't understand?
Maybe adding a companion for the shrimp will help? A cleaner shrimp maybe? I am new so I don't know, but I do know he was in a tank with several other shrimp when I bought him. He was very active and climbed up and down my arm...now he's just a lump
 
It is going to take a few times to get everyone used to the tube in the water but once they realize what its for they should come around.

What kind of shrimp are you feeding? Also, if your clowns are tank raised they may not be used to seeing shrimp but once they get a taste they should gobble it up.

Fire shrimp are shy by nature. Mine hangs out under an overhang all day but when he sees the dropper coming he will literally swim up in the water column to grab it. I do have a cleaner shrimp as well but I had the fire shrimp eating this way long before I got him. I will say that my fire shrimp seems to be a little bit more adventurous with the cleaner shrimp around because the cleaner is out and about all the time. Both of them go nuts for the dropper and the shrimp. The literally reach in and pull the shrimp out!

My advice is not to give up. Feed using the dropper every time. Slowly get the dropper close to the shrimp and squirt a few pieces of food in his direction and hold the dropper there for a few minutes. If he grabs the food he will realize where it came from.

I got this idea from another reefer and I have also seen my LFS do this.
 
Here are a couple of links. If you just google target/spot feeding you will find out more info. I know I saw a video on youtube where someone was target feeding his clowns using a turkey baster with mysis shrimp. The video link below shows a guy hand feeding flakes to a cleaner shrimp but its the same concept. I can hand feed mine as well but I find it to be better to use the dropper because food doesn't go flying everywhere. Again, I hope this helps because I have read that most folks that just rely on their shrimp finding scraps end up having the shrimp die way too early. Fire shrimp are too pretty and expensive to have them just wither away.

http://www.aquaristsonline.com/blog/livestock/invertebrates/the-blood-shrimp/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeF7pqkL-o4
 
greech said:
It is going to take a few times to get everyone used to the tube in the water but once they realize what its for they should come around.

What kind of shrimp are you feeding? Also, if your clowns are tank raised they may not be used to seeing shrimp but once they get a taste they should gobble it up.

Fire shrimp are shy by nature. Mine hangs out under an overhang all day but when he sees the dropper coming he will literally swim up in the water column to grab it. I do have a cleaner shrimp as well but I had the fire shrimp eating this way long before I got him. I will say that my fire shrimp seems to be a little bit more adventurous with the cleaner shrimp around because the cleaner is out and about all the time. Both of them go nuts for the dropper and the shrimp. The literally reach in and pull the shrimp out!

My advice is not to give up. Feed using the dropper every time. Slowly get the dropper close to the shrimp and squirt a few pieces of food in his direction and hold the dropper there for a few minutes. If he grabs the food he will realize where it came from.

I got this idea from another reefer and I have also seen my LFS do this.
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I am going to keep doing it this way. The shrimp I have are called frozen Mysis shrimp.
I also bought some Krill just a little while ago.
The clowns never really ate well at all. Even the flake food. They seem to be picky eaters, but doing wel nevertheless.
I just got back from town and bought a cleaner shrimp AND the rock he was on. He is staying out in the open. Hoping he'll lure the other one out.
Picked up some more snails too.
Things are shaping up...
Tonight I will try putting the eye dropper right up close to the shrimp if he doesn't come out...I'll keep you posted.
Thanks a million for your time. We can never learn enough, can we?
Thanks also for those links!
 
Nope we sure can't :)

I hate to keep throwing things at you but saoking your shrimp in garlic for a few minutes will entice your fish to eat. You can use a small piece of fresh garlic or buy one of several liquid concentrates on the market. I use Kent's Garlic Extreme and many other use garlic as an attractant as well as an immune system booster. With my luck this probably won;t work for you either :). Just go slow with the dropper and let them get used to its purpose. Good luck!
 
greech said:
Nope we sure can't :)

I hate to keep throwing things at you but saoking your shrimp in garlic for a few minutes will entice your fish to eat. You can use a small piece of fresh garlic or buy one of several liquid concentrates on the market. I use Kent's Garlic Extreme and many other use garlic as an attractant as well as an immune system booster. With my luck this probably won;t work for you either :). Just go slow with the dropper and let them get used to its purpose. Good luck!
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Don't worry about throwing things at me, I am more worried about taking up all your time.
I have fresh garlic and garlic minced in water...I will try whatever it takes.
The cleaner shrimp is all over the place. Up and down my arm...even the clowns come over to my arm when I was putting in the new rock. It's the darn fire shrimp...He'll eat sooner or later. It's a shame because he is so beautiful with color....It can take time, so again, patience is the key here
 
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