# Ocellaris Clownfish food?



## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

I'm looking for some suggestions on what type of food to feed a pair of ocellaris clownfish. Should I go for flake food, or pellets? Any particular brand you would recommend? How often should they be fed?

How about DIY foods? Or live foods (what kind)?

Also, what are the differences between freshwater and saltwater fish food?


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

I'd suggest the New Life Spectrum line of pellets - I'm not a huge fan of flake in general. You can also treat them to some frozen mysis or brine a couple times a week, which I am sure they will enjoy


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## lybrian1 (Aug 10, 2010)

you can feed marine fish fresh water food, they are basically the same but marine foods usually have garlic or ingredients that attract SW fish, because they are very picky.

i would suggest you get a small jar of flakes or pellets. i recommend omega one flakes with garlic. get small in case they dont like it.


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## Kweli (Jun 2, 2010)

I feed mine "new life spectrum" pellets 80% of the time

20% of the time i give them frozen mysis


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

Chris S said:


> I'd suggest the New Life Spectrum line of pellets - I'm not a huge fan of flake in general.


I tried giving them some Hikari micro-pellets, but the pellets sank quickly and the clowns didn't even notice it. When I tried some flakes, at least those didn't sink and they ate a little bit.


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## Kweli (Jun 2, 2010)

I typically turn off my pumps/powerheads.

Then pinch the pellets in my finger and put it in the water, slowly releasing them by moving my fingers back and forth.

After a while they realized that my fingers = food and they dont let any of the pellets hit the ground anymore.

Although I got my fish comfortable with me in QT, so if you dumped them straight into the tank they may be scared of you for a longer time


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## marblerye (Jul 25, 2010)

I had baby clowns at less than an inch in size before I gave them away. Had to feed them formula 1 flakes and prime reef because the formula 1 small pellets and new life spectrum were a bit too big for their tiny mouths. I ordered a pack of Hikari Marine S pellets from MOPS and they LOVE that stuff. Really small pellets for tiny fish. Clowns eat about 4 pellets each and they are stuffed. I can sometimes see the pellet lumps in their belly from the side of their fat little bodies which means they don't do a really good job at chewing... 

I soak the pellets in a cup of tank water and swish them around to make sure they don't float (otherwise they go straight into my overflow) and use a turkey baster to feed them 2 pellets at a time. I sometimes leave the powerheads on and play fetch with them. Pellets are definitely cleaner than flakes.

The larger clown I had last year ONLY ate Omega One flakes and frozen foods and spit out everything else I gave it, while the baby clowns ate almost anything they can fit in their mouths including copepods off the glass.. so depends on how picky your particular clown is.


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## littletnklvr (Nov 1, 2010)

My pair of ocellaris clowns eat anything that falls in the tank, they should be fed a variety of foods, mine eat omega pellets I pre soak them in tank water to soften them up, I also feed them marine cuisine(frozen food) which is brine shrimp,mysis shrimp and krill, I also feed them nutrafin max flake food from hagen which they love, actually they love all of them, clowns are normally pigs and will eat anything.


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

As an update:

My baby clowns are now eagerly eating the marine pellets I bought them. In fact, every time I come by the tank, they always swim up and do that little begging dance.


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## Kweli (Jun 2, 2010)

Yep, that always makes me smile....

Until i feed them alot... and an hour later they are doing the "dance" again


...wait, are marine pellets the chinese food for fish?


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

What kind of live foods are good for Ocellaris? I think my pair ate all my copepods! I used to see a whole bunch of those around, but ever since the clowns, I very rarely see any copepods anymore.

Also, do clowns eat sushi seaweed? Are those of any value nutritionally? What kind of algae can I cultivate for feeding Ocellaris?


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## Kweli (Jun 2, 2010)

They do eat live pods, but mine didnt seem to actively hunt them like a sixline or mandarin would.... Pod population sometimes go through cycles of explosions to decline.... its hard to pinpoint a cause..

Not sure they will eat seaweed


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

Clowns are omnivores and will eat just about anything.


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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

My guys aren't big on seaweed but they'll nibble a bit. They usually get mysis, scallops and shrimp when I feed other things...they seem to love meaty stuff. 

But I picked up some Omega One small marine pellets at MOPS tonight and they were quite happy with them, too...


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## PACMAN (Mar 4, 2010)

All this talk about oscellaris clownfish, makes me think it will be a good fish for my 29G biocube. My intention is to have a yellow watchman goby, Fish x, and a pair of oscellaris clowns. (+2 peppermint shrimp). do you think this is too much? should I just get 1 oscellaris clown? what can fish x be? (i know kweli is going to say a midas blenny lol)


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## Kweli (Jun 2, 2010)

PACMAN said:


> All this talk about oscellaris clownfish, makes me think it will be a good fish for my 29G biocube. My intention is to have a yellow watchman goby, Fish x, and a pair of oscellaris clowns. (+2 peppermint shrimp). do you think this is too much? should I just get 1 oscellaris clown? what can fish x be? (i know kweli is going to say a midas blenny lol)


Seems like an alright list... Im not a fan of shrimp anymore because they attack any coral I try to target feed.... So I'll never get shrimp again...

Since a watchman goby stays on the bottom, i would avoid any other bottom dwellers.


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