𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐦 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐓𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝:

𝐏𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐬, 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐳𝐞𝐧, 𝐃𝐈𝐘, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞

Everything You Need to Know About Fish & Coral Nutrition

If you want to watch our video on food options click here

1. Pellets: The Convenient Staple

Pellets are one of the most popular foods in the saltwater hobby, especially for daily use and automatic feeders. They come in various sizes, float or sink depending on design, and can provide great nutrition if you select the right brand. That said, not all pellets are created equal. Some are loaded with whole seafood and vitamins—others are packed with wheat and soy fillers that do little for your fish and a lot for your nitrate levels.

Best for: Active mid-water swimmers like tangs, angelfish, and wrasses

Key Features:

Pellets are calorie-dense, meaning even small amounts provide a significant nutritional load. This is great for growing fish, but it also makes it easy to overfeed. High-quality pellets are made with whole ingredients like fish, squid, krill, and marine algae. Lower-end options often use binders, starches, and unidentified “fish protein” that can lead to digestive issues or long-term malnutrition.

• Floating vs. Sinking:

Pellet buoyancy matters more than people think. Floating pellets stay on the surface longer, which works well for active midwater fish like chromis, anthias, and wrasses. However, some fish are hesitant to feed at the surface. In those cases, slow-sinking pellets are ideal, giving shy or bottom-feeding species like gobies and jawfish more time to eat without competition.

Size Matters:

• Pellets come in a wide range of sizes, and choosing the right one for your fish species is crucial.

  • 1 mm pellets are best for small fish like clownfish, chromis, dartfish, and blennies.

  • 2 to 3 mm pellets are great for medium fish like angelfish, wrasses, and smaller tangs.

  • 4 mm+ pellets should be reserved for larger species such as triggers, puffers, and groupers.

Tamara's Pro Tips:

1. Soak pellets for 1 minute before feeding to prevent intestinal bloating
2. Add a drop of Amino Acids to help boost the nutrition of the pellet
3. Use an auto-feeder for consistent meals when you’re away
4. Avoid cheap pellets with wheat/soy fillers—look for whole seafood ingredients

2. Flakes: The Beginner’s Choice

Flakes are often the first food hobbyists try—and for good reason. They’re easy to find, easy to feed, and well-accepted by a wide variety of small saltwater fish. While they’ve earned a reputation as a “basic” food, high-quality flake options can still offer good nutrition when used correctly and stored properly.

Best for:

Small fish and nano tanks, especially community setups with peaceful midwater feeders

Key Features:

Flake food is thin, light, and designed to float, making it ideal for fish that feed at or near the surface. Anthias, chromis, damselfish, and firefish often accept flakes readily. Because flakes break apart easily, they’re especially useful in tanks with fish of varying sizes, as they can be crumbled or crushed to suit everyone’s needs.

One major drawback is nutrient degradation. Flakes lose vitamins quickly when exposed to air, light, and moisture—especially after the container is opened. This can lead to deficiencies over time if flakes are the only food in rotation.

• Surface feeding behavior: Great for active swimmers and small-mouthed fish

• Customizable size: Crumbles easily for fish with small mouths

• Nutrient breakdown: Sensitive to air and moisture—always store in airtight containers, ideally with oxygen absorbers if you’re using a large container over time

Tamara’s Pro Tips:

1. Crush flakes between your fingers before feeding for tiny species like neon gobies and clown gobies
2. Feed in small pinches—wait between doses to see what actually gets eaten before adding more
3. Mix flakes with vitamin-enriched water to help picky eaters or new additions recognize the food
4. Don’t dump flakes directly onto strong surface flow—it’ll scatter everywhere and disappear into your overflow

Special Trick:

• Use a floating feeding ring. Placing flakes in a ring helps keep them contained in one area, reduces waste, and gives shy fish a chance to pick at food without it disappearing into your sump. It’s a small tool that makes a big difference—especially in nano tanks or tanks with skittish feeders.

3. Frozen Foods: The Gold Standard

Frozen food is considered by many reefers to be the highest quality and most natural option for feeding marine fish and corals. It preserves delicate nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, amino acids, and enzymes that are often lost in dry processing. Frozen food also mimics the textures and particle sizes fish would encounter in the wild—making it a top choice for both nutrition and feeding response.

Best for: Nearly all marine fish and corals

Top Choices & Uses:

1. Rotifers

Best For: SPS corals, NPS corals, feather dusters, and larvae

Special Notes: Extremely small and rich in protein and micronutrients. Ideal for broadcast feeding coral-dominant systems or target feeding NPS species.

Tamara’s Pro Tip: Great for new coral frags or systems where tiny food is critical. Add a bit to your frozen food slurry or feed solo during coral feeding time.

2. Plankton and Copepods

Best For: Anthias, mandarins, nano gobies, and filter feeders

Special Notes: These tiny foods are rich in DHA and EPA. Excellent for picky or small-mouthed fish, and ideal for broadcast feeding filter feeders like sponges and feather dusters.

3. Calanus

Best For: Corals, mandarins, wrasses, and LPS

Special Notes: A fatty, reddish copepod that triggers a strong feeding response. These are often found in reef blends but are also sold individually.

4. Fish Roe

Best For: Mandarins, anthias, finicky eaters, and LPS corals

Special Notes: Roe is high in omega-3s and natural attractants. It’s excellent for conditioning breeding pairs or enhancing coloration, especially in anthias and gobies.

5. Mysis Shrimp

Best For: Most fish, LPS corals

Special Notes: PE Mysis is nutrient-dense but can release phosphate; rinse before use if you’re trying to manage nutrient levels

6. Brine Shrimp

Best For: Small or new fish, gobies, firefish, and nano tanks

Special Notes: Brine shrimp are low in nutrition unless enriched with vitamins or fatty acids; use as a transition food for fish that aren’t eating yet, or as a treat. Look for spirulina-enriched or omega-3 versions when possible.

7. Clam, Mussel, and Scallop

Best For: Large carnivores, scavengers, and meat-eating LPS corals like acans or scolies

Special Notes: These foods offer a more natural texture and are packed with minerals. They can be chopped for corals or offered whole to predators like triggers or eels.

8. Squid

Best For: Groupers, lions, eels, and other large predators

Special Notes: High in protein and amino acids, but chewy. Not all fish like the texture. Chop finely or mix into a blend for better results.

9. Krill

Best For: Color enhancement in large fish like puffers, triggers, and lionfish

Special Notes: Rich in astaxanthin, a natural pigment that boosts reds and oranges; soak to soften tough shells before feeding

10. Reef Blends

Best For: Mixed reef tanks with corals and fish

Special Notes: Coral blends often includes a combination of brine shrimp, cyclops, rotifers, and coral powders; ideal for broadcast feeding or target feeding using a baster

Tamara’s Pro Tips:

1. Thaw frozen food in tank water, not hot water or the microwave—this protects sensitive vitamins and prevents food from breaking down prematurely
2. Use a turkey baster or coral feeder to deliver food directly to LPS, sun corals, feather dusters, or any slow eaters
3. Portion out weekly rations using a clean ice tray; freeze pre-measured servings to speed up feeding time and avoid thawing too much
4. Never refreeze thawed food—feed or discard it after use

5. I keep enriched brine on hand for introducing new fish to frozen—it’s soft, easy to eat, and can be a great confidence booster for timid feeders.

    

Storage Tip:

Label your frozen food bags or containers with the date you opened or thawed them. Frozen food generally holds peak nutritional value for about six months in a standard freezer. Using it within that window ensures your reef gets all the benefits without the risk of freezer-burned nutrition loss.

R1 Frozen Fish Food Feeder: If you haven't heard we are launching the first ever frozen fish food feeder that keeps food frozen until the moment it feeds your tank. To learn more click here:

4. Nori (Seaweed Sheets): Herbivore Essential

If you keep tangs, rabbitfish, blennies, or algae-eating angels, nori isn’t just a nice addition—it’s a necessity. Marine herbivores evolved to graze all day on microalgae and seaweed. While meaty foods might get them excited, long-term health depends on fiber, plant-based nutrients, and steady access to roughage. That’s where nori shines.

Best for: Tangs, rabbitfish, blennies

Feeding Methods:

Nori can be offered in a few different ways, and presentation makes a big difference in how your fish respond.

Clip Method

Use a veggie clip and attach it to the side of the tank near high flow but not directly in it. For tanks with curious or strong fish, secure the clip using fishing line tied to a magnet or a suction cup for easy retrieval. Replace the sheet every 2 hours to prevent the breakdown of organic material and water fouling.

Rubber Band Trick

For a more natural feeding behavior, use a rubber band to secure the nori sheet to a small rock or piece of live rock. Place it in the sand bed or against your aquascape so tangs and rabbitfish can graze just like they would on a reef. This is especially useful for shy or easily stressed fish that don’t like swimming to the surface to eat.

Tamara’s Pro Tips:

1. Offer a 1” x 1” piece per tang daily, adjusting based on appetite and tank size
2. Try rotating green (ulva), red (nori), and purple (gracilaria) sheets—each has a different nutritional profile and adds enrichment
3. If your fish lose interest before all the nori is gone, try splitting the feeding into two smaller sessions or offering at the same time each day to build consistency
4. Use fishing line and tie it around the clip or rock for easy removal from the tank.

Warning:

• Nori decomposes quickly in saltwater and can elevate phosphate if left in too long. Always remove uneaten sheets within 2 hours and clean any clips or rocks used to serve it. If it starts breaking up and floating around the tank, it’s been in too long.

5. Live Foods: A Specialized Tool with Selective Value

Live foods can play a valuable role in the saltwater hobby—especially in specific cases like training new fish, supporting breeders, or maintaining certain obligate feeders. While not part of most hobbyists’ daily routines, they offer natural movement and feeding cues that can encourage hesitant eaters. That said, live foods vary widely in nutritional value, sourcing safety, and ease of use. Copepods and rotifers tend to be the most sustainable and reef-safe options, while others like blackworms and brine shrimp are better suited for occasional use with proper care.

Best for: Finicky or wild-caught fish, breeding setups, mandarins, pipefish, seahorses, and coral or larval feeding

Live Foods:

Preferred Live Foods

1. Copepods

Best For: Mandarins, small gobies, pipefish, seahorses, filter feeders

Copepods are small crustaceans naturally found in reefs and refugiums. They are rich in fatty acids and protein, and they can be sustained long-term with a little effort. They also support filter feeders like feather dusters and sponges, making them a smart addition to many reef ecosystems.

Tamara’s Pro Tip: Add copepods to a refugium or culture them in jars to keep a steady supply. Feeding at lights out helps many pod-reliant fish feed more effectively.

2. Rotifers

Best For: Coral broadcast feeding, SPS tanks, NPS corals, larval fish

Rotifers are nutrient-rich microfoods with a small particle size that makes them ideal for broadcast feeding. They are often used in coral propagation systems or in the early stages of fish rearing.

Tamara’s Pro Tip: Blend rotifers with coral powders for an easy nighttime feeding slurry. Feed with the return pump off to let corals capture more particles.

Occasional Live Foods

1. Blackworms

Best For: Wrasses, butterflyfish, wild-caught fish, and training sessions

Blackworms are highly palatable and often used to jumpstart feeding in fish that are hesitant to eat frozen or prepared food. However, they require care in handling and may introduce unwanted nutrients or contaminants if not rinsed properly.

Tamara’s Pro Tip: Gut-load blackworms with spirulina for 12–24 hours before feeding and always rinse well. Use only as needed, not as a staple.

2. Brine Shrimp

Best For: Conditioning breeders, feeding fry, or encouraging feeding in new fish

Live brine shrimp are widely available and easy to enrich, but they’re low in nutrition without supplementation. They’re helpful for short-term use but shouldn’t be relied on as a complete diet.

Tamara’s Pro Tip: Enrich with Selcon or spirulina before feeding. Offer in small batches to reduce waste.

Tamara’s Pro Tips

• Gut-load all live foods with supplements before feeding to boost nutrition

• Use cultured copepods and rotifers as safe, effective staples when needed

• Quarantine any live food (especially blackworms or store-bought brine) for 24 hours to reduce pathogen risk

• Live foods are best used as part of a transition strategy, enrichment tool, or breeding program—not a primary food source

Safety Note:

• Avoid wild-collected live food (risk of parasites)

6. Coral Feeding: Specialized Nutrition

Coral Type Guide:

Tamara’s Pro Tips:

1. Feed corals at night when polyps extend

2. Use a pipette for precise feeding

3. Target feed meaty corals while fish are distracted

7. DIY Fish Food:Customized Nutrition, Straight from Your Kitchen

Making your own food is one of the most rewarding and cost-effective ways to feed your reef. It gives you full control over ingredients, texture, and nutrient profile—and it’s surprisingly easy once you get the hang of it. Whether you’re feeding picky eaters, breeding pairs, or an entire mixed reef, DIY food lets you tailor meals to your tank’s exact needs.

Best for: Mixed reef tanks, picky eaters, breeding projects, LPS and NPS corals, and hobbyists looking for full control over nutrition

Why DIY?

• Full transparency—no hidden binders or fillers

• Easy to adjust ratios for carnivores, omnivores, or herbivores

• Great way to combine seafood, coral foods, vitamins, and algae into one consistent blend

• Saves money in the long run, especially if you’re feeding multiple tanks

Sample Recipe: (General Reef Blend)

50% raw seafood (shrimp, scallop, squid, clam)

30% greens (nori, spinach, spirulina powder)

20% supplements (Selcon, coral powders, amino acids, copepods)

This blend works well for a broad range of fish and corals. For herbivores, increase the greens to 50%. For heavy feeders or predators, increase the seafood and reduce plant matter. Coral-focused blends can include smaller particle foods like rotifers, calanus, and phytoplankton.

Optional Add-ins

• Spirulina powder for plant-based protein

• Reef Roids, Benepets, or Coral Frenzy for corals

• Garlic extract for palatability and immune support

• Phytoplankton for trace nutrients and filter feeders

• Enriched copepods or rotifers for fine-particle coral feeding

Tamara’s Pro Tips:

• Add gelatin for binding if needed

• Freeze in thin layers for easy breaking or put in a silicone ice cube tray

• Label with ingredients and date

• Use within 3–6 months for best nutritional value

Conclusion: Final Feeding Rules to Live By

Feeding your reef isn’t just about picking the “right” food—it’s about building habits that support the long-term health of your entire ecosystem. The truth is, most feeding mistakes don’t come from choosing the wrong product—they come from inconsistency, overfeeding, or sticking to a single food for too long. Success comes down to observation, variety, and a little bit of planning.

1. Variety is key—rotate at least three different food types throughout the week to cover the full nutritional spectrum.
2. Feed small amounts two to three times a day instead of one large dump; it’s easier on digestion and keeps water quality in check.
3. Remove any uneaten food within one hour to avoid nutrient spikes or algae blooms.
4. Most importantly, observe your fish. Appetite, aggression, color, and energy levels all tell you whether your current feeding routine is working—or needs adjusting.

Feeding your reef is one of the most personal parts of the hobby. With a little knowledge and the right strategy, it becomes more than just a chore—it becomes part of your connection to the tank. So feed with intention, observe with care, and enjoy the process.

Happy Reefing!