Feeding CBW in a BB Tank

[Cosmo]

Ok.. some.. maybe many of you, will think I'm weird, but hey.. wouldn't be the first time :D But.. shared this with a friend who had called me sick when I first broached the topic a month or so ago and he actually thought my solution was a good idea, so... thought I'd share it for any who might find benefit in it..

My goal was to find a way to make sure CBW's and frozen foods were kept available to all the fish in the tank, rather than just a few. I'd noticed that once I converted my gravel tank to BB that all the food that wasn't immediately consumed on the way down tended to slowly slide across the bottom of the tank and gather in one corner due to current created by the filters. Easier to syphon up yes, but, it also allowed the most dominant fishs to hog the food so to speak.

The solution came by accident, but works great :)

I have 4 large ceramic airstones that have square "bumpers" on them, so, they sit on the bottom of the tank, one in each back corner and two evenly spaced in the middle. Fortunately, the current from the filters pushes all the uneaten food into one of the back corners, and, everytime one of the fish swim over it, or, take a bite... it sends a good amount of the food back up into the tank where it's picked up by the current created by the airstone and re-distributed to the others who are eagerly awaiting more to eat up around the middle of the tank :)

Long story short... a strategically placed airstone on or near the bottom is all it took to recirculate the food and make sure every got enough to eat :)

Now.. if any of the older members on the forum get on and say how goofy I am... you'll know who thought it was a good idea :D

Jim

[kaceyo]

Hi Jim,
I wouldn't worry too much about people thinking your crazy. You've been around long enough that
everybody already knows. No point in tryin' to hide it anymore. I have the same problem in my tank. One of my so called pairs has taken over the corner farthest from the AC filter and gets the lions share of the food that settles there. I thought about an airstone but I like being able to get at 90% of the crud that settles in one spot during W/C's. But now I'm thinkin' It'll still settle in one spot, just somewhere else that may be more accesable to the others. You talked me into it, I'll try it.

Kacey

[Tad]

Now.. if any of the older members on the forum get on and say how goofy I am... you'll know who thought it was a good idea :D

Jim
:lipsrseal

[Cosmo]

Hey Kacey... you're right, why try and hide the truth ? lol Actually, one of the nice things about being this age... you can say what you please and not care too much what others think :D Right Tad :D

At least in my tank, I've found that the food that is carried up and away by the airstone, and not subsequently eaten, ultimately returns to the same spot :) which is nice cause it's still in a nice and easy pile to syphon up once they're done :)

Hope it works for you too..

Jim