Acropora nutrition while Fallow?

[ScottB]

I am dreading this in a major way, but velvet doesn't leave me much alternative but to go fallow in my SPS display.

I've been pretty successful with heavy in / heavy out fish poo as my sole nutrient source. How have you successfully kept your acropora during a fallow period?

 

[KrisReef]

No need to worry, get some reef roids or other coral food and keep an eye on the NO3 and P and add those iff needed.

 

[wareagle]

I think my snails make way more poo than my fish.

 

[Waters]

I agree with the dosing and watching numbers.......I use Polyp-Booster from PolypLab and either Reef Chili or Reef Roids. Just a small amount of both increases my phosphates like crazy in a 105G tank.

 

[LeftyReefer]

I'm in the same boat. Currently 30 days into a fallow period. So far, none of my corals have seemed to mind or suffer in any way. I've just been adding a little coral food or amino's every few days. I just rotate between AB+ and AcroPower, and then I will throw in a few pellets for the snails maybe once a week.

 

[Marc2952]

I am dreading this in a major way, but velvet doesn't leave me much alternative but to go fallow in my SPS display.

I've been pretty successful with heavy in / heavy out fish poo as my sole nutrient source. How have you successfully kept your acropora during a fallow period?

Im currently going through fallow again and its worse now that the tank is mature. I auto feed my tank pellets 4 times a day and frozen once a day aswell as dose nitrate and phosphates just to keep them stable LOL

 

[ScottB]

Im currently going through fallow again and its worse now that the tank is mature. I auto feed my tank pellets 4 times a day and frozen once a day aswell as dose nitrate and phosphates just to keep them stable LOL

Wow I am kinda surprised, but maybe I shouldn't be. I recall your history with Dinos. I just haven't thought this through. Previous posts have been very casual about fallow feeding but your "keep feeding the same" philosophy makes some sense to me.

 

[Hydrored]

I used easyreefs SPS evo and booster while fallow last year and worked wonders, just up the dose based on current nutrients (evo) along with some reef chili once a week only if needed

 

[Marc2952]

Wow I am kinda surprised, but maybe I shouldn't be. I recall your history with Dinos. I just haven't thought this through. Previous posts have been very casual about fallow feeding but your "keep feeding the same" philosophy makes some sense to me.

Yea i never understood how people fed less during fallow when infact should be more since you wont have fish producing constant waste that the bacteria and corals consume throughout the day.

 

[SamMule]

Shouldn't your nutrient import remain the same?
Does it really matter if it's fish, CUC, or bacteria "processing" the food you dump in?
Or, does the speed at which the food is broken down change, requiring an adjustment to nutrient import/export?

I have zero experience feeding fallow. Just asking questions...

 

[xiaoxiy]

You could also consider hatching/feeding BBS as well while your tank runs fallow.

 

[ScottB]

Shouldn't your nutrient import remain the same?
Does it really matter if it's fish, CUC, or bacteria "processing" the food you dump in?
Or, does the speed at which the food is broken down change, requiring an adjustment to nutrient import/export?

I have zero experience feeding fallow. Just asking questions...

Well truth be told to all that followed this thread, I chickened out on fallow. I lost two established fish right at the beginning of the outbreak and the rest all eventually "recovered". Even my ich magnet Powder Blue pulled through, although he was demoted from tank boss by the Yellow tang.

 

[SamMule]

Sounds like things are headed back in the right direction!