Are you "direct" feeding your corals in 2021 and is it worth it?

[revhtree]

If you feed your fish you're feeding your corals that's a given. But today I want to talk about "direct" feeding your corals whether it's directly to their mouths or a broadcast type of feeding. For the sake of this topic we will call both of these methods direct feeding.

I admit I RARELY ever feed my corals and when I do it's a powder food that I distribute very minimally via the water column and a pump! I know many of you hand feed your corals and I have at times but I'm pretty lazy when it comes to certain tank tasks and this is one of them. But what am I missing out on or am I missing out at all? Do your corals grow better? I would assume so. But what about negative residual effects of adding extra food to your reef if any? Not to mention the extra money. Let's talk about it today!

1. Are you directly feeding your corals in 2021?

2. Is direct feeding worth it considering the money and the risks? The risks being extra phosphates or nitrates, algae etc..

3. What food are you direct feeding your corals with?


image via @robert

 

[Dbichler]

I broadcast feed reef roids for my softy tank. I don’t really watch my nutrient level though. If they look good and fish are healthy that’s all that matters. Not sure if directly feeding has much impact unless you have minimal fish in your system.

 

[Arabyps]

1. Are you directly feeding your corals in 2021? Yes, approximately every 7-10 days.

2. Is direct feeding worth it considering the money and the risks? The risks being extra phosphates or nitrates, algae etc.. Not sure. To soon to tell but hopeful.

3. What food are you direct feeding your corals with? Reef Roids via syringe. I use the Billy Pipes method.

 

[sp1187]

1. Are you directly feeding your corals in 2021?

yep, daily.

2. Is direct feeding worth it considering the money and the risks? The risks being extra phosphates or nitrates, algae etc..

the money? that's got to be the least expensive part of this hobby. the risk of extra PO4 and NO3 and algae?
PO4 .9/1.2
NO3 40/60
algae: yea, there's some but it isn't out of control. herbies gotta eat too.

3. What food are you direct feeding your corals with?

mysis, brine shrimps, blood worms, R.O.E., Benepet

4. Do they grow better?

5 polyps per some time last year

 

[Doctorgori]

No not really beyond duncans and Goni/alveapora et ...
BUT interested and following

 

[noobreefer2]

I don't have corals yet, coming soon

 

[58e970b2-3f88-4897-87ba-5]

1. I try to direct feed my LPS every other day. Going to try going up to every day soon.

2. I’m not tracking the cost of food. It doesn’t seem like much compared to everything else though.
What risk? Feeding did cause algae issue when my reef was young, but now it seems to need food or things will decline. I think the real risk is change. Don’t vary the amount you feed quickly.

3. Current food is a mix of Reef Roids, frozen Brine Shrimp, and Freeze Dried Blood Worms. Mixed up and refrigerated to make a paste (and get things to sink) then fed using a syringe.

 

[DeniseAndy]

I do not feed my corals directly very often. Sometimes my larger lps will get some direct feeding. My leathers get just what is broadcast. Now, I do feed a phyto and zoo plankton mixes so that would go more to corals and nems. I do feed my Hadonni, but my clowns feed their malus.
So. loaded question for me. Not a straight answer.

 

[Wolvesreef]

If I feed it with rehydrated food for my fish, the truth is I did it to experiment and it has worked quite well, I have this favia with me for 4 months and it has grown a lot
first time

two months ago

the last one is yesterday's photo (sorry for the quality)

 

[crezguy]

1. Are you directly feeding your corals in 2021?
Yes . I have been doing from the moment I had corals and I do once every week

2. Is direct feeding worth it considering the money and the risks? The risks being extra phosphates or nitrates, algae etc..
Yes worth it. Money - Not something I worry about as it doesn't cost much for Reef Roofs.

PO - 0.10
Nitrate - 20
Algae - Yes but manageable.

I use GFO to counter all the above said.

3. What food are you direct feeding your corals with?

Mix of Reef Roids, Mysis, Calanus, Fish eggs, Zooplankton, Phytoplankton

My LPS, SPS have grown a lot.

 

[Darrin8769]

If you feed your fish you're feeding your corals that's a given. But today I want to talk about "direct" feeding your corals whether it's directly to their mouths or a broadcast type of feeding. For the sake of this topic we will call both of these methods direct feeding.

I admit I RARELY ever feed my corals and when I do it's a powder food that I distribute very minimally via the water column and a pump! I know many of you hand feed your corals and I have at times but I'm pretty lazy when it comes to certain tank tasks and this is one of them. But what am I missing out on or am I missing out at all? Do your corals grow better? I would assume so. But what about negative residual effects of adding extra food to your reef if any? Not to mention the extra money. Let's talk about it today!

1. Are you directly feeding your corals in 2021?

2. Is direct feeding worth it considering the money and the risks? The risks being extra phosphates or nitrates, algae etc..

3. What food are you direct feeding your corals with?


image via @robert

yes I do but am more interested in what everyone feed torches, hammers and frogspawn, I am having no luck keep the frogspawn happy in my tank while others are growing great, have to be careful with the nutrient load on the tank as its only 40 gallons.

 

[Southpawblues]

I broadcast feed my Zoa frag tank every other day. I use a mix of phytoplankton, reef roids and oyster feast. I turn off the return pump for about an hour so the broadcast food stays in the tank. I just have to remember to turn on the return pump eventually. I just purchased something called The Plank made by Avast Marine . It’s a very clever automatic feeder. I don’t have it yet but looking forward to maybe automating some of my process.

 

[wheels 45]

I have a Blastomussa Merletti and a Rainbow anemone. When I feed my fish, the pellets land on them sometimes. I don't necessarily go out of my way to feed them.

 

[Darrin8769]

If you feed your fish you're feeding your corals that's a given. But today I want to talk about "direct" feeding your corals whether it's directly to their mouths or a broadcast type of feeding. For the sake of this topic we will call both of these methods direct feeding.

I admit I RARELY ever feed my corals and when I do it's a powder food that I distribute very minimally via the water column and a pump! I know many of you hand feed your corals and I have at times but I'm pretty lazy when it comes to certain tank tasks and this is one of them. But what am I missing out on or am I missing out at all? Do your corals grow better? I would assume so. But what about negative residual effects of adding extra food to your reef if any? Not to mention the extra money. Let's talk about it today!

1. Are you directly feeding your corals in 2021?

2. Is direct feeding worth it considering the money and the risks? The risks being extra phosphates or nitrates, algae etc..

3. What food are you direct feeding your corals with?


image via @robert

yes I do feed the corals but more interested in what everyone feeds to torches, hammers and frogspawn, I am having no luck with frogspawn, looks great for a while then into a death spiral and not sure what I am missing with these, even move them around the tank when they start to not look good

 

[Millimylilly]

yes I do feed the corals but more interested in what everyone feeds to torches, hammers and frogspawn, I am having no luck with frogspawn, looks great for a while then into a death spiral and not sure what I am missing with these, even move them around the tank when they start to not look good

Those LPS do have mouths that are smaller so they can eat some of the smaller particulate foods like reef roids or frenzy

 

[Kellie in CA]

I direct feed a few times a week and I really enjoy it. I have to feed the Dendros anyway, so might as well give the LPS and anemones a snack too. I use long tweezers and usually pellets. Sometimes I will feed mysis or chopped up shrimp. The biggest surprise to me was the difference in my Palys. The ones that are big enough to eat pellets just gobble them up. They have become huge and the colors are so bright now.

 

[Illinireef]

I have been doing coral amino daily, reef roids weekly and have noticed a difference with my acans and zoas. Just purchased some frozen foods which I will start feeding for my torches.

 

[Rich Klein]

I broadcast feed fish poop. All my corals love it!

 

[Jase4224]

1. Are you directly feeding your corals in 2021?

Yes once a week.

2. Is direct feeding worth it considering the money and the risks? The risks being extra phosphates or nitrates, algae etc..

A coral is literally a mouth that wants food so will do better being fed.

As for filtration.. if you designed your filtration correctly it is my opinion that it should be able to handle MORE than you could ever stock your tank with. So if you add extra nutrients into your tank than you should only have to adjust your filtration accordingly, as opposed to not being able to add extra food your animals want.

People blame a product like Red Sea AB+ or Reef Roids for causing nutrients to rise or algae growing. It’s not the products fault if your filtration can’t keep up.

3. What food are you direct feeding your corals with?

Red Sea AB+ with some fish flake food soaked in. I’m going to get some powdered coral food soon to add also.

Since I started feeding my corals a few weeks ago they look significantly better. I’m so glad I started feeding and don’t know what took me so long! My tank is Euphyllia dominant.

 

[don_chuwish]

I do, and it does elevate nutrients a bit too much sometimes so I have to watch it. Honestly can't tell if it helps them grow any faster.