Broadcast Feeding, Target Feeding or both? What needs targeted and what doesn't?

[revhtree]

Broadcast feeding is where you basically just dump fish, coral food into the aquarium and let the pumps move it all around the tank. Target feeding is when you, well, target and feed livestock individually. Is one way better than the other? Is one way right and one way wrong? I don't think so but let's get your thoughts on it!

1. Do you Broadcast Feed, Target Feed or Both?

2. What types of livestock do you TARGET feed?

3. What are your general thoughts on feeding when it comes to broadcast or target feeding?

@Nash target feeding his tang

 

[MarshallB]

1. Both. My food has some coral food mixed in with it. I just shut off the flow, squirt some in and everyone gets fed. Powerheads come on 5 minutes later to blow it all around, pump comes on 5 minutes after that.

2. I target feed all my corals with the same food mix twice a week and also target my blood shrimp. The shrimp doesn't like to venture out looking for food.

3. They both server a purpose. I like broadcast because everything can get food. All the fish, the corals, and the CUC. Target feeding may not even be needed, but I like to know each coral is getting a concentrated feeding every so often. Broadcast also helps keep the CUC away from corals since they have other places they can find food easily.

 

[blaxsun]

Both. I have a lot of greedy little pigs, so I typically have to disperse the food in a long line across the tank to ensure that some of the less aggressive inhabitants get their fair share as well. I do target feed reef roids although in all honestly I probably don't need to.

 

[homer1475]

I feed the entire tank(broadcast), not specific animals.

After all, even the micro fauna needs to be fed(yes I dose live phyto for that micro fauna).

 

[Floyd-]

Broadcast for me. Just dump it in and let them go for it. Same for corals, just dump it in and they get what they need from the flow.

 

[VanDalsenReef]

I have to broadcast or my nitrates and phosphates bottom out

 

[LPS Bum]

I broadcast feed Seachem Zooplankton twice a week. And of course I feed my fish twice a day (Spectrum pellets and nori).

Heavy input and heavy output (skimmer, carbon, and weekly 10% water changes) seems to work best for my majority LPS and softies reef aquarium. But if it was SPS dominant, I'd be a lot more concerned about overfeeding.

 

[VanDalsenReef]

I broadcast feed Seachem Zooplankton twice a week. And of course I feed my fish twice a day (Spectrum pellets and nori).

Heavy input and heavy output (skimmer, carbon, and weekly 10% water changes) seems to work best for my majority LPS and softies reef aquarium. But if it was SPS dominant, I'd be a lot more concerned about overfeeding.

And I have an sps dominant. Just have heavy out (skimmer, large refugium) I have to broadcast everyday and feed pellets 5 times from an auto feeder to just keep some nitrates and phosphates

 

[WheatToast]

Other. I don’t have any livestock to feed at the moment. I used to broadcast feed my freshwater aquarium years ago, however.

 

[RedFrog211]

I broadcast feed mysis w/ vitamin supplements to feed fish and inverts, then cut the pumps and target feed phyto/ReefRoids to polyps. After about 10 mins, I turn the pumps back on. Has worked so far

 

[sp1187]

both.
broadcast feed the fish lights on.
target feed my many nps corals lights out.

food mix is 2 cubes mysis, 1 cube baby brine, 1 Tsp R.O.E, 1 Tbs Oyster feast

every day.

 

[Kongar]

I only have 3 fish in my nano - so for fish it doesn't matter. I used to spot feed all my corals reef roids - they loved it. But then I switched to Rod's food, and since then, I just dump that in and broadcast feed. everybody gets a little bit every feeding, and I think my corals prefer it this way. They are growing more, but I can't say that isn't also related to better stability.

But yes - broadcast feeding seems to work the best for me and my tank.

 

[RedSeaReefer1]

Broadcast. Don’t force your corals to eat. Heard so many stories of people killing their corals because they shove reef roids down their throats. Corals dead 2 or 3 days later…

 

[Hugh Mann]

Both. I target feed my anemone and eel. Broadcast feed everyone else, I’ve never had a fish that lets my hand get as close as that tang does. Except for my maroon clown, because she bites me.

 

[Amatsuki]

I do both

 

[Fishinabarrel]

Both.

Targetted:
Reef roids, I target feed anything with a polyp.
Anemones get a chunk of frozen fish.

Broadcast:
Phyto
fish foods

 

[James_O]

1. Do you Broadcast Feed, Target Feed or Both?

Both.

2. What types of livestock do you TARGET feed?

Usually target feed for the Goby and the coral.

3. What are your general thoughts on feeding when it comes to broadcast or target feeding?

I think broadcast should be used to feed greedy fish (like clowns) and target feeding should be used to feed picky fish (such as Gobys or tangs) and/or coral.

 

[James_O]

Beautiful Tang by the way @Nash.

 

[Murphs_reef]

Both. Broadcast fish and reef snow AND to keep phosphate from bottoming out, target BTA and duncans.

 

[jd371]

Broadcast. I start off by turning off the pumps and feeding live black worms to the fish. The fish go crazy as soon as the worms hit the water and start to wiggle, even the timid ones get right in the middle of the action. Once the worms are done the pumps are turned on and I broadcast feed either Reef Frenzy or if I'm out my own concoction of the same type of food.