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

[Ef4life]

Target feeding?

Broadcast feeding only in my reefs.

 

[velvetelvis]

Broadcast feed. I keep photosynthetic nephtheids, gorgonians, and sponges, which benefit from feeding even though they contain zooxanthellae.

 

[dkfrosty1]

I broadcast mostly, but I will squirt a little next to my goby/ shrimp cave so they don’t miss out. I put spirulina pellets near my shrimp and conchs 3 times a week to make sure they are getting enough food. I also squirt reef roads at my corals a couple times a week.

 

[dkfrosty1]

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.

Where do you get live worms from?

 

[jd371]

I get them from the lfs.

 

[sghera64]

Here is how I target feed my Copper Band Butterfly his DIY salmon, shrimp Nori feast with Reef-Roids and other coral broadcast food mixed in.

 

[rhostam]

Broadcast using an Avast Marine Works AFS. Rehydrates food and keeps it in the water column. Tank loves it (sadly so does algae).

But I also target feed larger corals every once in a while to observe them.

 

[LittleFidel]

I ONLY target feed my fish and corals. It ensures everything is eaten and minimizes waste buildup. Imagine feeding your dog by sprinkling kibble all over the bedroom floor….

 

[LetItReef]

Broadcast on my 25 lagoon:
Coral frenzy in the morning
LRS nano or Rods food at night
Coral AB+ atleast 3x /wk

 

[Sunny in Miami]

I do both. I target feed my spotted Mandarin and corals and broadcast feed my other fish. Quite a nightmare at times since spot feeding my corals is hard to do when my clownfish fight me to get to the corals and steal their food before they can even taste it.

 

[LittleFidel]

I ended up separating my fish and coral for this very reason.

I do both. I target feed my spotted Mandarin and corals and broadcast feed my other fish. Quite a nightmare at times since spot feeding my corals is hard to do when my clownfish fight me to get to the corals and steal their food before they can even taste it.

 

[jhuntstl]

I broadcast all my frozen, pellets, benereef, and roids. Full flow usually. I suppose the algae wafers and nori would be considered targeted for the lawnmower blenny and CUC.

 

[DarkReefer]

Both for me.
Fish get broadcast fed twice a day from an auto feeder.

Corals are a mix. I'll use coral essentials Power Amino & Power Grow 1 each, per week (only recently started this a few weeks ago). Then I'll use coral pellets to generally broadcast feed, however I've started to target feed a little with it also.

Every 2nd week or so I'll get some mysis in there for both corals and fish.

 

[StewL6]

Turn off pumps a couple of minutes before feeding while making up fish and coral food in 100 ml beaker all together. They now know it's coming. Boardcast for the fish first then like to target feed my Acan garden every day sometimes I will hit the blasto's and candy canes . I like hitting my BTA a couple times during the week. After feeding pumps stay off for 10 minutes or so then back on. Interesting since feeding my BTA with same concoctions I feed corals and fish it bubbled right up (never before) and much more color much happier. Acan's are fat and happy. I feed once a day like this around 11am and a little snack of Omega one flakes around 7pm before final lights out at 8pm.

 

[elcapitan1993]

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…

That sounds terrible, I know when I “target” feed my corals I just lightly dust them and that’s it, I have never had a problem

 

[Jax15]

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

How new/old is your tank? Skimmer and fuge can be effective, but I've found once a tank matures the nitrates and phosphates don't bottom out as easily. I have mixed reef with wide variety sps.

 

[Jax15]

That sounds terrible, I know when I “target” feed my corals I just lightly dust them and that’s it, I have never had a problem

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…

Same. Have heard lots of stories firsthand of friends over stuffing their corals with food and killing them. The foods available to us are potent, and if the food is there, even a light dusting, it'll trigger a response and they'll eat it. It's not unlike how some dogs would eat themselves into a coma if you gave them an unlimited amount of kibble. Corals need a diet too!

I broadcast only. Leave all the pumps on. Few scoops of various coral food in the same beaker as my frozen fish food and let it rip.

 

[VanDalsenReef]

How new/old is your tank? Skimmer and fuge can be effective, but I've found once a tank matures the nitrates and phosphates don't bottom out as easily. I have mixed reef with wide variety sps.

10 years in September.

 

[VanDalsenReef]

10 years in September.

About 10 less fish now. Some of my original 18 chromis are gone. Still have over 20 fish in the tank. Haha

 

[elorablue]

Both. Broadcast feed the fish and target feed a chunk of reef frenzy to the blood shrimp.
Corals get nothing except for what's in the water column and light.