Feeding corals - should I do it and how?

[acshaw80]

Hi there-

I have put together a 50g tank I’m really happy with over the last year and a half. Right now I have the following:

-Various Zoas
-Various cloves
-Cherry red goniopora
-montipora setosa
-birds nest
-Bubble gum digitata
-Oregon blue acro
-Maze brain coral
-Maleficent acro
-Frogspawn
-Unknown blasto
-GSP
-Various shrooms
-Mini maxi anemone
-blue sponge (on this whole list this is the only one that really hasn’t grown much and perhaps shrank)

In the past, I’ve fed my corals weekly but after doing some additional reading I find myself wondering if I really need to feed them as much as I am since most of these are primarily photosynthetic.

my question…based on the above list - I think there are only 2 that need regular feeding - blue sponge and goni:


Do you agree? If so would it be ok to broadcast feed a few drops of coral food 2-3 times a week or should I give a more concentrated target feed each week? I know some people target feed and others broadcast feed. My thought is that broadcast feeding would be easier and perhaps cause less of a nitrate spike if I just add a few drops of coral food every few day instead of target feeding what is probably more food in each serving.

Love to hear your thoughts on how you would approach this!

 

[Pistondog]

Hi there-

I have put together a 50g tank I’m really happy with over the last year and a half. Right now I have the following:

-Various Zoas
-Various cloves
-Cherry red goniopora
-montipora setosa
-birds nest
-Bubble gum digitata
-Oregon blue acro
-Maze brain coral
-Maleficent acro
-Frogspawn
-Unknown blasto
-GSP
-Various shrooms
-Mini maxi anemone
-blue sponge (on this whole list this is the only one that really hasn’t grown much and perhaps shrank)

In the past, I’ve fed my corals weekly but after doing some additional reading I find myself wondering if I really need to feed them as much as I am since most of these are primarily photosynthetic.

my question…based on the above list - I think there are only 2 that need regular feeding - blue sponge and goni:


Do you agree? If so would it be ok to broadcast feed a few drops of coral food 2-3 times a week or should I give a more concentrated target feed each week? I know some people target feed and others broadcast feed. My thought is that broadcast feeding would be easier and perhaps cause less of a nitrate spike if I just add a few drops of coral food every few day instead of target feeding what is probably more food in each serving.

Love to hear your thoughts on how you would approach this!

Run the experiment.
A few months ago,, I started live phyto every day with something else, acro power, marine snow, Oyster eggs, frozen rotifers etc. Better polyp extension.
Try your plan, you'll learn something.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

I broadcast feed. I don't know if I'm helping them, but I like the feeding response so it's at least entertainment for me.

 

[Cell]

I would target feed some of the corals, such as the goni, blasto, brain and frogspawn.

 

[AlgaeBarn]

If you want to spot feed the goni and sponge would LOVE phytoplankton. If you want to broadcast feed you should look into PNS products like probio as it is a food for filter feeders and the bacteria helps to remove ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate

PNS ProBio™

By removing ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, consuming organic waste products, providing a nutritious food source for filter-feeders and acting as a powerful probiotic, PNS ProBio™ is a highly beneficial addition to your aquarium's microbial community. This product is especially useful for feeding...

www.algaebarn.com

 

[Timfish]

I would be very cautious and keep very good notes so you can see how corals react long term. It would probably be a good idea to take a months worth of notes before feeding to have some kind of benchmark. Corals can have very specific requirements when feeding particulate foods and it may not be beneficial for species/genotypes that feed primarily of inorganic dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus. See these links for more info:

IPSF Coral Heaven

I got a sample of it with my recent order from Indo Pacific Sea Farms. Anyone have any experience with it? Mainly with SPS. Their instructions make it sound like kind of a PITA. But maybe it's worth it? Curious how it effects nutrient levels as well. Release a VERY SMALL amount - just a few...

www.reef2reef.com

Elucidating an optimal diet for captive Acropora corals

Developing an optimal heterotrophic feeding regime has the potential to improve the growth and overall health of captive corals. This study evaluated …

www.sciencedirect.com

Coral farming: effects of light, water motion and artificial foods

Improved coral cultivation will facilitate the reduction of wild harvesting, reef restoration, preservation of biodiversity, and the use of corals as model experimental organisms. In this study, we examine species-specific responses in growth and

www.academia.edu

Comparing the capacity of five different dietary treatments to optimise growth and nutritional composition in two scleractinian corals

Developing an optimal heterotrophic feeding regime has the potential to improve captive coral growth and health. This study evaluated the efficacy of three exogenous diets: Artemia nauplii (ART), a commercially available coral diet (Reef Roids) (RR), and a novel, micro-bound diet (ATF), against...

journals.plos.org