Fish Poo is the Magic coral food that's FREE

[Ben Pedersen]

Fine... I'll assume that you're being earnest and not trolling.

This article shows that Acropora and Pocillopora definitely capture Artemia Nuaplii as a food source.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03946975.2015.1119006

Here’s a paper looking at optimal prey densities. It’s unfortunately behind a pay/request wall. Sometimes authors will send you the article if you contact them.

Optimizing heterotrophic feeding rates of three commercially important scleractinian corals | Request PDF

Request PDF | Optimizing heterotrophic feeding rates of three commercially important scleractinian corals | Heterotrophy plays an important role in improving coral growth rate in aquaculture. While a lack of sufficient food will reduce growth and delay... | Find, read and cite all the research...

www.researchgate.net

This study looked at five different dietary regimens on Millepora and Pocillopora. They found that at least for pocillopora, Artemia seemed to lead to higher growth rates. I wonder if the study was just too underpowered to detect statistically significant differences for Artemia treatment for millepora, as the graphs suggest that Artemia feeding yields more growth than filtered sea water. What’s interesting is how disappointed Reef Roids and the “novel, micro bound diet” performed.

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

Here’s an article that looked at Artemia feeding vs no feeding with Stylophora. Again the fed corals did better.

Interactions between zooplankton feeding, photosynthesis and skeletal growth in the scleractinian coral Stylophora pistillata | Journal of Experimental Biology | The Company of Biologists

jeb.biologists.org

Here’s an article that looked at Artemia feeding vs not feeding in Pocillopora. Again, the fed corals did better.

Effects of feeding on the physiological performance of the stony coral Pocillopora acuta - Scientific Reports

Reef-building corals rely on both heterotrophy and endosymbiotic dinoflagellate autotrophy to meet their metabolic needs. Those looking to culture these organisms for scientific or industrial purposes must therefore consider both feeding regimes and the light environment. Herein the effects of...

www.nature.com

While you were looking, did you see any research on coral consumption of single selled algae? I remember reading that many millipora varieties prefer turbid water as they will directly consume algae (depending on the size and shape of the algae).

 

[CanuckReefer]

Just trying have open discussions

What is your current system? All the 'bells and whistles' likely minimal
Mine is a 90g , multiple powerheads, HOB skimmer one day on and one off, 1 lb live rock roughly per gallon, polishing filter powerhead, a whopping 2 T5's with a Fluval 3.0 LED to simulate dusk /dawn other than that its supplemental at best. UV a few hours a day. That's it. 20+ years in 12 of them on this method, nitrates low. Minimal, yet effective....also the feed is Dulse sheets, Nori, and my own blended mix of wild caught if possible crustaceans and fish frozen.

 

[xiaoxiy]

While you were looking, did you see any research on coral consumption of single selled algae? I remember reading that many millipora varieties prefer turbid water as they will directly consume algae (depending on its size and shape of the algae).

I did not. I don't recall any of the previous studies I read commenting on it either, but I can take a look when I get a chance.

EDIT: I lied. See subsequent posts for update.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Wait. You mean you dont test phosphates and nitrates and chase the numbers and dose accordingly to get proper phosphates and nitrate levels?!
D

 

[xiaoxiy]

While you were looking, did you see any research on coral consumption of single selled algae? I remember reading that many millipora varieties prefer turbid water as they will directly consume algae (depending on the size and shape of the algae).

Edit. I lied. I just remembered this article. I think you'll find it of interest. https://www.sciencedirect.com/scien...aVU0dj1erv08ldlXy64uFsoJbpgacdCkJKb0FR2XRq_FI

 

[Unregistered1]

What is your current system? All the 'bells and whistles' likely minimal
Mine is a 90g , multiple powerheads, HOB skimmer one day on and one off, 1 lb live rock roughly per gallon, polishing filter powerhead, a whopping 2 T5's with a Fluval 3.0 LED to simulate dusk /dawn other than that its supplemental at best. UV a few hours a day. That's it. 20+ years in 12 of them on this method, nitrates low. Minimal, yet effective....also the feed is Dulse sheets, Nori, and my own blended mix of wild caught if possible crustaceans and fish frozen.

No i have reefing since before the internet and when we only hat Wildcat BBS and 2400 baud modems. I have had plenty big systems but now i just have a small nano with minimal up keep. Nothing fancy but it keeps me busy

 

[Ben Pedersen]

I did not. I don't recall any of the previous studies I read commenting on it either, but I can take a look when I get a chance.

It was interesting, because coral are very picky eaters.. Some will only consum particles of a particular shape and size rejecting other particles that are very similer..

 

[Unregistered1]

What is your current system? All the 'bells and whistles' likely minimal
Mine is a 90g , multiple powerheads, HOB skimmer one day on and one off, 1 lb live rock roughly per gallon, polishing filter powerhead, a whopping 2 T5's with a Fluval 3.0 LED to simulate dusk /dawn other than that its supplemental at best. UV a few hours a day. That's it. 20+ years in 12 of them on this method, nitrates low. Minimal, yet effective....also the feed is Dulse sheets, Nori, and my own blended mix of wild caught if possible crustaceans and fish frozen.

Nano Build - Here are a few pictures of My nano Waterbox 10

Just a few recent pictures. The frags on the sand are frags i have propagated. I had many frags i had to throw away like 3 nice sized 3 head duncans and some green ricordea's, 3 orange spiney gorgoinians, orange setosa and some hulk lepto because i didn't have any places to trade or turn them...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[xiaoxiy]

It was interesting, because coral are very picky eaters.. Some will only consum particles of a particular shape and size rejecting other particles that are very similer..

I totally lied. I had read this article and forgot about it. It's a really cool read if you have the time. https://www.sciencedirect.com/scien...aVU0dj1erv08ldlXy64uFsoJbpgacdCkJKb0FR2XRq_FI

In brief, the authors found the highest growth rates across three acropora species (Acropora loripes, Acropora millepora, and Acropora tenuis) with a Isochrysis galbana diet. Unfortunately they did not have an Artemia Nauplii condition in the experiment.

I think the second important take away from this study is that it's really hard to replicate food with a synthetic diet (think reef roids and misc).

 

[Ben Pedersen]

To the OP... I don't believe that coral generally eat fish poo... I have seen one of my large Lobos do the deed because it was in the line of fire but... I am sure it wasn't it's favorite meal!

However, the amino acids, vitamins and proteins excreted by fish are absorbed by coral and are very beneficial. So actually, coral absorb components of fish wiz... Get it right!

My 13+" Lobo who ate the poo:

 

[Unregistered1]

To the OP... I don't believe that coral generally eat fish poo... I have seen one of my large Lobos do the deed because it was in the line of fire but... I am sure it wasn't it's favorite meal!

However, the amino acids, vitamins and proteins excreted by fish are absorbed by coral and are very beneficial. So actually, coral absorb components of fish wiz... Get it right!

My 13+" Lobo who ate the poo:

I never said they gobbled it up in huge turd form

 

[Unregistered1]

To the OP... I don't believe that coral generally eat fish poo... I have seen one of my large Lobos do the deed because it was in the line of fire but... I am sure it wasn't it's favorite meal!

However, the amino acids, vitamins and proteins excreted by fish are absorbed by coral and are very beneficial. So actually, coral absorb components of fish wiz... Get it right!

My 13+" Lobo who ate the poo:

You would be wrong by saying coral don't eat Fish Poo....

 

[CanuckReefer]

No i have reefing since before the internet and when we only hat Wildcat BBS and 2400 baud modems. I have had plenty big systems but now i just have a small nano with minimal up keep. Nothing fancy but it keeps me busy

22 (I think lol) years here....nothing fancy either. Less is more for me. And you evidently

 

[James M]

reef roids are over rated and not needed

Then don’t buy them . Simple as that

 

[CanuckReefer]

Nano Build - Here are a few pictures of My nano Waterbox 10

Just a few recent pictures. The frags on the sand are frags i have propagated. I had many frags i had to throw away like 3 nice sized 3 head duncans and some green ricordea's, 3 orange spiney gorgoinians, orange setosa and some hulk lepto because i didn't have any places to trade or turn them...

www.reef2reef.com

Nice setup. How you fit all that into the box, I will never figure out lol....

 

[CanuckReefer]

Then don’t buy them . Simple as that

I used to....but yes.

 

[DDenny]

Sure , i am not saying that wont capture things in the water as a food source. I am saying maybe they just eat whatever falls on them with no benefit and exspell it later with no nutruition gained from said food source. They also feed cow's corn and they cant digest corn...they normally eat grass or hay

Your wrong there they do digest corn what you see come out is the skin of the corn everything inside is digested. We raise cattle and I teach animal nutrition

 

[Ben Pedersen]

I totally lied. I had read this article and forgot about it. It's a really cool read if you have the time. https://www.sciencedirect.com/scien...aVU0dj1erv08ldlXy64uFsoJbpgacdCkJKb0FR2XRq_FI

In brief, the authors found the highest growth rates across three acropora species (Acropora loripes, Acropora millepora, and Acropora tenuis) with a Isochrysis galbana diet. Unfortunately they did not have an Artemia Nauplii condition in the experiment.

I think the second important take away from this study is that it's really hard to replicate food with a synthetic diet (think reef roids and misc).

Completely agree.. I think many of the food that are sold as SPS food are actually better suited for soft corals.. They are less discriminate..

In some of the literature I have read.. in addition to increased growth rates, coral that consume single celled algae are also more colorful directly due to the consumption of the algae...

I personally use an auto feeder with powdered spirulina and cholera algae mixed in with 1m sinking fish pellots.... My fish get the healthy algae that stick to the pellets and hopefully the coral eat the rest.. I know my skimmer eats it.

 

[Unregistered1]

edited and retracted i misread you remark

 

[Unregistered1]

Your wrong there they do digest corn what you see come out is the skin of the corn everything inside is digested. We raise cattle and I teach animal nutrition

no they are meant to eat grass..and thats why they are sickly when raised on corn