How does feeding you tank effect the color of your corals?

[Ocean’s Piece]

Couldn't really tell you about corals, but man, my fish have colored up a bunch ever since I started feeding frozen food. I noticed my midas blenny's eye was a lot darker of a blue than it was when I first got it. After a few days of feeding live food, his eyes colored back up and he's striking. My royal gramma has also improved and has a wider range of color palettes, it's beautiful.

 

[J1a]

I feed my corals with freeze dried planktons. This allows me to avoid the problem of the culture media associated with live cultures; not to mention it's cheaper and more convenient to use.

Some of the planktons​

Sps have good polyp extension; LPS are puffy; tank chemistry is barely affected.

 

[Larry Stewart]

I have noticed a change in colors in corals after using the product BENEPETS. Slowing regaining some tissue issues in most of my corals... I guess the corals were starving and I thought the water chemistry parameters were the reason.... The phytoplankton product I own seems to pollute the tank and cause issues if overdosed. I try to do a few drops here and there....

I will add that I'm trying new techniques of feeding my corals.

 

[DesertReefT4r]

Yes for sure! Many corals can not only capture large food partials but can absorb nutrients dissolved in the water. My 75g reef has always naturally run low on no3 and po4. I have always had what I would consider good growth from my corals, mostly sps. However I did have a several month period where many acros and monti caps had very pale color. I knew from experience that it was due to prolonged low available nutrients. I was feeding fairly light at the time which did not help. I started feeding more... like a lot more especially quality pellet food, coral foods and aminos once to twice a week. I knew my system could handle the increased nutrient import so I was not worried about having any issues. After a few weeks some of the pale corals started to deepen in color and now all my colors are rich and vivid. I will look and see if I can find pics of when my corals lacked good color and were pale. Let me know if you want to more info on what I feed and dose.

 

[Dude64]

agree with atoms....a good shot o tequila always brightens my corrals!!
Starting a nano coral reef (50gal) and I find target feeding (Phyto Feast plug here) has made the most difference.

 

[ou12004]

Like others have said unless your tank is dialed in for a while it is hard to really tell what works and what doesn't. I like Benepets and coral frenzy for growth but not sure it helps with color. I have used the Redsea trace colors ABCD and thought I saw better color on my acros but could have been good water quality for an extended time. I swear Iodine makes zoas grow like crazy but who knows.

 

[Paradise._.Reef]

Whether it's feeding the fish, coral or inverts the amount of food, little or much, can have an effect on the colors of your corals. Along with other variables of course. But today I wanted to pick your brain about how you may or may not notice any coral color changes based on how you feed your tank. Let's talk about it!

1. Have you noticed any changes in the color of your coral based on how you feed your tank? Good or Bad with little or much food?

2. What corals do you think are effected the most, color-wise, by your feedings?

image via @Oscaror

Yes i have actually, so currently I only have one fish and 37 corals in a 25 galloon tank. Obviously my nutrients were undetectable all the time. I started noticing corals staring to bleach and get these really weird growth patterns. I fed as much as i possibly could 2 times a day. keep in mind that's for just one fish! He ate it all but i still had these bleaching corals. I started adding 3ppm nitrate and .03ppm phosphate nightly. Since then I've seen all the corals start gaining more PE, darker and more vibrant pigmentation and more dense growth. So I've come to the conclusion that high nutrients, is better than none at all. Ive seen the color change prodominantly in my magician zoanthid colony, GSP, red montipora digitata, cats paw stylophora and my green rhodactis. All really nice looking corals, but i dont have time to upload pics

 

[Paradise._.Reef]

I’ve observed a correlation between feeding frozen rotifers and the colour of my Acan and gonipora. A lot more colour and pop out of them after feeding frozen rotifers.

overall I find feeding frozen phytoplankton and frozen rotifers appears to make a big difference to the colour of my corals.

I say appears because it could just be a correlation and not causation.

That's really helpful to me as my gonis have lost some color from a bacterial infection, going to try this thanks!

 

[rusty hannon]

I had to go w other and explain. My corals colors, and Dragonet's as well, have really brightened up . I changed my food type completely to the red sea liquid reef nutrition a n b. But I've also started doseing the 4 pk of trace elements and that's made a big difference as well I'm feeling. I just know since beginning the Red Sea pro Reef program my # s , corals colors, and coral growth have really gotten a noticeable change for the better. I also like my nitrates being under 7, instead of 20' s to 50' s. I had a real issue before the change over and I keep a daily log on the Cade's Mandarin reef. It helps a lot in going the right way.

 

[305]

Feeding AB+ every day… I think my corals have bleached more because of it instead of improve. It may be due to phosphates rising but I don’t know, my sponges are thriving and my monti caps are dying.

Everyday??? Sheesh yea id say ur phos is killin em not the ab+

 

[i cant think]

Everyday??? Sheesh yea id say ur phos is killin em not the ab+

My phos got lowered and the only bit of monti that isn’t dying or most of it is dead is the plating monti in the middle rock

 

[rusty hannon]

Everyday??? Sheesh yea id say ur phos is killin em not the ab+

I use A b but also use the foundation s
. my phosphate are 0
Maybe try that along w nopox. My # s were extremely high. Until I used this combination and now my # s are rite where they belong. Good luck

 

[305]

I use A b but also use the foundation s
. my phosphate are 0
Maybe try that along w nopox. My # s were extremely high. Until I used this combination and now my # s are rite where they belong. Good luck

‍ Im not the one with the coral problems i was responding to the op