Spot Feeding Corals: Do you and what are you feeding?

[revhtree]

This is NOT about broadcast feeding, like adding foods to the water column. This QOTD is about spot feeding or direct feeding!

Corals like to eat and it's pretty intriguing to watch certain corals gobble up food we directly feed them. They extend those long tentacles or tiny flowery-like polyps and you can't help but want to give them something to snack on. But with a tank full of corals, or with limited hobby time, for many, directly feeding their corals is not feasible. But is it more beneficial if you do spot feed? Will your corals grow faster and be more healthy? Let's talk about it today!

1. Do you spot feed any of your corals and if so which types?

2. Do you notice that the corals you feed directly grow faster and generally seem healthier?

3. What types of food do you spot feed your corals?


image via @Paul87

 

[Unregistered1]

Very seldom .... I haven't seen much benefit by doing it other than creating more problems with with higher nutrients down the road...IMO

spelling edit

 

[jas111]

I did at first. Used reef roids for awhile. Now I just let the fish poop feed the corals.

 

[Futuretotm]

PE mysis and Chromaboost

Chromaboost video for a basic scoly.
Scoly pre and post 1 month apart with q2d feedings
Now 4x the size

 

[hds4216]

I have some NPS that require feedings, and I find the my scoly and my acanthos benefit from it. RFAs too. I just feed mysis and LRS.

 

[UkiahTheTurtle]

1. Do you spot feed any of your corals and if so which types? I spot feed all but my kenya tree and gsp

2. Do you notice that the corals you feed directly grow faster and generally seem healthier?
Yeah my acan does
3. What types of food do you spot feed your corals? What my fish eat and amino acids

 

[Sakudo4]

I did in the beginning, now I just do a frozen cube that consists of many coral foods once a week

 

[burningmime]

TBH, the only reason I do is because I like to watch scolys and acanthos eat. They look so cool how they invert themselves. If it wasn't for that, it would just be broadcast feeding aminos and reef chilli.

 

[sp1187]

1. Do you spot feed any of your corals and if so which types?
I feed the fish every night. I leave some for the coral feeding in the morning, every morning.
types: sun coral, dendro, chilli, candycanes, blastos.

2. Do you notice that the corals you feed directly grow faster and generally seem healthier?
don't know. nothing to compare it to. I've always fed them from day 1 they are in the tank.
that being said, the sun coral keeps popping new heads, the candy canes are splitting in to new heads, the blastos are popping new heads and beginning to encrust the scape.

3. What types of food do you spot feed your corals?
a combination of frozen mysis, brine shrimp and blood worms along with R.O.E.

 

[iMi]

1. Do you spot feed any of your corals and if so which types?

Yes, Reef Roids and mysis, brine shrimp

2. Do you notice that the corals you feed directly grow faster and generally seem healthier?

I've notice the Blasto and Acans growing faster and looking more puffy. Zoas seem to grow more quickly as well. Hard to tell if feeding makes a difference.

 

[Drew1600]

1. Do you spot feed any of your corals and if so which types?
I spot feed every coral twice a week, Softies, Zoa's, and LPS. Combination of Coral Accel, Reef-Roids, Nutrigel Powder, Reef Fuel, a slew of planktons (Phtyo, Zoo, Chroma), Amino Acids & Vitamins.
2. Do you notice that the corals you feed directly grow faster and generally seem healthier?
Yes - And I have noticed much better growth and coloration in doing such.

 

[stanleo]

Alexa reminds me to feed the lobo at noon on Mondays and Thursdays. I made a feeding tool out of a Tupperware bowl and an old syringe. I think he eats it, but it's hard to see through the bowl. I have to do the or my shrimp all eat it before he has a chance to. I was feeding a yellow finger gorg twice a day but that got to be too much so I just gave up.

 

[Arabyps]

1. Do you spot feed any of your corals and if so which types? Yes. Mostly LPS.

2. Do you notice that the corals you feed directly grow faster and generally seem healthier? In general yes, Duncan in particular.

3. What types of food do you spot feed your corals? Reef Roids via syringe. I use the Billy Pipes method.

 

[littlebeard]

1. Do you spot feed any of your corals and if so which types? Spot feed my hammer corals.

2. Do you notice that the corals you feed directly grow faster and generally seem healthier? Hard to say. Not experienced enough to know otherwise.

3. What types of food do you spot feed your corals? Mysis shrimp


I spot feed for fun, because well it's cool to watch it stick to the corals tentacle then slowly consumed. Broadcast feeding would probably work too, but I'm always guaranteed a show when I spot feed.

 

[Shadowfax]

Sometimes broadcast feeding, sometimes spot feeding with mysis shrimp, twice a week. I am just starting so I am just hopping for good results

 

[adumb112]

I alternate spot feedings with Reef Energy AB+, Barrier Reef Labs LPS formula and Reef Roids 3x times a week. I've noticed happier corals and more color over the last few months. I have only LPS, feed a tiny amount and keep my po4 around 0.07 to 0.1 and nitrate <10.

 

[jprovido]

This is NOT about broadcast feeding, like adding foods to the water column. This QOTD is about spot feeding or direct feeding!

Corals like to eat and it's pretty intriguing to watch certain corals gobble up food we directly feed them. They extend those long tentacles or tiny flowery-like polyps and you can't help but want to give them something to snack on. But with a tank full of corals, or with limited hobby time, for many, directly feeding their corals is not feasible. But is it more beneficial if you do spot feed? Will your corals grow faster and be more healthy? Let's talk about it today!

1. Do you spot feed any of your corals and if so which types?

2. Do you notice that the corals you feed directly grow faster and generally seem healthier?

3. What types of food do you spot feed your corals?


image via @Paul87

Yes, meat corals i spot feed with benepets 2x a week and just broadcast on torches, zoas, mushrooms. I was using reef roids before but have to switch after reading benepets reviews. So far so good.

 

[sammarsh]

1. Do you spot feed any of your corals and if so which types? I spot feed my corals (mostly softies) at least 1 or 2 times per week. The rest of the days I broadcast the food.

2. Do you notice that the corals you feed directly grow faster and generally seem healthier? In general yes.

3. What types of food do you spot feed your corals? Reef Roids, Mysis Shrimp, Red Sea AB+, and small dry pellets on occasion to a few with visible mouths

 

[ebeez]

1. Do you spot feed any of your corals and if so which types? I spot feed my corals 2 times per week.

2. Do you notice that the corals you feed directly grow faster and generally seem healthier? On some.

3. What types of food do you spot feed your corals? Reef Roids mixed with Coral Vitalis pellets.

 

[homer1475]

I used to spot feed back when I was a newbie. I do not anymore.

I feed my corals fish poop, and anything my fish don't eat. I broadcast feed once a day very heavily with either PE mysis, LRS chunky, or PE calanus. Then twice a day with pellets through an auto feeder.