40 gallon sps frag tank

[yudruln8]

Hi I have a question anyone have a fishless sps frag tank. I would like to know do you guys dose amino acids to feed the corals. And how often do u feed them

 

[wildcrazyjoker81]

I have a SPS only frag tank and I dose a acro power once a week. Its awesome to watch the polyp extension on everything when I dose.

 

[yudruln8]

Thanks

 

[Ike]

If it were me I would dose a nitrogen source (sodium nitrate or potassium nitrate) if they were testing really low or undetectable and skip the amino acids... Fish don't provide waste in the form of amino acids, they provide a nitrogen source. Plus, it's pretty debatable if corals even benefit from taking in amino acids directly.

 

[yudruln8]

Yeah my tank has zero nitrates and phosphates

 

[spspirate]

I had a 30 cube that was pretty much fish less and at the same time had thriving corals. I would take about a half a cube of frozen mysis shrimp and grind and smash it up with my fingers while I had my fingers in front of the Vortech pump. This would feed all the corals and inverts and keep nutrients in the water column. I would also dose Reef Plus amino's twice a week. I also had a BIG DADDY skimmer on this little cube too. Deltec AP701.

 

[yudruln8]

Yeah but I have no filters on this tank or skimmer only power heads would dosing amino acids twice a week be enough to feed the corals

 

[Big E]

Amino supplements are only going to supply nitrates, which has already been mentioned. You need a PO4 source too for the corals and this is probably more important because of the corals supplying most of the aminos on their own through the zoo.

Any types of fish food will contain all the essential amino acids and PO4. It's cheaper and easier to do.

I would advise against just having powerheads you need something to skim off the surface slim. This slim accumulates from the acros naturally sliming and from other living things in the tank......or just general waste not used up by the corals.

A hang on skimmer will do the trick and you don't need a sump or do anything else.

 

[Ike]

Amino supplements are only going to supply nitrates, which has already been mentioned. You need a PO4 source too for the corals and this is probably more important because of the corals supplying most of the aminos on their own through the zoo.

Any types of fish food will contain all the essential amino acids and PO4. It's cheaper and easier to do.

I would advise against just having powerheads you need something to skim off the surface slim. This slim accumulates from the acros naturally sliming and from other living things in the tank......or just general waste not used up by the corals.

A hang on skimmer will do the trick and you don't need a sump or do anything else.

Yep, though I would suggest any coral food with some protein in it as a means to provide a little phosphorous.

 

[yudruln8]

I don't have a skimmer for it guess I'll buy a job one but are u saying to just dump a lil pellets in the tank so the phos can go up?

 

[Big E]

Yes, that's what I'm saying, I would crush the pellets into dust. Minced raw seafood won't have as much phosphate in it if you're worried about over feeding/dosing.

You can use a coral food if you want like Ike mentions......they'll be a bit pricier but also very rich, so you'll need to dose very little. I'd stick to coral foods that have the ingredients listed on the container.

Go very slow with any foods at first.........you won't need much. Just enough so the corals don't get pale on you.

For the first few weeks you won't have to feed.

 

[yudruln8]

ok thanks I will do that