This is generally portrayed (or interpreted) as a negative thing, but there are indications that this state of "slow growth" is easier on the coral – a positive thing. At least some corals heal from injury more slowly when growing rapidly, for example....and heal more quickly when growing slowly.
I think the fact that corals are natively deep water predators of plankton
that have adapted to photosynthesis and mutualism. The adaptations – such as photosynthesizing – are what's most stressful to them.
Shouldn't be any need to dose aminos to get corals sweeping for food (if that's what's actually happening).
I know ROE hitting the water in my tank makes no visible change in my corals, but the corals that go for that kind of thing don't need any provoking from amino acids or anything else to grab eggs from the water!
In spite of leading/suggestive observations, as far as I know there's no particular association between tentacles and free amino acid intake. All that seems to be required is a tissue surface – tentacles can even be retracted. Tentacles are mostly for prey capture – and in fact,
prey capture is associated with reduced or eliminated uptake of dissolved nutrients.
If I were dosing aminos for "scent" (which I would not), I would be dosing tiny amounts....like a single drip per feeding. More would be overdoing it and unnecessary IMO.
2¢
