Ok, I was told and in my research that I shouldn't need to feed the corals I have in my nano. I have a Kenya tree and a couple purple mushrooms I bought together on the same rock. I also have a green mushroom and lastly a long pulyp toadstool leather. (My fav so far) I do regular water changes 10-15% every weekend and I feed my fish with lrs reef frenzy. I have a 20 long tank with those corals and a ocellaris clown and a firefish. 1 emerald crab, a few snails and at one time I put in 8 hermits. But I'm finding dead hermits at least 2 laying in the sand. Thanks guys.
Coral food?!?
- Thread starter tmac18
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Depending on parameters and possible predation, the hermits may be starving, that many in a 20L. Just a guess. You can always use the little discs of compressed algae to supplement their diet.
If the corals are doing okay, don't target feed them. How are they? Are the hermits the only issue?
If the corals are doing okay, don't target feed them. How are they? Are the hermits the only issue?
Yeah, pretty much. The green mushroom has grown a ton and the toadstool leather is out and flowing with the currant everyday. The hermits shouldn't be starving. I threw in some extra shells for them to grow. Maybe a couple hermits fought because one wanted the others shell. Not sure but I was just curious if I should be feeding the corals extra but I guess not. Thanks for responding castaway!!!!I will look into the disc.
3dees
Well-Known Member
softies and many lps do not need to be fed as long as you have fish. my tank is full of softies and some lps and I never feed them directly. they get whatever fish food they can get and fish waste.
Corals actually only get estimated 60 - 90 % of there food from the symbiotic algae (depending on species). So, all corals benefit from feeding. However, you are doing it by having fish in the system and feeding them and the clean up crew. The waste is good food for the corals you have. It also feeds the bug and zooplankton population, so in respect, you are feeding the corals.
As far as specifically feeding or spot feeding, not necessary for your corals if you have a healthy system with fish.
As far as specifically feeding or spot feeding, not necessary for your corals if you have a healthy system with fish.
acolotto
Active Member
LRS feeds the corals, fish, and inverts. IMO your clean up crew for that size was a little much, probably not enough for them to eat anyways. In my 90 i have 1 conch snail, 2 or 3 hermits and 5 snails and no algae problem. I get dinos here and there on my back glass but a quick wipe down usually fixes that.
My snails did lay eggs though and about 20 (im guessing) of the babies are still cruising around the tank have grown to about size of a thumb tack from microscopic sizes, but i would of never added more myself. Ive learned from experience over the years that these inverts are grubbers and like to get fat lol so i like to keep a smaller then recommend cuc, and keep the ones I already have fed with the algae that does grow in the tank and not have them rely on supplemental feeding or leftovers from fish.
My snails did lay eggs though and about 20 (im guessing) of the babies are still cruising around the tank have grown to about size of a thumb tack from microscopic sizes, but i would of never added more myself. Ive learned from experience over the years that these inverts are grubbers and like to get fat lol so i like to keep a smaller then recommend cuc, and keep the ones I already have fed with the algae that does grow in the tank and not have them rely on supplemental feeding or leftovers from fish.
acolotto
Active Member
Not true, asked what could be causing the death of his hermits, if it was possibly his system was to clean or if feeding coral would help. Which I answered saying the food hes feeding now feeds his whole reef, and that my guess is that he just has to many hermits. He could feed more to get the extra food to the hermits but IME that would only cause the tank to run into algae problems as at that point he would be overfeeding just to keep the extra hermits alive. Thats how i took his question and thats why I answered the way I did. Let the hermits die or sell them but do not feed more based on a CUC. Only time to increase feeding is when adding more fish or when running a ULNS and corals are losing color/dying from to little nutrients in the tank.
Thank you guys for all the responses. I really started asking about the corals but then i did get into the clean up crew. Sorry for the confusion, my bad. But all great answers and I'm learning everyday. Thanks again!!!
