Feeding Coral

dwilliams87 · Feb 21, 2013

I think my favorite part about this hobby is feeding my coral. My routine is turn off all pumps and water flow, then mix mysis, rotifers, cyclops, reef roids, DTs phyto, and reef chili. I broadcast feed this mix twice a week. Once a week I spot feed my LPS (favias, acans, brains, fungia, chalices) Fauna Marin pellets and spot feed my zoas and montis microvore. As I was saying my favorite is the feeding of the chalices. I love to see how happy they all are right before I turn the pumps back on. I leave them off about thirty minutes after I feed. Any body use other products they are really happy with, or different methods?

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Dowtish · Feb 21, 2013

I broadcast feed like that maybe twice a week. But I also dose Red Sea Reef Energy A & B twice a week. My fish feed my corals constantly too.

Feeding like this is a nutrient disaster waiting to happen! Algae issues and bad colors for SPS. That's where WC's and GFO or Bio-pellets come in.

Rayzback · Feb 21, 2013

Same.. I kill all water flow. I make stuff out of a lot of various foods. Usually I just mix various batches of rods food with some mysis, chopped up silverside, or krill for the gulpers. Sometimes, I'll add a little Selcon to the recipe. I'll give some to my pistol shrimp and a chunk for the hermits to fight over to start. Keeps them occupied. Wait a few minutes then give the corals as much as they'll take. I kick the pumps on after 15-20 minutes, but not the return. That gives the fish a little time to pluck leftovers out of the water column.

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Rayzback · Feb 21, 2013

Dowtish said:
I broadcast feed like that maybe twice a week. But I also dose Red Sea Reef Energy A & B twice a week. My fish feed my corals constantly too.

Feeding like this is a nutrient disaster waiting to happen! Algae issues and bad colors for SPS. That's where WC's and GFO or Bio-pellets come in.

Agree, I'm religious with my weekly WC...

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mike007 · Feb 21, 2013

I only feed redsea reef energy.

ToXIc · Feb 21, 2013

+1 on feeding the hermit crabs 1st. I do that also to my shrimp. If not they will iterate the corals and steal the food.

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dwilliams87 · Feb 21, 2013

I had not thought about feeding the hermits first, that's a really good idea. Does anyone feed flake food anymore? I might not be feeding my fish enough, I feed 1 seaweed clip a day and 1 mysis cube. Should I do anything different there?

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schooleyosis · Feb 21, 2013

Here's my feeding schedule. First, the fish. Formula one and two small peelers mixed together in an auto feeder that feeds them at noon every day. Seaweed at 5 pm on the seaweed clip. I rotate brown, green, red seaweeds for a variety. Each piece of seaweed is soaked in garlic guard first. Lastly, I mix two cubes, any combination of emerald entree, mysis, cyclops, marine cuisine, and or blood worms. These frozen cubes are soaked in a few drops of Selcon before filling the little cup with tank water. I feed one 5mL syringe of this food mix around 8:30pm.
Now to the corals. Every day at 6am Reef Plus, reef snow, or reef chili Is added. Rotating each one day to day.
I should have just waited to explain this to you on Saturday. Lol.

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dwilliams87 · Feb 21, 2013

You could have, but I so gladly appreciate the time and energy you spent telling me now. The dedication you have shown to my tanks and myself is overwhelming sir. You are indeed an inspiration to the reefing community.

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Rayzback · Feb 21, 2013

Guess it depends on the amount of fish and their size, but that's more or less what I feed mine on non coral feeding days. They seem happy and healthy. I'Ill drop the sea veggies first to let the tang and wrasse bulk feed. They'll eat anything. Since I have small Anthias (first time), I dish the meat out over 2-3 meals a day. My wrasse seems to keep peace among the Anthias during feedings. They can be a little aggressive towards each other when eating. The Cardinal seems to be able to gulp the larger chunks other fish can't eat. It all works out in the end.

I rinse the frozen frozen Mysis till the water clears though. Some nasty looking stuff in some of those cubes.

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Bootstrap · Feb 21, 2013

Nothing in my tank has every visually responded to reef chili from what I can see. My acans don't mess with it, it's too small, the zoas show nothing. I guess my green button polyps eat it? I only really feed my candy cane and Acan's plankton

Rayzback · Feb 21, 2013

I use it for small chalice frags.. When the eye is almost as big as the frag..

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Rayzback · Feb 21, 2013

Man.. I'm a bit chatty tonight... Time for bed

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gmoney243 · Feb 22, 2013

I dont feed coral.just fish. And they get a a random cube of either hikari brine with spiralina , marine cuisine, emerald entree, usually use omega one flake/pellets with garlic but right now im trying out the instant ocean pellets and flakes. I think flakes / pellets are important has a.lot.of vitamins and such in there. Also feed cyclopeeze and rotifers mainly for anthias and chromis but the corals catch it too. But i dont target feed any corals anymore.

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schooleyosis · Feb 22, 2013

I forgot to add that when I feed the corals the two main power heads are on low flow mode. Other than that I rarely turn the pumps or skimmer off when I feed. Every once in awhile while feeding the fish I'll put the two main PH's in feed mode but as of lately I do not. Let the fish work (exercise) for their food. LOL

I also forgot to mention that I will spot feed the duncan and candy canes once a week with whatever combination of frozens I have mixed up. I try to feed the shrimp before spot feeding otherwise they bug the duncan and try to steel it's food. I also spot feed my frogspawn from time to time but I really don't ever see it "eating" so I don't do it that often.

shellynjason · Feb 22, 2013

I absolutely love spot feeding my corals. I only turn the skimmer off when I feed. I am using a turkey baster and spot feed the yellow polys, candy cane, toadspawn ,LT plate and blasto the mysis shrimp while the lights are still on. They all seem to grab the mysis and the yellow polyps are just awesome to watch consume those tiny shrimp - reminds me of a venus fly trap. The two fire shrimp love to hug the turkey baster when I feed them mysis and pellets. All the other smaller polyp corals get feed a few hours after light off , spot fed with the turkey baster Microvore, I dust the birdsnest, monti, acro, candy cane, blasto and even the mushroom. I have no idea if this is 'how to do it' but it makes me feel good and the sps are growing. I feed 2-3 times a week ... and all my coral of 'new frags' so hopefully I'm not over feeding.

the three fish get flakes ( I have about three diff kinds for variety) and tiny sinking pellets (if the fish don't eat them the fire shrimp will come out and get the leftovers).

I would like to know other 'foods' that the corals would respond to.

Dragonreef202 · Feb 27, 2013

I still use flakes. Also spectrum pellets for fish. I have nevet targeted feeding my corals. My palys just get light and kent liquid calcium and kent phytoplex