Feeding reef question

[Rvs187]

Quick question guys , Once again new to the hobby , I have a 60 gallon tank with 2 AÍ prime 16hd lights... right now I have 6 corals and 1 anemone and 3 fishes , 2 shrimps , 10 clean up crew ... I was wondering how often should I feed my corals

Fishes , 1 clown , royal gramma , yellow goby

Corals , 4 zoas , 1 flaming torch , 1 Polyp

 

[Mr Fishface]

I used to spot feed my corals about once a week. The exception was my duncan coral, I fed a piece of mysis every time the fish ate mysis so a few times a week.

 

[sp1187]

I spot feed nightly with what I'm feeding my fish (R.O.E., mysis, baby brine & plankton) & Tuesday & Thursdays with Benereef.

 

[Rvs187]

I got some reef roofs yesterday ... I might spot feed then once a week ... should I mix some of my fish frozen food with it ... I got baby brine shrimp

 

[sp1187]

do you have a cleaner shrimp?
they will steal food from a corals mouth.

 

[nereefpat]

Most corals don't *need* fed anything other than Nitrogen from your fish and light+CO2. Some corals benefit. I wouldn't feed any of the corals you listed.

 

[vetteguy53081]

You can suspend(broadcast feed) or add to food, but the food you feed should supplement their nutrition needs

 

[sp1187]

Most corals don't *need* fed anything other than Nitrogen from your fish and light+CO2. Some corals benefit. I wouldn't feed any of the corals you listed.

I would agree with this.
I have sun corals and gorgonias.

 

[NS Mike D]

+1 on holding off on the reef roids. Hold it until you have a lot more corals and other filter feeders that can capture the stuff

I disagree that corals only need only nitrogen and can live off of the sugars produced from photosynthesis by the zooxanthellae. They also need amino acids and a number of other nutrients which the get from feeding. Red Sea publishes research that estimates this to be a ratio of 85-15.

Your tank is new and that poses some challenges now, like keeping NO3 & PO4 low enough to fend off algae but sufficient to support the corals. It s believed that corals can feed on the naturally occurring micro fauna, like photo and zoa plankton and bacteria in the water column. Then again, in a new tank, you are still developing these. Some corals are obviously
built to capture larger animals for their feeding needs.

Fortunately, your corals don't need a lot to feed now and as your tank matures it will develop more microfauna for them. On the other hand, many of us love to watch our corals feed as part of the enjoyment of the hobby.

If you do decide to feed, start with tiny amounts and target feed, Shut off your pumps to limit what get blown around. But I urge you to refrain for the time being to avoid an excessive nutrient problem