Feeding SPS

[illumnae]

I'm using the zeolight system on my SPS only reef tank (ok, SPS and tridacna clams). I dont see any FM products tailored towards feeding SPS. Do any of the powder foods like Ultra Seafan, Ultra Clam or Ultra Min F double up as SPS food?

 

[fraghunter]

Reefbrite ReefBugs or reefroids do the trick as a supplement my sps seem to like fish poop

 

[Anthony Wood]

Reefbrite ReefBugs or reefroids do the trick as a supplement my sps seem to like fish poop

You don't need to feed your SPS but you obviously can. Mine also seem to like fish poop and the vortechs spread the tang poop everywhere. They also go nuts at night because I have a powerhead in the sump kick on for a couple hours and kick up any detritus that may have settled in there. Other then that personally I don't feed my SPS its just adding phosphates and nitrates to the tank and would rather not make my life harder. My clams on the other hand I will spot feed.

 

[illumnae]

Thanks! My tank is new and bioload is still low while i slowly stock up. Nitrates and phosphates are undetectable. I notice my sps are pale so I wanted to feed them to colour them up until my bioload is high enough that fish poop will sustain them.

I do have reef roids, but am just wondering if there are any FM products that do the job too.

 

[Anthony Wood]

Pale color is from the lack of phosphates and nitrates that's been proven. You don't want undetectable for either of those levels. For SPS .3ppm or lower for phosphates and realistically you could go 10ppm or lower nitrates. I don't like to be close to the limits because if I have a spike I'm going over. So I like to keep my phosphates around .1ppm and my nitrates usually hover around 3-5ppm. That's me though I just gave you the max numbers so aim to have some of each just don't go over the max.

 

[illumnae]

I'm not doing anything special for the numbers to be undetectable, just the zeolight system. I know it's a problem hence I want to feed the sps until fish bioload is high enough that fish poop suffices

 

[Anthony Wood]

Also what I meant by I don't feed my SPS is because it adds phosphates and nitrates into that tank. Is that my phosphates and nitrates are already where I want them and my husbandry schedule keeps it that way and other food addition and my husbandry will have to increase. I don't want to spend anymore time doing WC's and cleaning then I already am.

 

[Anthony Wood]

I'm not doing anything special for the numbers to be undetectable, just the zeolight system. I know it's a problem hence I want to feed the sps until fish bioload is high enough that fish poop suffices

I wasn't questioning your reasoning just stating some stuff you may or may not have known that's all. Go ahead and feed the tank just limit it to a small amount not very often. That's because instead of getting the phosphates and nitrates you want you may end up with cyano. It's a double edged sword

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I'm using the zeolight system on my SPS only reef tank (ok, SPS and tridacna clams). I dont see any FM products tailored towards feeding SPS. Do any of the powder foods like Ultra Seafan, Ultra Clam or Ultra Min F double up as SPS food?

Yes they do. They are small particulate organics and aminos. Those would be perfect for you.

 

[illumnae]

Cheers! Thanks everyone for your advice. I'll mix up the Ultra Clam, Ultra Seafan and Ultra Min F I have with some Reef Roids for a power packed feeding for my sps!

 

[Fauna Marin]

@illumnae Mixing those foods will benefit SPS corals. If you wish to provide these corals with a bit extra nutrition, you can add Ultra Amin and/or Ultra Organic.