How do I know when it's time to feed?

[ReefPrincess423]

I have corals of every type, frogspawn, hammers, mushrooms, candy canes, acans, elegance, zoas, king tentacle plate coral, Duncan, gornorian (sp?) etc. I never see their feeder tentacles out. A guy at the reef expo sold me polyp booster from polyp lab and it's supposed to trigger a feeding response. I have yet to see it.

 

[Tahoe61]

The mushrooms, candy canes, acans, elegans, plate and duncan will show the most obvious feeding response. Add small amount of frozen meaty sea foods such as Rods to the tank a couple hours after the lights go out, wait about 20-30 minutes and you should see a feeding response. Initially the response may not be noticeable, rinse and repeat a couple times a week an you will train the corals. After you see a feeding response take a turkey baster and target feed the corals the rest of food. Designer foods are commonly not all cracked up to be what they are advertised to do.

 

[Reeferdood]

Look early morning when it is still dark, usually that is when you will see them..
But, with that being said you do not need to directly feed your corals that you mention. I have every one of them and I never target feed a single one. They get most of their nutrition from the lighting and they will also catch stray food or fish poop . I do add food from polyp lab to the food that I thaw for my fish once a week for a little added bonus though. I have had no issues with any of my corals starving to death feeding this way.
Tahoe & I were posting at the same time..
With all of that being said, all of us have our own ways to care for our corals. Find the method that works for you and stick with that. Some target feed and some don't.

 

[Salty1962]

I broadcast feed my tank 2x week. Alternating liquid/dry foods and cyclopeeze. I'm mainly trying to feed my chalices and LPS.

 

[ReefPrincess423]

How do you broadcast? Put it into the wave pump?

 

[Reeferdood]

Basically pour food in front of powerheads or returns...

 

[Psiber_Syn]

I turn off my return so the food don't go straight into the overflow
I do spray a little over the sun coral and chalices and candy canes to get them to start feeding about 5 minutes before broadcasting food into the tank

 

[ahiggins]

I spot feed all of mine. less waste that way.
I alternate reef roids and lrs. Maybe once a month ill do mysis

 

[ReefPrincess423]

I do mine after I feed my fish. I turn off everything. And I do it in the daytime.