I have a system with a few corals and no fish. The corals seem happy until is time to feed them. I use reef roids Per instructions and spot feed all of them. The Duncans close and start expelling a significant amount of mucus immediately after. Two questions: is this mucus an expected normal behavior or a defense mechanism? In other words, am I harming them with direct feeding? In the picture you can see a floating piece of this mucus. Is it harmful for other corals if it were to land on top of them?
Mucus when target feeding LPS
- Thread starter Seadoc
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squaretwelve
Community Member
From what I've seen, this is a pretty normal reaction. That said, the only LPS I personally target feed are micromussa and homophyllia corals since all the others tend to have a reaction similar to this.
BeardedMcG
Active Member
I don't have LPS like this so nothing to add but man that's a lot of mucus! Hope you find an answer because now I'm curious.
Jason boles
Active Member
From what I understand the mucus is a part of the feeding response. You may be turning your flow on too quickly and they aren’t having a chance to eat what your feeding.
I usually wait 45 min to make sure my chalices get something.
I also mix mine pretty darn thick.
I usually wait 45 min to make sure my chalices get something.
I also mix mine pretty darn thick.
eggplantparrot
Valuable Member
do you turn off all flow? they use the mucous to transfer particle food to the mouth as the tentacles can't really grab particles. if you then have flow it'll blow the mucous off creating stringy messes. if you really need to target feed particle foods then turn off all water movement to avoid waste like this.
old salt reefer
Valuable Member
I feed my LPS corals(duncans, acans, leptastrea, etc.) LRS nano reef frenzy. I gently squirt small chunks of it on to the polyps with a 10 ml syringe with a long plastic straw in it. They swallow it just like a anemone. I do this 2-3 times a week. After feeding the corals I spend the next 10 minutes or so chasing the sharks(fish in my tanks) away. Always kills me that not all the food gets caught by the corals, but fish don't want that food they want what the coral got only to spit it out after stealing it from the coral. Helps I work at a hospital, bottom syringe is for sucking algae out of tank.
edd59
Well-Known Member
where did you get the tiny strawsI feed my LPS corals(duncans, acans, leptastrea, etc.) LRS nano reef frenzy. I gently squirt small chunks of it on to the polyps with a 10 ml syringe with a long plastic straw in it. They swallow it just like a anemone. I do this 2-3 times a week. After feeding the corals I spend the next 10 minutes or so chasing the sharks(fish in my tanks) away. Always kills me that not all the food gets caught by the corals, but fish don't want that food they want what the coral got only to spit it out after stealing it from the coral. Helps I work at a hospital, bottom syringe is for sucking algae out of tank.
old salt reefer
Valuable Member
They come with biopsy needles to protect them before use. I'm sure someone somewhere sells them on Ebay.
old salt reefer
Valuable Member
The place I worked where I got them from closed and after working there for 20 years and at 62 years old I had to find a new job. This is what I can get at the new place. The straw is about 7 inches after you cut off the j loop.
edd59
Well-Known Member
thanks and sorry to hear that. my daughter is an oncology nurse, i will ask her.The place I worked where I got them from closed and after working there for 20 years and at 62 years old I had to find a new job. This is what I can get at the new place. The straw is about 7 inches after you cut off the j loop.
