To phyto or not to phyto.

[Mrfresh]

I have a 90 gallon sps tank with a few chalices and zoas.
I just wanted to know from all the heavy growing sps lovers out there if they use phyto or not?
I picked up a 32oz bottle for pretty cheap.... The live stuff

I have used other phytos before such as coral frenzy and I didn't really see anything different, polyp extention was not out more or anything like that.

What don't guys feed ur sps corals? If anything

I feel like I should be adding something into the water for them bc I vodka dose and do large water changes two times a week along with over skimming ozone running and having a big fug...

Thank you for taking the time to read this any feed back will be appreciated.

 

[shred5]

Most corals prefer zoo-plankton. Very little phyto has been observed in the guts of most corals and what is there could be from something else they eat. Phytoplankton just is not available on most reefs due to low nutrients. It is thought some nps corals and gorgonians do eat some phyto. I have added phytoplankton to my tanks in the past and never seen a feeding response to it.

It was though in the past that adding it to the reef feeds the little critters like copepods and stuff in the tank and as they multiply they feed our corals. Very little survives in the water column anyway in a reef tank, most copepods are benthic that survive in our reefs. sometime the larvae is though of some of these critters like small shrimp. but still not enough really in my opinion to make a difference.

You have to ask yourself this question : We spend all this time removing algae from our tanks, why would we want to add it back in?


Best to use the phytoplankton to raise copepods and feed them. Even gut stuff (enrich) rotifers or even brine shrimp would be better.

 

[Mrfresh]

Well that sucks lol.
Thank you for the info shred5.

Luckily I have a cleaner shrimp that spawn every two weeks in my tank, and my fug has managed to catch quite a lot of them. I would say I have close to 100 baby cleaner shrimp and fire shrimp, along with tons or Rotifera and tiger pods and just regular pods....hopefully someone will enjoys this phyto in my food chain