Trying to learn coral keeping "Best Practices" particularly feeding -

[fraziay]

Hello everyone, first post on this forum and I hope it is the first of many. Hope someone is interested in giving me a little nudge in the right direction!

I have recently started focusing more of my time on making sure that my corals are not just living, but thriving and I have some general questions about feeding corals. I have read mixed opinions about feeding and not feeding and how some people think its necessary or not and this is more of a question about- if you are feeding, when should you do it? (It is a lightly stocked tank- firefish, scooterblenny, pep shrimp, itty bitty hermit crab, and few snails.)

Basically what I am seeing is that certain corals particularly my acro and candy cane ALWAYS have their polyps extended - and then if I feed them, the polyps retract for a little while and then come out even further.. The candy cane extension in particular is what gets me - basically all I can think is "I JUST FED YOU WHY ARE YOUR POLYPS OUT EVEN FARTHER NOW?" is this normal are they just constantly ready to eat? If I do choose to feed, how should I gauge how much to feed? How much can they really absorb from what I am feeding them? I usually feed once a week.

All my critical params were in line - and the others
PH: 8.1
SAL: 1.026
Alk: 7 (working to get this up and more stable, i dont like how low it is )
Calc: ~ 400
temp: 79.5-80F

 

[helen ann]

hmmmmm, can't really assist with your questions but someone will chime in

While you wait , let me welcome you to R2R!

 

[fraziay]

Thanks! glad to be here

 

[Bbaz123456]

Welcome!!
Personally, I do not feed my corals. But if you choose to, the main thing that you need to worry about is your nutrient levels. I notice that you did not post them in your "critical params". I would consider those to be the most critical parameters when talking about feeding.

 

[fraziay]

When I said "and the others" I meant the ones that I listed. I guess I wasn't clear. I just didn't feel like typing it all out because I did have another issue with something else and was going to try and tie the discussion in with that.

Thanks for your help... :/

 

[Bbaz123456]

I was just saying that when feeding, you will want to watch your No3 and Po4 so they don't get too high. Otherwise feed away, as much as they will eat.

 

[Elementalj]

hmmmmm, can't really assist with your questions but someone will chime in

While you wait , let me welcome you to R2R!

Is that a blenny in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me!?!

Love it!

Welcome to the group! You'll love it here! [emoji108]

 

[helen ann]

Is that a blenny in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me!?!

Love it!

Welcome to the group! You'll love it here! [emoji108]

LOL LOL, thank you. Mr Cutie is something special ... I just watched him toss my new jawbreaker shroom off the frag rack so he could plop his lil' butt in that particular hole!!! :mad:

 

[DeniseAndy]

LPS love to eat. I run my lps in what I call a dirty tank. Means, they have lots of stuff around to eat. Nitrates, bugs, phyto, phosphates, detritus, etc. Of course you do not want numbers off the chart, but they do love to eat. It makes for more maintenance, but much happier corals. I do not have to target feed my lps unless I feel like it. Maybe once every 6 months I might do it. I do broadcast feed lots though. Anything from reef roids to mysis, to brine to baby brine, to phyto, to reef chili to whatever I happen to have around. This happens at least daily. So, lots to eat.

In my lps, I have anything from a 8" acanthestrea, scoly, lobos, cinaria, trumpets to favia and blastos.

Welcome and good luck! YEs, I fight algae in this system. Low flow high nutrients, a hot bed of algae love.

 

[Joshua Hurst]

Feed feed feed feed feed water change

 

[Elementalj]

Feed feed feed feed feed water change

I swear, my Acan's could eat a smoked picnic shoulder if i could get it in their mouth!

 

[mps026]

I feed reef chili once a week and target feed my acans pellets everything growing great.

 

[Elementalj]

I love fauna marin. [emoji41]

 

[Vincent100]

Iv over 80 lps now
I feed twice a week with vitalis lps pellets maybe sometimes mysis instead
But the pellets they go crazy for
There's a thread in this lps bit about them
I also feed Rotifers or marine snow or reef roids once a week , so a lot of feeding but i do a water change once a week iv a lot of cheato in my sump plus a fluidiser/ reactor running nutri fix np pellets

And welcome to the best site about
Iv been helped so much on here it's unreal , anything your not sure on ask and someone will help you
A few pic for u

Ps last pic is the lps pellets I talking about ... Trust me they love em
Happy reefing

 

[Elementalj]

Iv over 80 lps now
I feed twice a week with vitalis lps pellets maybe sometimes mysis instead
But the pellets they go crazy for
There's a thread in this lps bit about them
I also feed Rotifers or marine snow or reef roids once a week , so a lot of feeding but i do a water change once a week iv a lot of cheato in my sump plus a fluidiser/ reactor running nutri fix np pellets

And welcome to the best site about
Iv been helped so much on here it's unreal , anything your not sure on ask and someone will help you
A few pic for u

Ps last pic is the lps pellets I talking about ... Trust me they love em
Happy receding

WOW! [emoji106][emoji106][emoji106][emoji106]