When do you feed your corals?

[showjumper_girl2002]

Hello all! I'm new to corals and I've been wondering when is the best time to feed and how do you know if they are eating? Everything I've read says to feed at night after the lights go out, but all of the corals I have completely close up at night. I tried one night in case they would come out, but nothing happened. There was no response at all. I then tried during the day when they were open, but I can't really tell if they are doing anything lol. they will close a little because I target feed them and they feel the flow from the water that is coming out of the bottle.

 

[itsken37]

All of my coral loves polyp lab's reef roids before lights out.

 

[X-37B]

I feed my fish and they feed the corals.

 

[58e970b2-3f88-4897-87ba-5]

I find when starting or feeding new coral it will take a few night to teach them when dinner is. Just spot feed a little each night to get started.
I also reduce flow when feeding for a few minutes to make it easier. I am feeding a mixture of reef roids, thawed mysis shrimp and freeze dried blood worms currently (mixed to a paste from a syringe) (for candy cane coral)

Also what coral are you trying to feed?

And what what food and bottle are you using?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I feed right before lights out and altering every other day:
Hikari coral cuisine
Reef roids
Coral frenzy

 

[uhgster1]

You can feed during the day. Your coral will adjust to your schedule. On top of the inconvenience of waiting until dark to feed them there are very few coral that you HAVE to feed. Start out with reef roids or reef chili and pick a consistent time of day and broadcast feed. After a while you’re going to start seeing tentacles all over the place. I have trumpet and candy cane coral that I target feed during the day. They absolutely suck in the food. Despite that they completely extend their tentacles out every night. Just because you don’t see a spectacular feeding display doesn’t mean they’re not taking in nutrients. Depending on the size of your aquarium I would hold off on target feeding until you get a hang of the coral’s response.

 

[showjumper_girl2002]

You can feed during the day. Your coral will adjust to your schedule. On top of the inconvenience of waiting until dark to feed them there are very few coral that you HAVE to feed. Start out with reef roids or reef chili and pick a consistent time of day and broadcast feed. After a while you’re going to start seeing tentacles all over the place. I have trumpet and candy cane coral that I target feed during the day. They absolutely suck in the food. Despite that they completely extend their tentacles out every night. Just because you don’t see a spectacular feeding display doesn’t mean they’re not taking in nutrients. Depending on the size of your aquarium I would hold off on target feeding until you get a hang of the coral’s response.

Thanks! So I should just add to the tank rather than spot feeding until I see them start to put out tentacles? I do turn off the powerhead and skimmer for about 20 minutes. I'm alternating between reef roids and reef chili and feed twice a week.

 

[showjumper_girl2002]

Thanks! So I should just add to the tank rather than spot feeding until I see them start to put out tentacles? I do turn off the powerhead and skimmer for about 20 minutes. I'm alternating between reef roids and reef chili and feed twice a week.

Oh, and my tank is 70 gallons.

 

[Hydrored]

24 hours a day with Easyreefs EasySPS and Booster, nothing else other than homemade mix for the fish

 

[uhgster1]

If you’re broadcasting you don’t have to shut off your flow. Maybe slow it down if you have the controllability but not necessary. You want the flow to move the stuff around. And don’t overdo it. It’s tempting to want to cloud the water up but you’re going to pollute the tank if it’s not used to the nutrient increase. If you start seeing algae and other nasties crop up back down on the coral feeding. Twice a week will do for a bit. You’ll get the hang of it. Then you can try target feeding once you feel comfortable. I have a 65

 

[Gtinnel]

I feed a combination of reef roids and mysis shrimp right before my lights go off about twice a week. There are some of the corals, mostly lps, that eat the mysis and you can watch them pull the shrimp into their mouths. It's actually cool to watch, which is probably why I still target feed corals. With most of the softies and sps I can't tell if they benefit from the target feedings or not.

 

[Mical]

24 hours a day with Easyreefs EasySPS and Booster, nothing else other than homemade mix for the fish

+1 on EasySps - I did Reef Roids as per Billy Pipes video (YouTube) but "life" got in the way and consistency wasn't happening. Had good results spot feeding them but switching EasySps and dosing 3ml daily and everything literally bloomed.
This Frogspawn started as a 2 head frag almost 2 years ago

 

[showjumper_girl2002]

If you’re broadcasting you don’t have to shut off your flow. Maybe slow it down if you have the controllability but not necessary. You want the flow to move the stuff around. And don’t overdo it. It’s tempting to want to cloud the water up but you’re going to pollute the tank if it’s not used to the nutrient increase. If you start seeing algae and other nasties crop up back down on the coral feeding. Twice a week will do for a bit. You’ll get the hang of it. Then you can try target feeding once you feel comfortable. I have a 65

Is there a reason to broadcast vs target? I read target feeding is one of the better ways to feed so that's why I tried it that way first lol

 

[madweazl]

Never. Not once.

 

[uhgster1]

Is there a reason to broadcast vs target? I read target feeding is one of the better ways to feed so that's why I tried it that way first lol

You use less food if you broadcast. When you target feed you have to make the food almost a pasty consistency in order for you to drop it into the corals mouth. Sometimes the coral won’t eat all of the food and when your pumps come back on you realize just how much food was concentrated in the paste you just made. If you take it slow you will build up bacteria to help with the extra uneaten food so that when you do target feed it will not have as much of an impact. I use a Kent feeder (high speed turkey baster) to target feed.

 

[showjumper_girl2002]

You use less food if you broadcast. When you target feed you have to make the food almost a pasty consistency in order for you to drop it into the corals mouth. Sometimes the coral won’t eat all of the food and when your pumps come back on you realize just how much food was concentrated in the paste you just made. If you take it slow you will build up bacteria to help with the extra uneaten food so that when you do target feed it will not have as much of an impact. I use a Kent feeder (high speed turkey baster) to target feed.

The reef roids and reef chili have instructions of how much to mix/gallon and states that it can be used as target or broadcasting. You don't have to make it thick or add extra for target feeding...at least according to the instructions.

 

[HB AL]

I feed mine all day long. The lights and fish poop feed them during the day and in the evening they eat whatever they het when I feed the fish.

 

[Sleeping Giant]

Thanks! So I should just add to the tank rather than spot feeding until I see them start to put out tentacles? I do turn off the powerhead and skimmer for about 20 minutes. I'm alternating between reef roids and reef chili and feed twice a week.

Don't forget to turn them back on

 

[Sleeping Giant]

I target feed about 1-2 days a week, broadcast feed mostly. Never shut my pumps off

 

[old salt reefer]

What kinds of coral do you have?