Coral Feeding/Dosing

[sinfony78]

Didn't get much feedback in the Coral section, so I am trying here

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=237746

 

So I've had a 10G running since November, been stocked with simple coral frags like Zoas, Mushrooms, Rics, Xenia, Candy Canes, Pink Birdsnest. They do not seem to be growing. They look healthy, but not growing I started with Coral Accel about 1 1/2 months ago that my LFS suggested and don't really see much growth either. These are all photosynthetic coral so I need help understanding what/how to feed. They have been under 96W PC lighting since Nov, but have upgraded to 2x24W T5HO for the last week. Under PC lighting, 1 ric and 4 mushrooms have split. The zoas, I can see maybe a few extra polyps, some none at all. The birdsnest seem to be doing the best, I can count extra limbs and can actually see the growth.

 

Had my water tested at the LFS and they said my params are perfect, except dKH (at 100ppm which should be around 140 ppm) and very minimal nitrates.

 

Can you guys help me with a feeding plan. I am really just interested in getting the mushrooms, rics, and zoas to really bloom and propgate. I want them to fill out all my dead space. After looking at LiveAquaria, most of these corals say they are (paraphrased) "Photosynthetic, Filter Feeders, Will benefit from Microplankton, Brine or Mysis Shrimp, Calcium, Iodine, and Trace Elements". I am really not sure what is in this coral accel, maybe Ca and Trace elements.

 

I've been trying to read up on what everyone else is doing and I see some use CyclopEeze, but I dont know exactly what elements it provides. Should I also buy Frozen Brine and/or Mysis Shrimp? Target feed or just throw a mixture into the tank?

 

How much/often should I feed? Should I feed as much as possible and just keep an eye on Nitrate, Calc, Alk, and Mg levels?

 

Thanks

[disaster999]

with the corals it is not needed to feed except the cane. target feed it with some mysis shrimp every now and then.

 

there are lots of factors which affect growth. 6 months for your tank is far from young, but not quite mature yet. i would give it more time. what salt are you using? what test kit is your lfs using? actual mag, calc, alk, phos, nitrate levels?

 

if you really feel like you have to feed them something, try oyster eggs and kent's phytoplankton. see if you can bump some oyster eggs from your friends as you cant really use a whole bottle yourself without it going bad on you.

[sobes94]

+1 on the oyster eggs its the only thing I feed once a week

[shan]

I usually do not believe in "feeding" photosynthetic corals. However on a lark I started using Brightwell Coral Amino and have seen a dramatic colorup of all my corals esp, my zoas, and chalices. I have a 34G solana and only dose 1.0ml 2-3x a week. I have seen no increase in any algae. I would recommend it.

[Amphiprion1]

It will often be tank and species dependent. Some tanks will absolutely require food for corals to thrive, whereas others will not. I actually recommend feeding whenever and wherever possible. These animals normally receive and consume fairly hefty amounts of food on a daily basis in the wild. However, you only have two corals that usually display significant prey capture--the birdsnest and candy cane. Xenia, on the opposite end of the spectrum, has a highly reduced gut and isn't really capable of prey capture. Some mushrooms will accept small bits of food, whereas others won't. The same applies to Ricordea. A small addition of oyster eggs and maybe something like cyclopeeze would cover both of those corals. You would need very small portions. Just be mindful of water quality, but don't let that lead you to starve any of the corals. Then again, you may not need direct feeding in your case if you are getting reasonable color and growth. As long as water quality stays acceptable, a bit of extra won't hurt, though.

[mrbigshot]

zoa's- phyto

ric's/ large musrooms zooplankton, birdsnest- oyster eggs, cycopeeze, small meatly bits mabey

 

i have used coral frenzy and it worked well for me, i would like to try some reef chili next round. if you mix it with rods or prime reef it takes care of the whole tank.

[Austin]

+1 I like Coral Frenzy as well - not too pricey and seems to have a good mix of food types in it for a variety of corals.

[sinfony78]

a friend gave me some frozen mysis and brine shrimp...they are frozen cubes about the size of a sugar cube...how exactly do i target feed the corals?

 

do i mix up a small amount (how much?) with some tank water then shoot it at the coral?

[disaster999]

dissolve the mysis and brine shrimp in some water, and discard the left over juices as people say those contain lots of phosphate.

 

use long tweezers or turkey basters, or syringe to target feed your corals.

 

with a small tank like yours, you probably only need 1/4 of the cube.