Looking for supplements to boost coral color and growth

[Zer0]

Hey guys, I'm going to be placing an order from aquacave for some coral dip, and I just wanted to make the most of it and get a supplement that will boost coral color and growth. However, I have no clue which one works the best, or if I should just get something like invertebrate food, because I believe feeding the coral improves their color and growth right?

 

Can anyone please give me some suggestions? I only have zoanthids and acropora.

 

 

Thanks!

 

I was looking at this because in the description it pretty much states exactly what I'm looking for, but I want to see what you guys suggest:

 

http://www.aquacave.com/brightwell-aquatic...orals-2461.html

[basser1]

Depends on what type of corals your keeping.

 

If you're wanting to keep SPS, then I have found dosing the big 3 ( Alk, Ca, ansd Mag ), are some of the most important, in addition to regular water changes as well.

 

I also dose strontium once a week and iodine ( 1 drop ), per day. I have read good things about Lugols as far as improving colors go, although I haven't used it. Twice a week I dose Seachems' Fuel, it's an amino acid and has vitamins and other stuff that helps with color.

[Zer0]

Thanks dude.

 

Well really, I'm just looking for something that I can add every once in a while when I feel like it.. nothing that I have to stick to or anything.

 

So do you suggest I go with the Brightwell amino acid supp? It sounds pretty good.. I only really have SPS and zoas, and I'll only be adding more of the kind.

 

Also, have you seen any improvements in the colors with using the Seachem Fuel?

[feixjai]

My LFS suggested aquavitro's fuel when I asked about zoas coloration and growth. I've been using the product for almost 3 months now and I love it. I purchased a single polyp frag of red hornets and it grew to almost 5 heads in 2ish weeks, but zoa pox took over my tank. I've noticed that a lot of the colors of my corals really colored up too. I mostly have zoas, but I also have various softies and LPS

 

Its not something you need to dose daily, I dose twice a week. Also don't over dose or you're gonna have hair algae.

[shiver905]

IMO you dont need anything except the big 3...

 

Theres lots of debate if any of them even do anything.

 

If you have a bunch of lps you can try phyto once in awhile.

 

 

Your tanks still VERY new.. With the amount of effort u put into building it youll be fine.

[lakshwadeep]

What is your lighting like? Lighting can make a huge difference in coral coloration. Zoanthids especially don't need targeted dosing.

[roryb24]

20k lighting and Brightwell amino acid will do the job!

[Zer0]

IMO you dont need anything except the big 3...

 

Theres lots of debate if any of them even do anything.

 

If you have a bunch of lps you can try phyto once in awhile.

 

 

Your tanks still VERY new.. With the amount of effort u put into building it youll be fine.

 

What are the big 3? And yeah, my tank is still pretty new. I'm not rushing to dose anything.. I just wanted to know for the future since I will be stocking it with lots of SPS.

 

What is your lighting like? Lighting can make a huge difference in coral coloration. Zoanthids especially don't need targeted dosing.

 

Well, I'm running 24 Cree's, 12 Royal Blues and 12 Cool Whites, and I have them on full brightness, but the fixture is sitting about 18" off the surface of the water. It seems though, that the zoas I got which actually came from a halide lit tank, are beginning to melt away under the LEDs. Even at 18" off the water surface. Not really sure what that means, but I'm hoping it's just those zoas that aren't fairing well under the LEDs, and not all the zoas I want to get.

 

20k lighting and Brightwell amino acid will do the job!

 

Well, my light is in the 15-16k range.. But I am thinking of getting an amino acid supp when I place my next order with aquacave. We'll see I guess.

[TheNordCelt]

My zoanthids really didn't do well under led's until I started dosing. Right now i use Vodka and brightwell supps.

[altolamprologus]

Along with kepping up the big 3(calcium, alk, mag) your corals need food!! They get indirect food from the microfauna growing in your tank,but you can boost color and growth by directly feeding them. Oyster eggs and gut-loaded rotifers are the best IMO. Just watch how much you feed because it can create nutrient problems.

 

BTW some people still believe corals don't eat. They do(they have polyps and mouths for a reason). Nutrients in the water feed the zooxanthellae but the coral needs supplimental food as well.

[shiver905]

The big 3 is

Alkalinity , Calcium , Magnesium

 

 

IMO SPS tank are all about balance and rock solid parameters.

Adding things to your tank just throws things off.

1) Make Shure You have The needed hardware. Skimmer/lighting/reactors,,ect

2) Make Shure all our basic Parameters are solid. Ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, phosphate

3) Test Cal, ALK, Mag, Dose accordingly and take it slow

4) Now try to make them solid and develop a solid dosing ritual.

5) TEST

6) TEST

7) TEST

 

 

BTW I agree with you alto.

But to a certain extent.

 

I agree you should feed LPS and such.

With that said. I belive SPS is a different ball game.

You will notice LEET:P sps keepers always aim at Low nutrient Systems even Ultra Low.

It is possible to make both worlds happy but finding that balence is key.

 

BTW Iv never EVER seen a SPS directly eat with its poly0ps (food we introduce)

[ferissp]

+1 to getting things stable and keeping them there for best coloring. Corals do better under stable less-than-ideal situations than when moved a lot, and levels go way up and way down. SPS grow slowly and every time you futz with them you reset the clock on them starting to grow.

 

Color is enhanced by healthy corals and the correct lighting mainly. Granted first they have to be healthy. Amino acids and reef snow (spot dosed is better but I sometimes just dump it in) is about the only thing you need for photosynthetic corals. Remember that most corals are brown in the ocean and so your lighting is what makes them pop. Adding more blue/actinic light will help add color. So will photoshop, just ask a few people on here

 

About coral feeding: I stopped feeding every other day, then I stopped feeding every few days. Now I throw in a mysis shrimp cube or feed my anemone a silverside every once in a while. My duncans, acans, paly's, and brain coral are still extremely happy and I don't have to spend 30 minutes every day with a turkey baster squirting mysis shrimp at things. As for growing faster when fed- my corals are all growing just fine without being fed. Just watch out for NPS corals like Sun Coral.

[HecticDialectics]

BTW some people still believe corals don't eat. They do(they have polyps and mouths for a reason). Nutrients in the water feed the zooxanthellae but the coral needs supplimental food as well.

 

I'll believe it when scientists can actually find some way the polyps digest and absorb nutrients from whatever they catch.

[ThePhilosopher]

Kind of unrelated, but if corals don't eat, then how would non-photosynthetic corals survive?

[ferissp]

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_coral_pol...d_and_digest_it

 

They eat. Sort of. They bring food into a mouth then use enzymes to break it down. The above explanation was the most simple I could find.

 

I feel like for a lot of corals the ability to eat is more of a plan B then a primary method of gaining nutrients and thriving. People say that some corals like duncans need food but the healthiest Duncan colonies I've seem are fed very rarely if ever. NPS are an obvious exception to the rule. They are also a huge PITA!!

[mastahluong]

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/blog/proof...ume-zooplankton

[shiver905]

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/blog/proof...ume-zooplankton

 

WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

 

 

Thats was interesting

[HecticDialectics]

I'll believe it when scientists can actually find some way the polyps digest and absorb nutrients from whatever they catch.

 

 

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/blog/proof...ume-zooplankton

 

lol that's exactly what i'm talking about. That's absolutely NOT proof positive. We've always known that SPS polyps will catch stuff. We still haven't seen any proof that it actually eats them through some digestive mechanism. That's what I want to see.