azoox food mix - feeding response + ?'s

[PSam]

I have been using a little variation Danny Dame's recipe and seem to get a very good feeding response from all azoox coral but one. Now to set up something that feeds 24/7. Currently have it frozen in cubes and chuck them in next to power head as often as possible.

UltraPac + RO/DI + MinS makes this jelly / artificial coral mucus

Cyclops, Oyster eggs, ultra-sea fan, clam, minF, life
& 1 amp prodibio reefbooster, some phyto & rotifers & MinS

Like dame says, I mix it up and let them sit over night then
mix them together the next day. Then I froze them into little cubes.

Here's the dendro before feeding any of this, was just adding DT's
phyto & Reed's rotifers, didn't seem to respond to either very well.

Now with tossing in the cubes, maybe 5 or 6 a day for the past 2 weeks, it is extended all the time.

The umbellulifera doesn't respond that well to much. Any ideas - maybe more flow? The dendro gets more flow than the Umbell. Also, can phytoplankton / rotifer products like DT's or Reed's (rotifeast) be frozen or will that have some effect on the nutrition? Thanks for any info / suggestions.

 

[dannyfromholland]

Hi Sam

Im not sure what you mean with umbellulifera this coral is somewhat different from Dendronephthtya and is found only below diving depth in muddy substrate and very rare in trade so I think its unlikely that you have that. The coral in the picture however is Dendronephthya and the orange one in the background is Scleronephthtya. Redarding the orange scleronephthtya their are some usefull tips in this topic: http://www.marineaquarium.nl/smf/index.php?topic=338.0

Dendronephthya umbellate which looks similair to Umbellulifera is also found in muddy substrate there are at least three growth forms and each will have their own needs. My experience is with the Divaricate this is also the form that is shown on your picture.


Cheers

Danny Dame

below is a picture off umbellulifera

 

[glassbox-design]

Re: azoox food mix - feeding response + ?'s

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12334119#post12334119 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by PSam

Now with tossing in the cubes, maybe 5 or 6 a day for the past 2 weeks, it is extended all the time.

L,

Glad to hear that it's staying extended. BTW, great post on the blog..I'll have some questions for you

 

[PSam]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12335681#post12335681 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dannyfromholland Im not sure what you mean with umbellulifera this coral is somewhat different from Dendronephthtya and is found only below diving depth in muddy substrate and very rare in trade so I think its unlikely that you have that. The coral in the picture however is Dendronephthya and the orange one in the background is Scleronephthtya. Redarding the orange scleronephthtya their are some usefull tips in this topic: http://www.marineaquarium.nl/smf/index.php?topic=338.0

Dendronephthya umbellate which looks similair to Umbellulifera is also found in muddy substrate there are at least three growth forms and each will have their own needs. My experience is with the Divaricate this is also the form that is shown on your picture.

Hi Danny, I ordered it (the coral in the background) from liveaquaria.com Diver's Den and they had listed it as Umbellulifera Sp. I took their word for it since I couldn't find many other images online of Umbellulifera - it looks very much like this coral listed as Umbellulifera here: http://www.poppe-images.com/images/image_info.php?picid=919889

I will take a better photo tonight and post it if you don't mind checking back to help ID again?

Also thanks for your info posted on the other forums / websites about feeding azoox coral - extremely helpful and so far your "recipe" mix seem very effective, at least in keeping the coral out and feeding. Was that "mix" (on http://www.marineaquarium.nl/februari-2006english.php) the only one you were feeding?

E - thanks - they look so much nicer when they're out and hungry . I was planning on stopping by OLd Town and seeing if they still had that sclero you mentioned...

 

[glassbox-design]

It was there on Friday...it looked slightly "paler", but I would still check it out.

Any response from other corals using Danny's modified recipe?

 

[PSam]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12336063#post12336063 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by glassbox-design
Any response from other corals using Danny's modified recipe?

response, yeah, they're turning brown from over feeding so much lol . the new skimmer just really started producing last week, but the food mix (ultra pac especially) kills foam, so trying to find a happy medium.

I added the Ultra SeaFan to danny's food for the couple Diodogorgia in there - you can see them capture some of the food, especially cyclops as well. Whether any of the coral are eating or not, and what exactly they're eating, I don't know, still reading up on what to look for and only time will tell if they grow.

I'm kicking myself re: Acalycigorgia - it just doesn't like anything. Flow, food, nothing. Sad to see. Total mistake on my part, though it may have had a better chance with some of these foods than no food in the LFS. Regardless, will not do that again.

Here's a better pic of the coral that was sold to me as Umbellulifera. Here's a link to some other Umbellulifera images online. If not that, ID would be great.

 

[GreshamH]

No you can't freeze phyto or rotifers with out compromising the nutritional value. This is especially true with phyto products that contain browns. Green phytos can take freezing due to their strong cell wall but browns don't handle it all that well. If you do freeze, use a some type of cryoprotectant.

 

[PSam]

Thanks Gresham. I'll take them (rotifers) out of the mix then and just use them like normal. Sent you a pm but your box is full...

 

[dannyfromholland]

HI Sam

The coral in the picture is a Scleronephthtya I've had the same species. Their seems to be two kinds off Scleronephthtya a short one (in tree colors pink yellow or orange) and the one on your picture alway orange color. The one you have is most of the time bigger than the others. I've had reasonable success with this type also. It shed skin an showed some growth. This coral needs lots off flow and mean really a lot off flow especially when it shed skin. If this one doesn't get enough flow it will start to rot.

Regarding my experience with the food mix part two (after 4 months) is in this link I don't know if you already red it.
http://www.marineaquarium.nl/smf/index.php?topic=11.msg28#msg28

Cheers

Danny

 

[PSam]

Thanks for the ID and info. I've noticed it shedding the base skin already, I turned the flow a little bit more towards it. Any suggestions for it? What you see in the photo above is as far as it's opened up. I get a small response from the frozen food, but not more than a few polyps come out.

So on that link, I see you switched out water in the Pac mix for MinS? that's a lot of minS!

mazzel

 

[GreshamH]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12342630#post12342630 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by PSam
Thanks Gresham. I'll take them (rotifers) out of the mix then and just use them like normal. Sent you a pm but your box is full...

I can't accept PM's as if i get business ones as a non sponsorring vendor it could be grounds for bannation. I try to live by the rules RC has set

You can always use the email link though

 

[PSam]

Yeah, that's why I tried to PM, didn't want to incriminate you by mistake