Feeding SPS corals? (To feed or not to feed?)

[Wally.B]

Just wondering, since I hear two side of this story.

Do you need to feed your SPS corals?

I heard that feeding is not necessary.

All that is needed is Good lighting... Additaives: Just Calc, Alk, and Mag (to maintain stable parameters) . Plus water changes should be enough.

I did this original but my nutrients were so low, even my glass hardly needed cleaning. (no algae at all)

So I got some fish, and understand they eat food which makes processed nutrients (ie POO). Which corals can consume easier.

Also recently started adding AcroPower which is an Amino Acid additive.

Plus one fish is a Madarin, so I feed like Tiger Copepod, and to sustain, I feed Live PhytoPheast (Plankton).

What are your opinions about feeding SPS corals?

 

[markalot]

I feed reef roids on a regular basis and skim heavily.

 

[lynchmob3000]

I like reef roids myself or Cyclopeez added to my fish food

 

[Bigcefa]

Oyster feast works good for me

 

[Piper27]

I feed my fish everyday with about 6 cubes of frozen foods, algae sheets, pellets and flakes. Corals benefit enough from that. I still feed oysterfeast or reef bugs every week or so for the heck of it. I have not NEEDED to feed corals if I have fish in a tank with them though. I think the only time corals need to be fed is if its uln system that's not fed much or if there are no fish in the tank with the corals. If its a bleached colony I will target feed Amino's or oysterfeast, but that is not something that ever really happens.

 

[Wally.B]

Just ordered some Reef Roids and Coral Frenzy, since on Sale for boxing day. Appears to be good for my LPS and Soft tank as well.

Appears Roids product was originally developed to feed Gonipora coral, which I had years ago and faded out.

Wonder if this Reef Roids/Frenzy stuff will feed my Sun Coral, since I'm training it to get it's whiskers out. Slowly it's fattening up and appearing healthier, since I have given attention to feeding.

Either way, will use this stuff once in a while. Must be careful to not get into a bad habit over eager feeding, which can lead to too many nutrients.

WOW Piper27. 6 Cubes of frozen food. How many fish? What tank size? I cut my frozen cubes in 1/2 for my 90 Gal Soft/LPS tank (6 med. fish). 1/4 for my 65 Gallon SPS tank (6 small fish). However I do feed flake twice a day, and live plankton, plus copepods, and soon Live brine shrimp.

 

[Wally.B]

By the way. Adding fish appears to have an positive impact on SPS coral colors. After just less than a week, I see pale stuff not so pale anymore. Contrast colors, and ridges showing up.

 

[Nano sapiens]

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/blog/fish-poop-is-great-coral-food

 

[Piper27]

WOW Piper27. 6 Cubes of frozen food. How many fish? What tank size? I cut my frozen cubes in 1/2 for my 90 Gal Soft/LPS tank (6 med. fish). 1/4 for my 65 Gallon SPS tank (6 small fish). However I do feed flake twice a day, and live plankton, plus copepods, and soon Live brine shrimp.

I have about 250 gallons in the 4 tanks hooked to the same system. Maybe 40+ fish I think. Lots of shrimp and other life to help eat leftovers but ther isn't any because the fish get all the big stuff. They are very aggressive eaters. Good thoughts on not getting habits of feeding to much, it is a key to keeping the tank running well.
Live copepods should breed in your tank and you probably don't need to feed them daily or anything.