How do you feed your sps?
- Thread starter 10" Red Devil
- Start date
MiddletonMark
Premium Member
I might argue with that ... at least that Acropora can capture CE
As it has here
I've gone from never feeding for coral + feeding tank VERY light, to regular feeding of fish/tank and prefer to feed the tank more vs. light.
Of course, nutrient load/etc will determine how much you can feed without having nutrient issues - which seems to me to be the crucial balance in our tanks. Hard to replicate the plankton-rich reef and still keep nutrient-poor water.
I've been using Eric's recipe for my fish [ground a little larger] and I'm pretty darn sure some of the corals feed on that too.
For feeding time - I make sure all the flow is running at max + feed. Often one evening a night I've been unplugging the skimmer overnight - feeding the fish well, then spot-feeding my few LPS after [figure some is missed, caught by other corals/starfish/etc]. I've only started that after a prolonged period of low nutrients ... and have been watching very closely that I don't cause myself problems with this ... but IMO, everything looks great the next day, so I'm happy.
Given I don't appear to be having nutrient issues - I prefer to feed well as long as I avoid it. Direct-feeding of Acropora ... not really. But I do feed the tank food that is likely not all eaten by the fish - which appears to be caught by Acropora and others.
But IMO + my reading, corals need more than sugar from photosynthesis to live on [and to make their pretty colors
]. Maybe bacteria provides all that's needed ... but provided I can keep my tank low-nutrient and algae-free, I'd rather feed more vs. less. Of course, the most part is eaten by my fish every time.
SawCJack00
Professional Mind Reader
Tetra, what's a Turkey bastard?
Sorry, but I almost sprayed my monitor with coffee when I read that...
I'm sure any type of turkey in the tank (much less one without a father) would cause a nutrient spike
Sorry, but I almost sprayed my monitor with coffee when I read that...
I'm sure any type of turkey in the tank (much less one without a father) would cause a nutrient spike
SawCJack00
Professional Mind Reader
By the way, I feed cyclopeze about twice a week when I'm feeding my fish (cyclopeze for the coral, frozen food or pellets for the fish). I turn off the return pump (feed mode on my AC), then dump it in, usually in the AM before tank lights are on.
Also I use a Powerhead instead of a turkey baster to blow off the rocks about once a week (less labor intensive ).
Also I use a Powerhead instead of a turkey baster to blow off the rocks about once a week (less labor intensive
).
gcarroll
Active member
Daily when I remember, I feed 2 cubes of frozen rotifers and 8 pumps of phytoplankton, 1/2 hour after the lights go off. I find that this is useful in maintaining a large population of plankton in the tank as well as feeding the SPS corals. I do not turn off pumps nor skimmer.
fishypets
New member
When I fed the tank in the past I would mix up oyster eggs, phytoplex,zoomax, chromoplex, and cyclopeze. I would turn the return pump off for two hours after adding the mixture to the tank. Now I do this about once a month and the rest of the time I use one of Tetra's Turkey Bastards to clean the rock of fish poo.
Orochimaru
1 of 3 legendary ninjas
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6370505#post6370505 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SawCJack00
Tetra, what's a Turkey bastard?
Sorry, but I almost sprayed my monitor with coffee when I read that...
I'm sure any type of turkey in the tank (much less one without a father) would cause a nutrient spike
yep, you got it right...that is the best kind of turkey. :lol:
turkey baster.
In addition to the leftovers from the fish, once a week baby brine shrimp (within 24 hours or so of hatching). I use a Turkey baster too - about an hour after lights out. I gently push some around the acros. Then, about a half hour later I do it again (to ensure polyps are fully open). I've had better growth with the extra feeding than without.
undertai
Active member
Well I feed my tank three items at a time. I mix in a container and then pour into the tank. Also I turn of my skimmer for about 2 hours. Even atfer the 2 hours and water test. My water is still low nutrients and 5 hours later back to normal. Mostly sps but also nine fish. This mixture also feeds my fish I used flake every 3 days. Doing this for over one month now. Corals are growing rapidly.
Here is what I feed my tank:
Ocean Fresh Coral Vibrance 1/4 teaspoon
phyto-feast = 10 drops
Liquid Life MarinePlankton = 2 Squirts
MIX AND SERVE
Here is what I feed my tank:
Ocean Fresh Coral Vibrance 1/4 teaspoon
phyto-feast = 10 drops
Liquid Life MarinePlankton = 2 Squirts
MIX AND SERVE
I mix either mysis or flake with cyclopeeze and live phyto I culture and add to the tank every day. I pour it into my closed loop suction and let the pump spread it for me. The mysis seems to knock the skimmers down for an hour or so and then comes on line to get what didn't get eaten. I used to feed rots that I cultured but got tired of the extra work.
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