How many of you feed your acros?

[dzhuo]

On the other hand, it certainly makes sense that there are nutients potentially available in all that the clam seives from the water and it would seem unlikely that any lifeform would not take advantage of easy pickings around it, as it were.

Generally speaking, this is true especially when it comes to phytoplankton and giant clams. You would expect corals' entire evolution history would have tough them to catch the most abundant food available and yet this is not always the case. For example, Pocillopora damicornis and Pavona gigantea from the Gulf of Panama mainly feed on isopods, amphipods and crab zoea (200-400 μm), despite the fact that 61% of the available plankton consisted of copepods.

 

[dzhuo]

People feed phyto because it acts as a food source for microfauna that are in the system. Corals can prey on the live food already existing in the system (which is ideal) rather than a frozen/dry food that the aquarist has to supplement.

There might be certain advantages of feeding phytoplankton but this doesn't necessary mean it's better then commercial coral foods just because you can grow live zooplankton. Potential problem with this approach is in a closed system like our tanks, bio-diversity is extremely low. Feeding phytoplankton is likely to increase the population of one dominant zooplankton or microfauna without increase bio-diversity. If your corals aren't equipment to capture this type of zooplankton (many corals have fairly specific feeding requirement), the corals might not benefit much from the dosing. Lots of commercial foods are mixture of different strains of zooplankton and size which boraden the chance of corals benefit from using them.

I think this subject is quiet complicated and you will likely have to experience a little to find the right balance.

 

[gcarroll]

Reef Nutrition for me always. Oyster-Feast, and Roti-Feast are my favorite!

 

[n0rk]

I personally feed Cyclopeez, Reef Pearls, Tropic-Marin Zooton, Reef Roids, Golden Pearls, frozen PE mysis, NHBBS, and 2 lab mixed Amino Acids. I generally do this daily or better. Having a good skimmer helps a lot!

 

[Logzor]

I personally feed Cyclopeez, Reef Pearls, Tropic-Marin Zooton, Reef Roids, Golden Pearls, frozen PE mysis, NHBBS, and 2 lab mixed Amino Acids. I generally do this daily or better. Having a good skimmer helps a lot!

What are lab mixed amino acids?

Also, how do you like the goldern pearls? It occurred to me that GP's would be a pretty cheap way to offer my sps corals a particle size they can actually eat.

 

[wizardx322]

i feed mine oyster feast and fish poop!

 

[n0rk]

What are lab mixed amino acids?

Also, how do you like the goldern pearls? It occurred to me that GP's would be a pretty cheap way to offer my sps corals a particle size they can actually eat.

The aminos are ones which a chemist friend prepared, I couldn't tell you exactly what they are except they work damn well. They're one of the best I've used, though I'll probably throw some KZ AminoAcid High Concentrate soon.

As for the Golden Pearls, I love them. The Acros do too... and reward me kindly with awesome colour

 

[Chris Mills]

I add Oyster feast a couple of times a week. That's about it.

 

[BillyC]

What kind of oyster feast do you guys use? Reef nutrition?