How much is enough food?

[Terryz_]

I am very confused as in how much is enough food???

I used to dose 10ml of frozen cyclopeeze daily from 7am to around 5-6pm via a drip system... The seafans are doing well, extending polyps, I could see some of the cyclopeeze on the polyps...

But because it is expensive for us to get frozen cyclopeeze in my area and it did not last me long so i decided to change to dried food, namely FM Ultra Seafan, FM Ultra Min F and Dried Cyclopeeze..
I mixed half a teaspoon of each and dose via a drip system but I am not getting the results when I am using cyclopeeze.. A few of the seafans stopped opening and starts to recede and even the healthiest one which have growth also start to recede...
Am I feeding too little?
Thinking if I should go back to feeding full cyclopeeze diet...

Thanks...

 

[slapshot]

When you figure it out let us know. Not meaning to be a smart a$$ just a tough question that we all struggle with. As far as the cyclops you should include them in at least one feeding a week. It can be a size issue with your troublesome animals.

If you look around on line you can buy them in bulk. It saves a ton of money. I get 12 inch by 12 inch sheets for $40.00. Talk to your LFS and see if they will order it in for you that way you save on the shipping.

 

[uhuru]

Nothing works to get a feeding response from corals like frozen foods or concentrated liquid foods IME. I always look at feeding as a two step process. 1 - the frozen cyclopeeze serves the primary purpose of being a cue that it is feeding time. 2 - I dose whatever foods I feel more appropriately sized for them to eat, such as FM Ultra Seafan, Roti-Feast, etc. Oyster Feast also does a good job of getting a feeding response, as does mysis juice, nutramar ova, and probably the juice from any seafood product you can get. So, you might try buying some frozen seafood at the grocery store and blending it up really well, and using that to get the initial feeding response. You can then follow that by feeding the other foods. Personally I mix the FM foods with frozen foods and dose every hour, but you can do it separate. With this method you can really enjoy your corals anytime you look at your tank as they are almost always open. I go through about a 3" square block of cyclopeeze per day. The caveat, especially with using blended seafood, is that water quality goes downhill very quickly so you must have a good water management plan in place.

*edit - the primary purpose of cyclopeeze is not just as a feeding cue as it feeds the fishes and other corals, I just don't consider it a primary food source for gorgonians as it is too large

 

[Terryz_]

Hmmmm... Will give it a try and feed more different sized food and see how it goes... I only converted to FM for 1 week...