Thank you!:thumbsup:
How to FEED your reef tank so that your corals will really GROW, instead of ho-hum...
- Thread starter capecoral
- Start date
Thank you!:thumbsup:
SunnyX
New member
My personal opinion in the subject of feeding SPS is that its not necessary. I feed my fish, acans, favia's, and Dendros Spectrum pellets and Formula one flakes. I do not feed the tank anything else. I have tried just about every coral and tank food out there and found them all to be a waste of time and money.
My suggestion to those looking to increase growth of corals is focus on the parameters, nutrient levels, and have a good amount of fish in your tank. The waste from fish are all the corals need in terms of food. All of the coral foods you see out there are only going to add waste to your system and make your job all that much harder.
I am not trying to argue with anyone here or say that what you are doing is wrong, I am simply stating that there is an easier way. Anyone who says otherwise can look at my track record of coral growth and coloration over the years. Trust me, if dosing of phyto, zooplankton, and all the other additives were necessary I would be already using them.
Sonny
My suggestion to those looking to increase growth of corals is focus on the parameters, nutrient levels, and have a good amount of fish in your tank. The waste from fish are all the corals need in terms of food. All of the coral foods you see out there are only going to add waste to your system and make your job all that much harder.
I am not trying to argue with anyone here or say that what you are doing is wrong, I am simply stating that there is an easier way. Anyone who says otherwise can look at my track record of coral growth and coloration over the years. Trust me, if dosing of phyto, zooplankton, and all the other additives were necessary I would be already using them.
Sonny
The Reef Expert
New member
You want your corals to grow? one word 
ZEOVIT! The stuff that pimps:bum: your reef! :lmao:
ZEOVIT! The stuff that pimps:bum: your reef! :lmao:
Toadally
New member
Sonny, don't you feed your tank bacteria?My personal opinion in the subject of feeding SPS is that its not necessary. I feed my fish, acans, favia's, and Dendros Spectrum pellets and Formula one flakes. I do not feed the tank anything else. I have tried just about every coral and tank food out there and found them all to be a waste of time and money.
My suggestion to those looking to increase growth of corals is focus on the parameters, nutrient levels, and have a good amount of fish in your tank. The waste from fish are all the corals need in terms of food. All of the coral foods you see out there are only going to add waste to your system and make your job all that much harder.
I am not trying to argue with anyone here or say that what you are doing is wrong, I am simply stating that there is an easier way. Anyone who says otherwise can look at my track record of coral growth and coloration over the years. Trust me, if dosing of phyto, zooplankton, and all the other additives were necessary I would be already using them.
Sonny
Aquarist007
New member
My personal opinion in the subject of feeding SPS is that its not necessary. I feed my fish, acans, favia's, and Dendros Spectrum pellets and Formula one flakes. I do not feed the tank anything else. I have tried just about every coral and tank food out there and found them all to be a waste of time and money.
My suggestion to those looking to increase growth of corals is focus on the parameters, nutrient levels, and have a good amount of fish in your tank. The waste from fish are all the corals need in terms of food. All of the coral foods you see out there are only going to add waste to your system and make your job all that much harder.
I am not trying to argue with anyone here or say that what you are doing is wrong, I am simply stating that there is an easier way. Anyone who says otherwise can look at my track record of coral growth and coloration over the years. Trust me, if dosing of phyto, zooplankton, and all the other additives were necessary I would be already using them.
Sonny
Sonny do you have any pics of your tank we could see. would love to see your success with not using all the commercial products we are bombarded with
Toadally
New member
Sonny has a beautiful tank... http://www.rimlessreef.com/
Aquarist007
New member
wow you are correct--thanks for the link:thumbsup:
My personal opinion in the subject of feeding SPS is that its not necessary. I feed my fish, acans, favia's, and Dendros Spectrum pellets and Formula one flakes. I do not feed the tank anything else. I have tried just about every coral and tank food out there and found them all to be a waste of time and money.
My suggestion to those looking to increase growth of corals is focus on the parameters, nutrient levels, and have a good amount of fish in your tank. The waste from fish are all the corals need in terms of food. All of the coral foods you see out there are only going to add waste to your system and make your job all that much harder.
I am not trying to argue with anyone here or say that what you are doing is wrong, I am simply stating that there is an easier way. Anyone who says otherwise can look at my track record of coral growth and coloration over the years. Trust me, if dosing of phyto, zooplankton, and all the other additives were necessary I would be already using them.
Sonny
Hi Sonny. *waves* Your tank is famous all over the web, for a reason.
I remember posting in your first thread here a few years ago when there was only one page. Hahahahahaha. *wink*
I'm going to send you a friend invite like i keep meaning to, because my tank will be patterned after yours in many ways and i may have a question or three at that time. S'alright?
Thanks for stopping here, it's an honor to have someone like yourself post here.
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Live Nanno can and will last until it has no more nutrients available to it and will divide and grow until then.
The brown dusting people see on their glass is a diatom aka phytoplankton. This can be seen in new tanks, old tanks, tanks that have never been dosed with phyto and ones that have.
dinoflagellates = phytoplankton as well and I highly doubt ANYONE doses those or are contained in a product anyone would dose (edit: One phytoplankton producer does put zooxanthellae in their phyto mix)
Zooxanthellae is a dinoflagellate
I could pick this a part more but I think you get the point
That set up is the goal of most reef keepers. We struggle with it daily
Yes but my goal will be just big growing corals... not really fish or other things although I can have them, so you would think I'd be able to custom-taylor the setup for just what it would need (in my price range :O ). Wish I could ask my college friend but it's really just a one-way list from him to me (did not really know him that well, but gotta love reunion sites.)
Also it appears I can save bundles by not using halides but feeding more.
Also it appears I can save bundles by not using halides but feeding more.
VtheMaestro
New member
informative read, great debate. carry on *taking notes*
Aquarist007
New member
Corrected your post
thanks---I am glad someone is looking after me or my posts:thumbsup:
Aquarist007
New member
Live Nanno can and will last until it has no more nutrients available to it and will divide and grow until then.
The brown dusting people see on their glass is a diatom aka phytoplankton. This can be seen in new tanks, old tanks, tanks that have never been dosed with phyto and ones that have.
dinoflagellates = phytoplankton as well and I highly doubt ANYONE doses those or are contained in a product anyone would dose (edit: One phytoplankton producer does put zooxanthellae in their phyto mix)
Zooxanthellae is a dinoflagellate
I could pick this a part more but I think you get the point
I am learning alot---please keep picking
Here's another link he sent me, but it's not a study, it's from the same site that the fellow listed above a few days ago:
"How Corals Feed
http://www.coralscience.org/main/articles/nutrition-5/how-corals-feed"
"Dissolved organic matter (DOM) forms an important food source for many corals and related animals such as [zoo's]. Already in 1960, scientists found that stony corals from the genus Fungia [plate coral] were able to take up radioactively labeled glucose [DOC] from the water. This was demonstrated by subsequent tissue analysis."
"The sediment which is present on coral reefs contains bacteria, protozoa and their excrements, microscopic invertebrates, microalgae and organics. These sedimentary sources can all serve as coral nutrients, especially for colonies which grow in turbid waters. Experiments during which sedimentary carbon was radioactively labeled showed that corals such as Fungia horrida [plate coral] and Acropora millepora readily took up sediment. The more sediment present, the more uptake is measured; 50-80 percent of this material is converted into biomass by several [coral] species. This has also been found for the Caribbean species Montastrea franksi, Diploria strigosa and Madracis mirabilis; detritus [waste] is taken up by the polyps, and the available nitrogen is converted into biomass [growth]."
"The positive effects of nutrition on corals are profound; essential processes such as photosynthesis, calcification [growth], and the buildup of the organic matrix are stimulated by feeding."
"Fed corals display (1) twofold greater protein concentrations and photosynthetic rates per unit skeletal surface area; (2) twofold higher dark and light calcification [growth] rates; and (3) twofold greater organic matrix synthesis in the dark and a 60% increase during daytime."
"Most aquarists favor bright colours, which arise by coral host pigmentation. Brown zooxanthellate pigments such as chlorophyll are considered to be unattractive. These last pigments do provide the energy for increased growth, in contrast to brightly coloured pigments which act as sunscreens. Producing [the colors] also goes at the expense of coral growth."
"High particle concentrations and low phosphate levels seem to be the ideal combination."
'And here are some more good videos we found:'
Real-time pics, in the ocean, of zooplankton swimming:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Qg0rvR-TAY
The stinging part of a coral that stings food to eat it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zJiBc_N1Zk
A simple plankton box/net you can make:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WssoxVuPMPY
And a larger one that you can't make:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQG4zAoh6xc
"How Corals Feed
http://www.coralscience.org/main/articles/nutrition-5/how-corals-feed"
"Dissolved organic matter (DOM) forms an important food source for many corals and related animals such as [zoo's]. Already in 1960, scientists found that stony corals from the genus Fungia [plate coral] were able to take up radioactively labeled glucose [DOC] from the water. This was demonstrated by subsequent tissue analysis."
"The sediment which is present on coral reefs contains bacteria, protozoa and their excrements, microscopic invertebrates, microalgae and organics. These sedimentary sources can all serve as coral nutrients, especially for colonies which grow in turbid waters. Experiments during which sedimentary carbon was radioactively labeled showed that corals such as Fungia horrida [plate coral] and Acropora millepora readily took up sediment. The more sediment present, the more uptake is measured; 50-80 percent of this material is converted into biomass by several [coral] species. This has also been found for the Caribbean species Montastrea franksi, Diploria strigosa and Madracis mirabilis; detritus [waste] is taken up by the polyps, and the available nitrogen is converted into biomass [growth]."
"The positive effects of nutrition on corals are profound; essential processes such as photosynthesis, calcification [growth], and the buildup of the organic matrix are stimulated by feeding."
"Fed corals display (1) twofold greater protein concentrations and photosynthetic rates per unit skeletal surface area; (2) twofold higher dark and light calcification [growth] rates; and (3) twofold greater organic matrix synthesis in the dark and a 60% increase during daytime."
"Most aquarists favor bright colours, which arise by coral host pigmentation. Brown zooxanthellate pigments such as chlorophyll are considered to be unattractive. These last pigments do provide the energy for increased growth, in contrast to brightly coloured pigments which act as sunscreens. Producing [the colors] also goes at the expense of coral growth."
"High particle concentrations and low phosphate levels seem to be the ideal combination."
'And here are some more good videos we found:'
Real-time pics, in the ocean, of zooplankton swimming:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Qg0rvR-TAY
The stinging part of a coral that stings food to eat it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zJiBc_N1Zk
A simple plankton box/net you can make:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WssoxVuPMPY
And a larger one that you can't make:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQG4zAoh6xc
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
Gresh- the brown dusting on the glass (and elsewhere) is diatoms. I understand this.
What's the green dusting of microalgae that grows on glass.... are you sure that it can be classified as a phyto?
FWIW I can dose phyto and rotifers into my reef aquarium but I guarantee you all of it's gone rather quickly due to a combination of factors (including system filtration).
What's the green dusting of microalgae that grows on glass.... are you sure that it can be classified as a phyto?
FWIW I can dose phyto and rotifers into my reef aquarium but I guarantee you all of it's gone rather quickly due to a combination of factors (including system filtration).
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