Should i stop adding coral type foods

[benf]

After reading different threads, seems that a lot of people are saying to stop using any type of coral foods cause of the added phosphates and that the corals will get what they need from the floating food that you feed the fish.

For those of you that have been successfull in growing large colonies from frags...do you feed your sps?

Do i really need products for success like DT's, M.Snow, Knops Coral Vit., Reef Chili, etc...OR is the excess from the fish foods enough??

 

[conefree]

Looking forward to an answer on this as well. I feed reef chili every now and again, but not too often.

OT, I have family in Wesley Chapel

 

[benf]

Cool...do they live in a development? which one if so??

 

[db_triggerfish]

tagging along, looking for answers also. I too have family in Welsey Chapel. 2 weeks ago I was looking at models in KBhomes.

 

[benf]

which development?

 

[conefree]

not sure of the name. It's off Bruce B Downs and county line road.

 

[benf]

thats where i live....Maybe when u hit town again..show u my tank!

 

[conefree]

lol cool. I will let you know next time I'm in the area. I was just there in June for vacation.

 

[cwegescheide]

I don't have family in wesley chapel but I live close! Can I participate in this thread?

I haven't ever feed Dt's or anything like that. I do though on a regular basis feed cyclopeez as well as a few varieties of flake and since I have been feeding cyclopeez it seems that my coral coloration and growth has improved. Maybe because as a whole I am putting enough nutrients into the water and the corals are starting to respond or whatever. Who knows but I am sticking to my regemine. I have consistantly been feeding more flake(s) and cyclopeez mixed together and I have really seen my colors and growth improve.

Now with that said I have invested some money into a rotameter to accuratley control effluent for my Ca reactor as well to try and keep my Ca and Alk as steady as I can and this might also be helping since my parameters have been pretty steady for a while now. My green/purple Monti cap keeps getting more green and the purple rim is starting to come out much better to for example.

Chris

 

[Sk8r]

I feed phyto a lot because I have a clam; I also have sps, and the montiporas and acropora aculeus, acropora loveii, ac. micropthalmia are all thriving and growing about a quarter inch a month. I'm terrible: I feed tons of cyclopeeze for greedy fish, occasionally feed oyster eggs, and get begged out of sinking pellet Formula one for the YWG. My tank is a morass of floating bits and I have no particulate filter, and only a smallish Urchin skimmer for my 52. My theory is if I support a little of every kind of life it will be a healthy tank [clam, sponges, dusters, worms, pods, shrimp] and take care of itself when I am out of town. So I'm no model of the lean and mean tank, but some of the acros seem to like it and the lps sucks it in and divides.

 

[jay24k]

I'm a believer you don't really need it. I've grown 90% of my corals from 1 to 2 inch frags. Here are some. I also have several clams and do not feed phyto.

I just took these tonight.

 

[old salty]

Nice pictures!!

 

[benf]

Thanks for the info everyone....nice pics!!! gives me hope!

I think once i finish up what i have in DT's and Knops Vita F i will just use Oyster eggs, Cyclop, and fish food....I am constantly having an algae problem even though my Nitrates and Phosphates read low to nothing. I have cut back on the fish foods, so it must be the coral additives.

 

[conefree]

Thanks for the info, and nice pics Jay!! Very impressive. Someday my little frags will be there

 

[benf]

Jay do u feed anything for ur corals or do they just get left over fish food??