SPS Targeted Feeding Macro Video Experiment
- Thread starter biggles
- Start date
trueblackpercula
New member
Well I would have to say that to date pappone is hands down the best I have tried to date. But today I started reef booster by prodibio and will see in a month if it's just as good. I can say after my fist dose I got the same results as dosing pappone with the exception my tank was extreme ofy for over three hours. My Sps showed great response and I only dosed one Vial for my 120 gallon tank and the box says two. Please do not feed two to your tank as this stuff is extremely consintrated.
ReeferJohn408
New member
Very interesting. Thank you for starting this informative thread.
herring_fish
Crazy Designer
I read a good bit of this thread about feeding SPS corals because it is very interesting. I have been more interested in non-photosynthetic corals so I have been over feeding for a couple of decades and found that your collective experiences mirror mine. One of the points that I have found to be true is that if you start slowly, you can build up to fairly significant feeding levels without adversely affecting your tank while reaping the benefits.
This impart is because the bacteria population grows but more importantly, the critter population grows to consume the leftovers. The waist products of those critters can be consumed by other critters and there waist products by still others. This descending food chain extends several cycles deep into different levels of detritus.
For this reason, biodiversity is very important. We get a lot of critters from live rock and new corals that we bring into the tank. Unfortunately, some species crowd out others so introducing new populations regularly can be very beneficial.
I read Dynamic Aquaria, by Dr. Adey. He brought us the refugium and talked at great length about the importance of critters. They form the food chain or food web, going up to fish and corals as well as back down from there again. He called out tons of critters, of different types, that we never get to see in our tanks.
I bought a starter kit from GARF and I liked it but I would like to know if anyone knows of any other sources for things like bottom dwelling critters for population and repopulation? I found a diver that thought that he would start a side business but never got around to it. He planned to sift sand, in the ocean where he lives, through a screen and do some diving for other stuff.
Any thoughts?
This impart is because the bacteria population grows but more importantly, the critter population grows to consume the leftovers. The waist products of those critters can be consumed by other critters and there waist products by still others. This descending food chain extends several cycles deep into different levels of detritus.
For this reason, biodiversity is very important. We get a lot of critters from live rock and new corals that we bring into the tank. Unfortunately, some species crowd out others so introducing new populations regularly can be very beneficial.
I read Dynamic Aquaria, by Dr. Adey. He brought us the refugium and talked at great length about the importance of critters. They form the food chain or food web, going up to fish and corals as well as back down from there again. He called out tons of critters, of different types, that we never get to see in our tanks.
I bought a starter kit from GARF and I liked it but I would like to know if anyone knows of any other sources for things like bottom dwelling critters for population and repopulation? I found a diver that thought that he would start a side business but never got around to it. He planned to sift sand, in the ocean where he lives, through a screen and do some diving for other stuff.
Any thoughts?
trueblackpercula
New member
Yes there is a place that sells what you are looking for and is amazing to purchase from. Dynamic aquaria is a book I am still trying to locate as it's out of print last time I checked but maybe I will check again.
http://www.ipsf.com/reefworms.html
jdamon
New member
Well I started using this last night and I wanted to report that I got some crazy PE afterwards. Let's see how this goes as I believe it's almost like feeding the Sps but with live bacteria. Lol still using pappone
Trueblack, how's it going with the prodibio? Am considering trying this, but fairly pricey... I may just try adding half or 1/4 the recommended dose and adding vinegar to my kalk to supplement. I do wonder if the bioptim and reef booster are necessary? Seem like expensive versions of acro power etc...
trueblackpercula
New member
Hey
It's been going very well and I see a major improvement with colors and PE. I don't find it costly at All for my size tank but then again I don't know your fiancee as everyone's are different.
As for the Bioptim you can use vodka dosing or VSV method of just straight up vinager your choice, I use what they make so I don't second guess if something goes wrong.
As for the reef booster this stuff is way to high powered and one vial I dose every 15 days and even that is too much. I like it because of convince and to be honest pappone is way better and cheaper. As soon as I am done I probally won't use it again even though it's is easy to store in my little bag of tricks.
If your going to dose a carbon source such as biodigest, VSV , vodka , zeovit Etc please make sure your nutrient import and export are correct. When using this method stripping the water of po4 and nitrates you have to be mindfull that a food source is a must or your sps will starve.
To date pappone is the best food source I have used and I only use reef booster because I have it and easy to store. It works well but not at the level of good old pappy as I call it.
If you want more information please let me know.
I would highly recommend prodibio as it working for me. As for pappy I wish I would have used it In 2006 when I first learned about it.
Michael
trueblackpercula
New member
Sorry no I wish someone would post something about zeovit
Felixc395
Registered Member
I haven't had the time to read this entire thread, but I will shortly. Hopefully my question hasn't been asked.
Has anyone observed coral reactions to pre-packaged pappone type foods like Rod's? It seems like pappone is useful for nutrient deprived tanks such as mine. I've been researching a lot on coral food and have found mixed reviews on a multiple of products, but have come down to a pappone type mix for overall tank health.
trueblackpercula, what do you think of Rod's food as a pappone replacement simply out of ease (it's quite easy for me to swing by my LFS and pick up some Rod's rather than make the pappone, assuming they both yield the same result). Hate to distract from the thread but was wondering about a broadcasted fish food that's designed to increase coral health too. Thanks.
Has anyone observed coral reactions to pre-packaged pappone type foods like Rod's? It seems like pappone is useful for nutrient deprived tanks such as mine. I've been researching a lot on coral food and have found mixed reviews on a multiple of products, but have come down to a pappone type mix for overall tank health.
trueblackpercula, what do you think of Rod's food as a pappone replacement simply out of ease (it's quite easy for me to swing by my LFS and pick up some Rod's rather than make the pappone, assuming they both yield the same result). Hate to distract from the thread but was wondering about a broadcasted fish food that's designed to increase coral health too. Thanks.
jdamon
New member
Thanks Michael!
After closer inspection the Prodibio kit is ~$20 a month, and cheaper if you substitute the carbon source and amino acids. For some reason it seemed more than that on initial look. I ordered the kit and will see if a difference is notable in 2.5 months.
trueblackpercula
New member
Hello
I have not used that food at all but others around here have stated that it works well, but I don't know what they are comparing it to. Pappy I can say with out a doubt is amazing and if I had to get an alternative I would use oyster feast. I have used this product in the past and have seen very good results from it. It's cheap and affective. Here is my choice of foods in order to help others pick something that works not just fancy packaging.
1) pappone made excatly like I have posted
2) reefbooster
3) oyster feast
4) mysis shrimp purified in a blender
5) coral v power good stuff but you need a lot and it has to be mixed well in water.
The above food source I have tried and all will do the trick. Just be carful with dosing too much as with anything too much to fast is not good. Also I really got good results with shutting off main pump returns and target feeding. I would let the corals sit in the foods for upto an hour before place pumps and power heads back on.
Now please be reminded that food alone will not help if water levels are not at desired levels. Not to mention lighting plays a key roll in helping Sps or lps etc To thrive. I have learned a lot this past year with help from others around here. Like cunareefer and biggles as they truely are masters at keeping Sps.
Good luck on your choices as there are no magic silver bullets in this hobby but at least you can read and learn from others with the choices they have made.
Michael
rideit6578
New member
just saw this thread, awesome videos!! very cool stuff.
trueblackpercula
New member
That's great please do t over do it 5mls is more then enough for a well stocked take of 100 gallons.
TankCla
SPSychology
I started dosing Zeo Coral Vitalizer two weeks ago. 3 drops/75g, every other day.
I noticed all my corals have doubled PE, and over night they even tripled the PE size and number.
I don't know how this stuff will work for target feeding because is a super concentrated solution, but so far, it does what it suppose to do.
I don't have a full zeovit system, and don't intend to. I found out about zeo products a month ago, so I am pretty new with them, but I can say I like what I see now in my tank. Sps changed colors fast. In 2 weeks one acro turned from dark red to purple. I don't know if this is a good or bad thing for it, but if I judge by the PE, I never saw it like this before.
Felixc395
Registered Member
Interesting to hear that your corals responded to the coral vitalizer so fast. Dosing coral vitalizer, pohl's extra, coral booster, and zeofood, my PE is pretty good. However I even dose some of these over what is recommended for 75 gallon system and still have some pale SPS. The Zeovit system has done what it's intended to do, create an ULNS environment, but I'm having a trouble time keeping my corals well fed. I've recently started adding reef chili and pappone and hopefully I'll see an increase in coloration and growth in the near future.
trueblackpercula
New member
Sounds like you adding too much of everything too fast. When you feed pappy do you see any reaction from your Sps ?
TankCla
SPSychology
When I achieved ULNS, all my corals lost a bit of color. In my case, I achieved ULNS by mistake, trying to fight bryopsis, but when corals had light color, I panicked, did research, and found zeo products.
I came to the conclusion that zeo products are very powerful. First night I dosed coral vitalizer, 4 drops in 80 gallons of net water, next day I had algae on the glass. At 3 drops, green slime algae started to grow on LR. Now I am dosing 2 drops. Corals are not bothered by this decrease.
I still have 1 SPS (purple bonsay) with light color, but the rest are more colorful (red to purple, green to yellow) and I see them branching.
I stopped dosing anything else. I only put coral vitalizer (now 2 drops/2days), amino acids(1 drop/2days) and coral snow(3ml/week). I would dose anything else with zeo, you might have a brown or green algae outbreak.
