SPS Targeted Feeding Macro Video Experiment

[trueblackpercula]

It would be very difficult for me to collect that as I only have two fish. Also that would be a very interesting study as so many people around here advise people to feed there fish more and there sps will color up because of fish waste.

Anyone else have a another source I should try?

 

[trueblackpercula]

Ok here is another video from today that I used cyclopezee. again i target feed the same SPS at about the same time and the reaction was not what I expected. as of today i have conducted three test and have found that Coral V power has given the best reaction but I don't know if the SPS will benefit from it only time will tell. Also I will try mysis shrimp and flack food then pellet food.
so even though i have a few more food sources does anyone else have anything to share?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK0wpsD-Nc8&feature=youtu.be

Michael

 

[Ptyochromis]

Would it be possible to test a control? Like try feeding it very fine sand or something.


Also, would you be willing to try feeding d'capped brine shrimp eggs?

 

[trueblackpercula]

Brine shrimp eggs the have been decapsulated now that's thinking outside the box. Sand does not have any nutritional value but I will try it if you like.

 

[Ptyochromis]

That would be awesome. Do you need me to send you d'capped eggs?

Edit: Think it would also be possible to try flake?

 

[trueblackpercula]

Here is another installment of feeding Sps using Mysis shrimp. I was taken back by the results on this one. it was almost immediate results not only by the one that I feed but others in the tank went crazy once it started to travel through the water column. I never seen my SSC open its feeder polyps like it did. I will have to take a picture of it next time as it was simply mind blowing. Another thing to add is that even though i got great results from this source of food i have no idea if it has any nutritional value.

Enjoy the video >>> http://youtu.be/HCflGDaTP4k

 

[bridun22ajl]

Great thread

 

[Ptyochromis]

Here is another installment of feeding Sps using Mysis shrimp. I was taken back by the results on this one. it was almost immediate results not only by the one that I feed but others in the tank went crazy once it started to travel through the water column. I never seen my SSC open its feeder polyps like it did. I will have to take a picture of it next time as it was simply mind blowing. Another thing to add is that even though i got great results from this source of food i have no idea if it has any nutritional value.

Enjoy the video >>> http://youtu.be/HCflGDaTP4k

Cool, but it looks like you scared some of the polyps in by hitting them with the fresh water. Try putting the food in tank water to avoid this.

I do like this video, it demonstrates that just because a polyp catches something doesn't mean they will eat it (the polyp will release it once it realizes the prey too big to fit into its mouth).

 

[tombone86]

that's really cool. such detail on the video how often do you feed your corals?

 

[trueblackpercula]

that's really cool. such detail on the video how often do you feed your corals?

I feed once a week but Others feed there Sps a few times a week and some even feed multiple times a day.
Hope that helps

 

[trueblackpercula]

Cool, but it looks like you scared some of the polyps in by hitting them with the fresh water. Try putting the food in tank water to avoid this.

I do like this video, it demonstrates that just because a polyp catches something doesn't mean they will eat it (the polyp will release it once it realizes the prey too big to fit into its mouth).

Great observation as I over looked that. My next feeding will be with flake food and I will soak it in tank water first. I will say that when I feed my fish sometimes the Sps catch some and I can see them catch it. Again I don't no if the get to eat some before they let go and again my all time question. If a single pyolp catches a food source does it feed the entire colony or just itself???

Stay tuned next weeks feedin will be flake food.

 

[Coral Head]

Great observation as I over looked that. My next feeding will be with flake food and I will soak it in tank water first. I will say that when I feed my fish sometimes the Sps catch some and I can see them catch it. Again I don't no if the get to eat some before they let go and again my all time question. If a single pyolp catches a food source does it feed the entire colony or just itself???

Stay tuned next weeks feedin will be flake food.

My understanding is the polyp feeds only itself.

 

[trueblackpercula]

My understanding is the polyp feeds only itself.

Do you have any scientific papers or a gut analysis you could share ?

 

[Ptyochromis]

Do you have any scientific papers or a gut analysis you could share ?

Each polyp is an individual, the only thing that is shared between polyps is a nerve network that runs across the surface tissue of the colony.
They are really no different than other cnidarians. Think of a polyp as an anemonewith a house and many close neighbors.

Basic anatomy

I don't think you are going to find any gut analysis of polyps, especially when you consider rate of digestion and prey size.

 

[trueblackpercula]

Each polyp is an individual, the only thing that is shared between polyps is a nerve network that runs across the surface tissue of the colony.
They are really no different than other cnidarians. Think of a polyp as an anemonewith a house and many close neighbors.

Basic anatomy

I don't think you are going to find any gut analysis of polyps, especially when you consider rate of digestion and prey size.

Again thank you for the information as it brings up a few concerns.
1) if feeding the colony is only going to help only the ones that catch the pray will that single pyolp live and the rest die if they are unable to feed?
2) how does feeding the Sps enhance there color or maybe it doesn't at all
3) If I target feed one single pyolp every day will it grow larger then the rest? Think this will be a good experiment to try.
4) does feeding you entire tank help if only a few will catch the prey
5) now is the big question when acropora a spawn the eggs are released from multiple pyolps that are deep withing the coral skeleton so is the the nerve they share?

This is very interesting and almost makes me feel that feeding does not do much for the entire colony. Or does the corals when they extend it's feeder pyolps intakes water filters it and anything that is useful feeds the pyolps and that's how the feed? This is extremely interesting and needs to be researched more by myself to better understand how survive.

Many thanks for putting me in a new direction of keeping Sps.

Michael

 

[Ptyochromis]

Again thank you for the information as it brings up a few concerns.
1) if feeding the colony is only going to help only the ones that catch the pray will that single pyolp live and the rest die if they are unable to feed?
2) how does feeding the Sps enhance there color or maybe it doesn't at all
3) If I target feed one single pyolp every day will it grow larger then the rest? Think this will be a good experiment to try.
4) does feeding you entire tank help if only a few will catch the prey
5) now is the big question when acropora a spawn the eggs are released from multiple pyolps that are deep withing the coral skeleton so is the the nerve they share?

This is very interesting and almost makes me feel that feeding does not do much for the entire colony. Or does the corals when they extend it's feeder pyolps intakes water filters it and anything that is useful feeds the pyolps and that's how the feed? This is extremely interesting and needs to be researched more by myself to better understand how survive.

Many thanks for putting me in a new direction of keeping Sps.

Michael

The shared nerve network runs across the surface of the coral (it's the 'skin' of the coral) called the coenosarc. This is why when you scare one polyp you scare all the surrounding polyps as well.

IDK where the egg comes from; buy my guess is that it comes from somewhere near the bottom of the polyp (under the gastrovascular cavity). All the polyps are on the surface of the coral, not much goes on inside the skeleton (except for the constant precipitation and excreting of calcium carbonate). As far as I know, it's used only for support of the colony.

No such thing as feeder polyps. A polyp is a polyp. They feed the same way that anemones do. They catch food with their tentacles, it is stung and held with nematocysts (stinging cells) and brought to the oral disc (mouth) and digested in the gut (gastrovascular cavity). The waste is excreted out of the sides of the coral. Some of the wastes are also used by the Symbiodinium (the symbiotic dinoflagellates ).

Something like 70-95% of the energy corals use is provided by Symbiodinium. Feeding can increase growth and color of corals.

Edit: the only corals I have ever seen die from not being fed are non photosynthetic corals (azooxanthella).

 

[trueblackpercula]

No such thing as feeder polyps. A polyp is a polyp. They feed the same way that anemones do. They catch food with their tentacles, it is stung and held with nematocysts (stinging cells) and brought to the oral disc (mouth) and digested in the gut (gastrovascular cavity). The waste is excreted out of the sides of the coral. Some of the wastes are also used by the Symbiodinium (the symbiotic dinoflagellates )

Well I am not scientific at all and just a average hobbyist trying to better understand what is going on, But as you can see from the picture below there are what I call feeder polyps that mostly come out at night.

Also as you can see from the picture I took this morning they have only 6 tentacles and appear to be smooth shaped and longer compared to the smaller ones that are open all day and night.

Feeding can increase growth and color of corals.

Now this statement has me completely baffled as it contradicts all the rest of your statements. how does feeding help acropora grow if its the calcium in the water that they use to crate skeletal growth? How is it, if it is an independent polyp from the rest and that one polyp is the only one catching food will it color up the rest of the coral? I total disagree and truly believe that the food is shared by the entire colony and this is what give the coral color on a whole. if not the single polyp would be larder then the rest and it would be the only one with color as well.

Looking forward to this debate

 

[Ptyochromis]

Well I am not scientific at all and just a average hobbyist trying to better understand what is going on, But as you can see from the picture below there are what I call feeder polyps that mostly come out at night.

Also as you can see from the picture I took this morning they have only 6 tentacles and appear to be smooth shaped and longer compared to the smaller ones that are open all day and night.


Now this statement has me completely baffled as it contradicts all the rest of your statements. how does feeding help acropora grow if its the calcium in the water that they use to crate skeletal growth? How is it, if it is an independent polyp from the rest and that one polyp is the only one catching food will it color up the rest of the coral? I total disagree and truly believe that the food is shared by the entire colony and this is what give the coral color on a whole. if not the single polyp would be larder then the rest and it would be the only one with color as well.

Looking forward to this debate

Each polyp precipitates calcium carbonate to grow. Precipitating CaCO3 requires energy, feeding polyps gives them additional energy ∴ they can precipitate more CaCO3.

You can believe whatever you want about corals and food. The fact of the matter is that each polyp is an individual living in a community of clones. There is some research that points to Parerythropodium fulvum sharing symbiotes. This could explain why you see a change in the entire colony with feeding. But I would ask is a single polyp only being fed, do the other polyps ever catch any food?
I have witnessed (in all of my corals who's polyps are easily visible), that they actually compete for food rather aggressively. Mysis shirmp being consumed (and nearly ripped in half) by two different polyps of the same colony; eventually a single polyp will previal, sometimes even pulling the shirmp from the mouth of the other.

Edit: about your picture; I think that's a poor example. We know that the growth tips of corals are frequently a different color than the rest of the colony.

 

[trueblackpercula]

You can believe whatever you want about corals and food.

Hello PTY,

Don't take the below the wrong way as I am just trying to learn a better way to keep SPS and feeding at night may be the answer some including myself are looking for. < Based on the pictures below and what i hope to be true

Its not what I believe to be true/ false just trying to explain get answers to what is actually going on with my SPS at night or when the lights go out. So there is more going on here then one probably knows about. Just want to mention that I conducted a test by shutting of the light fixture at 12:00 pm and the feeder polyps came out ( 30 to 45 minutes later so I assume they are not Photosynthetic but rather opportunistic feeders or filter feeders supplying food to the entire colony. < Just my theory

I would really like some clarification and what they are and what they do. I will conduct another feeding sample using tank water this time to see if these feeder polyps will actually catch food. This time I will use mysis shrimp whole to see what happens. ( Video will be posted here on Sunday night)

So here is my assumption of what could be going on, the SPS identifies by light intensity that it is night fall and therefore extends its night time feeder polyps to catch pray that may pass by or maybe it is a way the coral extends it larger feeder polyp that is what I call them for now that just does that, intakes water for the entire colony that is used to feed or fuel the colony and filters any valuable nutrients from it to maintain its health. From this comes nutrition that turns into health,color, growth ETC.

The fact of the matter is that each polyp is an individual living in a community of clones. There is some research that points to Parerythropodium fulvum sharing symbiotes. This could explain why you see a change in the entire colony with feeding. But I would ask is a single polyp only being fed, do the other polyps ever catch any food?
I have witnessed (in all of my corals who's polyps are easily visible), that they actually compete for food rather aggressively. Mysis shirmp being consumed (and nearly ripped in half) by two different polyps of the same colony; eventually a single polyp will previal, sometimes even pulling the shirmp from the mouth of the other.

They do compete and rightfully so as they don't no when the next free floating food source will come by.

Edit: about your picture; I think that's a poor example. We know that the growth tips of corals are frequently a different color than the rest of the colony.

Ok here is another example (hope it is not another "poor example") of what I was talking about were the polyps are very much different and the same color as the rest. <Taken this morning at 6:00am

In my tank these feeder polyps that I call them a much larger and have a smooth appearance and only come out at night.

Also note that the growth tips are all the same color. So can you please elaborate on the ones that are circled in red as they are clearly different in shape size texture but have the same color as the rest.

Michael

 

[Ptyochromis]

There is no such thing as feeder polyps. On a single colony, all the polyps are the same. They are all clones. The polyps that you see eating are the same polyps that comprise the entire coral.

What you are seeing at night is just the polyps extending further out to hunt. Most coral polyps extend at night because this is when zooplankton is most abundant. Zooplankton rise from the depths at night, to feed on plankton.

The polyps do swell with water when they extend to feed but this doesn't provide any nutrition. Just as breathing air and huffing up your chest doesn't provide you with any extra food

Also note that the growth tips are all the same color. So can you please elaborate on the ones that are circled in red as they are clearly different in shape size texture but have the same color as the rest.

For reasons I do not know; the growing areas of coral are a different color than the rest of the colony (white and blue are common). The polyps pictured have a different appearance because they are extended further (due to various environmental factors). When extended they have swelled with water. This could lead to a slightly different texture than the rest, just like a deflated balloon looks different than a full balloon.