SPS Targeted Feeding Macro Video Experiment
- Thread starter biggles
- Start date
small_polyp
New member
Chriskid
New member
i also use similar recipe, love it. i blend again after freezing with some more ro water.
trueblackpercula
New member
Can you show some results?
Chriskid
New member
i guess ill have to prove it...lol ill see if i can get good enough video to post. however just like you said , after amino's , and at night. i do see a reaction, to what i think is beneficial. i started using this recipe, or close , (also called papona) that i heard from "Joe Berger" i believe. this was around 2008~ or 9.
trueblackpercula
New member
No need to prove it as I know it works, just wanted to see how it's working for you. Yes this is from a thread in 2007 from Italy
Chriskid
New member
all i can say is use in moderation, as im sure you know. i only use when i feel it will be beneficial. i feed like monthly if that, but no ill affects from my doseage yet. looks like 5~6 years. i also feed BB , and tibsi pods daily so i couldnt ever speak for sure on outcome of only this recipe, to many variables to speak with proven fact. but my honest opinion, "love it" . just to add i also feed fish only fresh/or frozen food chopped daily from the market.
biggles
Premium Member
Thanks very much for sharing this recipe and the other variations Michael. :thumbsup: I used a similar recipe in my previous tank when foods such as reef roids etc weren't available. I tried all the bottled liquid 'snow' type products and they did nothing for the acros nutrition imo. The only thing i would not include is the sugar, i'm going to get a little blender and make up the mix substituting the sugar for reef roids, cyclop-eeze and polyp booster - i expect to lose a couple of acros when feeding this mix as i'm pretty sure i'll witness ' explosive PE ' - they just get too excited and BANG !
I do the same mate, i do feed once during daylight but the rest of the coral feeds happen after lights out.
Glad to hear i'm not the only one dealing acro crack to my reef lol - it's bloody impressive stuff imo.
I didn't know that about the reef roids, to be entirely honest i was pretty jaded about artificial SPS foods from my 'snow' days and was surprised at the results when i tested these new ones - canned SPS foods that i can actually see being consumed by my acros. I don't say to anyone that all you need to do is feed reef roids etc to see healthy vibrantly colored SPS but in my opinion when you have everything else squared away such as lighting, your nutrient balance and parameter stablity you will see visible benefits to feeding foods that are proven to be taken by SPS corals.
Agree entirely mate, the foods we are discussing and talking about are very potent in regards to nutrient addition and need to be used cautiously. It requires patience to allow your reef system time to adjust to small increases in food addition over time so as not to overwhelm the bio filtration. :beer:
The whole point of this thread is to find some foods that everyone has access to which after testing by us - not labs or those selling the stuff, can be used with confidence knowing that they will give you the results that everyone chases as long as you get the whole reef balancing act right. Of course there are other ways to achieve success but the same principles apply, i only use a skimmer and passive GFO (bags in sump) with the reef doing all the hard bio filtration work and feed the fish and corals so it's pretty simple and the less stuff you use the less there is to go wrong. Berlin + correct food works. Using the correct foods will also work with many other types of reef methodologies so having a list of 'proven to us' SPS foods will be a good thing. It's going to be 2014 in a few days and we can clone sheep and stuff for petes sake so how about we agree on what to feed our bloody acros. :deadhorse1: A fellow reefer reminded me today that it's about time we come up with a safe and proven recipe for the masses that is proven - thanks Jack :thumbsup:
In any SPS thread there should always be gratuitous acro pics and i don't see why this thread is any different so............
This is the regular night PE of a few acros, the crab is called Lefty after he and i disagreed on what is and isn't crab food - the issue of stylo munching came up and that's when things became quite heated and at some point Lefty threw himself at the sharp chisel i just happened to be waving in the tank thus severing a claw.......... we both calmed down and a few weeks later Lefty molted and resumed only eating algae. He's afraid of the fish (and chisels) and i keep a close eye on what he gets up to but he's so butt ugly he's cool lol.
trueblackpercula
New member
Thanks very much for sharing this recipe and the other variations Michael. :thumbsup: I used a similar recipe in my previous tank when foods such as reef roids etc weren't available. I tried all the bottled liquid 'snow' type products and they did nothing for the acros nutrition imo. The only thing i would not include is the sugar,
Yes biggles I had also question the sugar and I was told it's like dosing vodka to keep the PO4 and Nitrates down. They food is high powered and loaded with nutrients so the suger balances it out I was told.
But the recipe you are going to make sounds very interesting and should work better then expected. Also looking forward to seeing something new that will help In the keeping of Sps.
B the way I never posts a video of the Sps feeding on prime reef flake food. It was amazing to see the acros reaction as they really reacted positive to it, better then some of the other acro foods.
But to date the one that has given the best results in my experiments was liquefied mysis shrimp, flake food, coral V power and lastly was oyster feast. But out of all of the the oyster feast when added in large concentrations 3mls added to my 120 gallon tank made the Sps give out there crazy looking stingers.
So my next will be the home made pappone but from what I have read they add amino acids to the water first then feed with pumps off when lights go out. It will be very challenging for me to follow this as my lights go out at 1030 pm.
But I think a sacrifice will need to be taken here to see if this stuff really works. The is one more Ingrediant that I did not post because lots debates was caused and it is HGH that the Italians used In this food. Not only is it expensive but in is illegal to have here unless prescribed by a doctor, so I didn't included the dosage amount.
But below is the full story;
And an article about the BC method by SiR:
The Blu Coral Method
Many people have the opportunity to see the magnificent tanks managed with this method and many others are interested in learning about it. The creator of this method was Maurizio Manili, who thanks to the collaboration with other passionate reefers, succeeded to bring the method to its current point. Today, the BC method was inherited from Valerio Pacetti, the owner of the actual Blu Coral shop in Rome, and ex-associate of Maurizio Manili, who as of now improved the old consolidated method with a few modifications. This article will talk about how the method functions and how to succeed in augmenting the growth of corals. First two big distinctions must be made: if you want to manage a tank by utilizing the simple “pappone†(coral food) or if you want to follow the BC method exactly to the letter. The base of both systems of management is the same and involves: the classic Berlin Method, good water chemistry, and the pappone feedings.
Classic Berlin Method:
The Berlin Method is characterized by strong lighting, strong water movement, an efficient skimmer, and live rock.
Water Chemistry:
You must give particular attention to this aspect, which leads to positive results for all types of management of the BC method. In particular, the parameters of the water are maintained in concentrations that are elevated in respect to parameters that are successful in nature: Magnesium 1500 mg/L, Calcium 500 mg/L, Strontium 16-30 mg/L, Carbonate Hardness (dkH) 12-14 mg/L, Iodine 0.06 mg/L, and nutrients near zero. This allows the corals at any moment to have the necessary materials for constructing their skeletons and therefore they have a sort of “reserve†of chemical elements.
Pappone:
This is the difference that determines the distinction between who follows the method to the letter or instead who utilizes only some parts. However in general, the pappone is identical in both of the methods, and is prepared in this way: you use mollusks that are strictly fresh. In general, you use 5 mussels, 5 clams, 5 shrimp, and 5 oysters. You put all of these into a container (no shells, just meat), then add 250 mL of RO water, then add 1 tablespoon of sugar, however some also use fructose. Then you blend everything vigorously until the whole mixture reaches the consistency of cream. At this point is the distinction between who uses the method to the letter and who instead does not. In the BC method, the pappone is enriched in respect to the original recipe, with the polypeptide hormone somatropin or GH. In general, you use about 1.33 mg of somatropin, which corresponds to the 4 unit vial. You then mix and prepare the cubes, then put them away in the freezer.
GH, what is it?
GH or Somatropin, is a human polypeptide of small dimensions, that presents a noticeably different structure in different species. It is therefore derived with an elevated biological specificity, in the sense that the GH from one species is in general completely different and therefore inactive in others; in the case of humans, the only one that has any effect is from simian GH (mainly in Rhesus monkeys). Vice-versa, human GH acts only in simians and not in non-primate organisms. The sequence of 191 amino acids is in a linear chain that carries out two fundamentally important actions in humans: the growth of the body, and the regulation of cellular metabolism, specifically that of protein synthesis. To summarize, GH does not act on other mammals, and obviously does not act on invertebrates. This is simply demonstrated by the fact that the hormone in question, in order to be utilized, requires specific receptors on the cellular membrane of the target cell on which it acts. Obviously the corals and other invertebrates do not have these correct receptors, because if they did have them, it would mean that they use GH in the same manner-- an improbable phenomenon.
The Enhanced Growth…
How are you then able to explain the enhanced growth and the increase in metabolism of the corals in conjunction with the increase in calcification?
In experience, this does happen. A few of the more skilled aquarists who utilize this method, had growth of A. Formosa, A. cervicornis, A. nobilis, Montipora sp. , up to 40cm per year. Also M. foliosa, LPS, and soft corals grew in an impressive manner.
I made up my mind about what could be happening in the water. Therefore the precise but short explanation will be following the fruits of my labor and my observations; however that does not mean that is it is the absolute truth. The explanation will be sought for in the typical structural and molecular characteristics of the GH. Being a protein that is small enough, it is very probable that the GH put in the pappone breaks up. This is the point of the discussion. It is not the integral GH that acts directly on the corals, because of the points explained above are very improbable. It likely is based on the GH being broken, which influences the growth and the increased metabolism.
At the time in which we go to feed our corals with pappone, we are in reality adding many amino acids into the water. In fact, when the protein is broken, it is split into many piecesâ€"its amino acid constituents. Therefore the abundance of determined and specified amino acids are involved the increased rate of growth.
This is the only explanation which arose after many different observations. In this way it is effectively possible to explain, from a biological point of view, how the GH is able to influence the corals.
These amino acids that are introduced with the GH are combined with the amino acids that are usually dosed around 2 hours before the pappone feeding, in order to encourage assimilation.
The rest of the components of the pappone (mussels, clams, etc.) go to feed the bacterial cultures, the sponges, and all of the benthic organisms, which thus go to feed the corals. If you succeed in having a situation where you maximize the feeding corals, you then have the possibility of having maximum calcification, seeing that you have an abundance of nutrition and chemical components. This whole discussion obviously does not regard the fish, which are not influenced by the abundance or lack of amino acids present in water; in effect the fish have absolutely normal rates of growth.
In general, one of the aspects that characterize the Blu Coral Method is that after the system stabilizes, you have a reduction of general nutrients that remains near zero, in regards to the phosphates and the nitrates. The whole system helps the intake of amino acids. It is especially important at the beginning for everyone to find the appropriate dose of pappone to administer to the tank. A fundamental rule is to watch your animals and understand how much feeding they need.
I hope to have clarified this subject a little more, because between all methods, this is one of the best methods of managing a reef tank, whether you utilize the GH, or if you take the basics of this method without using the hormone. Good wishes to all the readers of the Magazine and see you soon!
The author of the article, the aquarists mentioned in this article, and reefitalia.net are not responsible for inappropriate use of the hormone; from a legal standpoint, by the use of whoever decides to proceed. We are also not responsible for any negative outcomes to your tank or animals.
Fabio Oggiano aka SiR
(Translated by DarkXerox)
Copyright 2007 ReefItalia.net
Below is the tank water and what HGH was used.
Yeah I've been following the BC (Blu Coral) method and I'm trying to figure out what I can about it. As for the food, I think they are using a lot of omega-3 fatty acid rich things. They really emphasize the need for overskimming when doing this.
You add the amino acids (something like gylcine, proline, and glutamine)something like 4 hours before adding the cubes. I also read about the same as you did:
Target Params:
iodine 0.06
ca 500
mg 1500
sr 30
ph 8.5
kh 12
Recipe by Maurizio
5 mussels
5 clams
5 oysters
5 shrimp
1 pill of somatropin
a spoon of fructose
250mL of RO water
Then freeze it after blending it into the consistency of milk. 1 cube a week per 800 liters of water. You have to stop the skimmer for 2 hours after this though, but leave circulation pumps on of course. However I don't know how big the cubes are, but apparently you can get 52 total. I'll check on this. But apparently the pill costs something like â"šÂ¬80, which is crazy.
jackson6745
Yeah Yeah
The eat reef nutrition "ROE" pretty well.
sahin
Ultimate Reefer
Bloomin heck Biggles...Your corals are too colourful for this thread. :lol: I think you are in the wrong thread LOL. Seriously mate, those corals are bloomin colourful!
Here is a sample of your tank shots from around March 2013.
AP.pril 2013
By and large I can see some nice colours as well as a few corals that were quite brown.
You started to feed Reef Roids towards to end of Feb 2013.
End of Feb you added a skimmer. You also started to dose Reef Roids.
Here is a photo posted 7th May 2013:
I am trying to understand how you got from your corals looking like above to what you have now...even in May 2013, you had SPS colour most of us would love to have.
Is it the Radium? Is it the feeding? I wish I knew the answer mate. :facepalm:
I am trying to believe it is the food...Is it as easy as that?
I have started to really feed my fishes...I used to only need to clean the glass once every 7-8 days...now I am needing to clean the glass every other day...I get a light dusting on the glass very quickly now.
One thing I have realised is that I have done everything most reefers do in respect of SPS:
1. Have good lights
2. Have very low PO4 and NO3
3. Carry out weekly water changes
4. Have good flow (two MP10's in a 47G)
5. Have stable parameters and close to NSW
6. Have a decent skimmer
The one thing I havent done is concentrate as much effort on feeding. In fact in all this time, I have kept a record of main parameters, water changes logs etc etc...
But feeding was the one thing I didnt look at. In fact I went the opposite direction...and fed as little as possible.
So, now feeding Mysis mush and Reef Roids to my corals, as well as an assortment of Mysis, Flake food and Spirulina enriched Brineshrimp to my fishes...will I see a such colours as you have Biggles? :hmm2:
Here is a sample of your tank shots from around March 2013.
AP.pril 2013
By and large I can see some nice colours as well as a few corals that were quite brown.
You started to feed Reef Roids towards to end of Feb 2013.
End of Feb you added a skimmer. You also started to dose Reef Roids.
Here is a photo posted 7th May 2013:
I am trying to understand how you got from your corals looking like above to what you have now...even in May 2013, you had SPS colour most of us would love to have.
Is it the Radium? Is it the feeding? I wish I knew the answer mate. :facepalm:
I am trying to believe it is the food...Is it as easy as that?
I have started to really feed my fishes...I used to only need to clean the glass once every 7-8 days...now I am needing to clean the glass every other day...I get a light dusting on the glass very quickly now.
One thing I have realised is that I have done everything most reefers do in respect of SPS:
1. Have good lights
2. Have very low PO4 and NO3
3. Carry out weekly water changes
4. Have good flow (two MP10's in a 47G)
5. Have stable parameters and close to NSW
6. Have a decent skimmer
The one thing I havent done is concentrate as much effort on feeding. In fact in all this time, I have kept a record of main parameters, water changes logs etc etc...
But feeding was the one thing I didnt look at. In fact I went the opposite direction...and fed as little as possible.
So, now feeding Mysis mush and Reef Roids to my corals, as well as an assortment of Mysis, Flake food and Spirulina enriched Brineshrimp to my fishes...will I see a such colours as you have Biggles? :hmm2:
This thread needs a little bump. 
I am glad to see more people embracing the idea of feeding their SPS, it has been long overdue. I have been using a modified Borneman recipe since the end of 2005 or the beginning of 2006, I don't remember exactly. My recipe changes every time I make it, but the basics are the same. Fresh seafood in as much variety as I can find. I prefer to use Whole Foods because they use no preservatives or any other additives. I also usually add blood worms, frozen Cyclopeaze, and a variety of frozen foods in addition to a large quantity of PE Mysis. About a fourth of all the ingredients are blended into as fine of a mush as possible and the rest cut into small pieces the fish can eat. None of the frozen items are rinsed.
The whole tank turns cloudy from the mix and I feed a teaspoon every hour or so throughout the day until it is all gone. I don't turn the flow off or down, this ensures that the entire tank gets some. This is a typical result with SPS. Not all of them throw out the filaments but the majority do.
You can see some of the cloudiness in the water and the tank stays cloudy pretty much all day. The skimmer completely shuts down for a few hours until I stop feeding. I feed this mix every two or three days but have gone about a week in between feedings before.
It should be noted that it has taken me over a year to get the tank's bio-diversity high enough to feed as much as I do of this mix. You shouldn't just dump a lot of food into the tank without having enough life to consume it and that takes time to build up. I like the methods being described in this thread because it isn't a lot of food but the results can be seen with even small feedings.
Some of the benefits of feeding the mush has been amazing sponge growth as well as pods, bristle worms and micro stars. I can take virtually any piece of rock out and the bottom is covered in sponges.
I am glad to see more people embracing the idea of feeding their SPS, it has been long overdue. I have been using a modified Borneman recipe since the end of 2005 or the beginning of 2006, I don't remember exactly. My recipe changes every time I make it, but the basics are the same. Fresh seafood in as much variety as I can find. I prefer to use Whole Foods because they use no preservatives or any other additives. I also usually add blood worms, frozen Cyclopeaze, and a variety of frozen foods in addition to a large quantity of PE Mysis. About a fourth of all the ingredients are blended into as fine of a mush as possible and the rest cut into small pieces the fish can eat. None of the frozen items are rinsed.
The whole tank turns cloudy from the mix and I feed a teaspoon every hour or so throughout the day until it is all gone. I don't turn the flow off or down, this ensures that the entire tank gets some. This is a typical result with SPS. Not all of them throw out the filaments but the majority do.
You can see some of the cloudiness in the water and the tank stays cloudy pretty much all day. The skimmer completely shuts down for a few hours until I stop feeding. I feed this mix every two or three days but have gone about a week in between feedings before.
It should be noted that it has taken me over a year to get the tank's bio-diversity high enough to feed as much as I do of this mix. You shouldn't just dump a lot of food into the tank without having enough life to consume it and that takes time to build up. I like the methods being described in this thread because it isn't a lot of food but the results can be seen with even small feedings.
Some of the benefits of feeding the mush has been amazing sponge growth as well as pods, bristle worms and micro stars. I can take virtually any piece of rock out and the bottom is covered in sponges.
biggles
Premium Member
Bloomin heck Biggles...Your corals are too colourful for this thread. :lol: I think you are in the wrong thread LOL. Seriously mate, those corals are bloomin colourful!
Here is a sample of your tank shots from around March 2013.
By and large I can see some nice colours as well as a few corals that were quite brown.
You started to feed Reef Roids towards to end of Feb 2013.
End of Feb you added a skimmer. You also started to dose Reef Roids.
Here is a photo posted 7th May 2013:
I am trying to understand how you got from your corals looking like above to what you have now...even in May 2013, you had SPS colour most of us would love to have.
Is it the Radium? Is it the feeding? I wish I knew the answer mate.
I am trying to believe it is the food...Is it as easy as that?
I have started to really feed my fishes...I used to only need to clean the glass once every 7-8 days...now I am needing to clean the glass every other day...I get a light dusting on the glass very quickly now.
One thing I have realised is that I have done everything most reefers do in respect of SPS:
1. Have good lights
2. Have very low PO4 and NO3
3. Carry out weekly water changes
4. Have good flow (two MP10's in a 47G)
5. Have stable parameters and close to NSW
6. Have a decent skimmer
The one thing I havent done is concentrate as much effort on feeding. In fact in all this time, I have kept a record of main parameters, water changes logs etc etc...
But feeding was the one thing I didnt look at. In fact I went the opposite direction...and fed as little as possible.
So, now feeding Mysis mush and Reef Roids to my corals, as well as an assortment of Mysis, Flake food and Spirulina enriched Brineshrimp to my fishes...will I see a such colours as you have Biggles? :hmm2:
That pic you're referring to was a night flash shot so it's not really a good indication of what you see when the lights are on
Those older pics are over saturated and most stuff i was buying early days were left over duds that to me looked fine as i was used to very ordinary stock when i last had a tank, everything was green which is why i still have a thing about green acros lol.I returned a couple of those early acros when i realised what was actually being supplied if i got to the LFS early enough - i got real picky about acro colors really quickly
You can see the tank was still algae cycling and i basically starved the tank for many weeks but for RO top up so everything was a tad washed out and hungry. You can see that even over saturated the colors are very pale on the corals compared to the colors i have now. You can see the obvious color change in the big green acro in just a couple of months when i was feeding the tank and in better control of the nutrient cycle in my tank.The Radium is a 'guarantee'd to color everything up' light bulb for SPS and has been for many years. If you run Radiums and are not seeing good colors on 90% of your acros it's your water conditions. Radiums are not the only light that works very well but for me using it removes entirely any doubt as to what is wrong if colors go off, i know it's my water so locating and correcting the problem is much quicker.
I clean the glass every 2-3 days and it's a pain but for me the longer between cleans the less color saturation on my acros. Atm my acros are a tad wishy washy because me being the idiot i am i was growing a heap of red macro in the sump just because it looked cool and also running 8 tablespoons of Rowaphos in two bags instead of 4 in a single bag. I realised something was up when the glass stayed clean for 4 days and a couple of high light acros suddenly had the odd burnt tip here and there - i've over stripped the phos to billyoh. Removed a GFO bag, pruned the algae and turned the halide back to 4 hours a day to stop any more tip burns until i get the water 'dirty' again.
It's not simply feeding the corals, it's feeding and managing conditions within the entire mini ecosystem you have in the tank. I feed the tank rather than feed the corals really as i want the tank to do most of the coral feeding 24/7 not just when i dump some goodies in there. Jack describes it very well below when he talks about developing as much bio diversity as possible and allowing the system to adapt to your slowly increased feeding levels.
If you stick with it and look at the rocks and critters more than the acros for signs of increased life and diversity i'm sure you'll see good results Sahin.
You said it yourself, you're doing everything right but not seeing great results. We know your ATI hybrid works so what's left - a hungry reef i think mate. The foods you're using now will do the job well in both feeding the acros directly and also every other critter that reproduces in your reef.
I don't get that crazy high alk level either mate, over 9 and i start to see trouble.
This thread needs a little bump.
I am glad to see more people embracing the idea of feeding their SPS, it has been long overdue. I have been using a modified Borneman recipe since the end of 2005 or the beginning of 2006, I don't remember exactly. My recipe changes every time I make it, but the basics are the same. Fresh seafood in as much variety as I can find. I prefer to use Whole Foods because they use no preservatives or any other additives. I also usually add blood worms, frozen Cyclopeaze, and a variety of frozen foods in addition to a large quantity of PE Mysis. About a fourth of all the ingredients are blended into as fine of a mush as possible and the rest cut into small pieces the fish can eat. None of the frozen items are rinsed.
The whole tank turns cloudy from the mix and I feed a teaspoon every hour or so throughout the day until it is all gone. I don't turn the flow off or down, this ensures that the entire tank gets some. This is a typical result with SPS. Not all of them throw out the filaments but the majority do.
You can see some of the cloudiness in the water and the tank stays cloudy pretty much all day. The skimmer completely shuts down for a few hours until I stop feeding. I feed this mix every two or three days but have gone about a week in between feedings before.
It should be noted that it has taken me over a year to get the tank's bio-diversity high enough to feed as much as I do of this mix. You shouldn't just dump a lot of food into the tank without having enough life to consume it and that takes time to build up. I like the methods being described in this thread because it isn't a lot of food but the results can be seen with even small feedings.
Some of the benefits of feeding the mush has been amazing sponge growth as well as pods, bristle worms and micro stars. I can take virtually any piece of rock out and the bottom is covered in sponges.
Thanks for the bump Jack and those pics which clearly show the mass filament reaction to food in the water. I think any meaty seafood that's pulverized down to a particle size small enough for an acro polyp to grab and consume is a winner. I leave all the pumps on and just turn the skimmer off when feeding so the food can cycle through the entire system from sump to display for a hour or so before turning it back on. If i ran socks all the time i would kill the return for an hour but i don't so the return stays on.
Glad you highlighted the need for caution when building up the reef life with increased feeding mate, rushing will just overwhelm the bio filtration and see poopy acros and lots of algae in my experience. :hammer:
sahin
Ultimate Reefer
That pic you're referring to was a night flash shot so it's not really a good indication of what you see when the lights are on
I returned a couple of those early acros when i realised what was actually being supplied if i got to the LFS early enough - i got real picky about acro colors really quickly
The Radium is a 'guarantee'd to color everything up' light bulb for SPS and has been for many years. If you run Radiums and are not seeing good colors on 90% of your acros it's your water conditions. Radiums are not the only light that works very well but for me using it removes entirely any doubt as to what is wrong if colors go off, i know it's my water so locating and correcting the problem is much quicker.
I clean the glass every 2-3 days and it's a pain but for me the longer between cleans the less color saturation on my acros. Atm my acros are a tad wishy washy because me being the idiot i am i was growing a heap of red macro in the sump just because it looked cool and also running 8 tablespoons of Rowaphos in two bags instead of 4 in a single bag. I realised something was up when the glass stayed clean for 4 days and a couple of high light acros suddenly had the odd burnt tip here and there - i've over stripped the phos to billyoh. Removed a GFO bag, pruned the algae and turned the halide back to 4 hours a day to stop any more tip burns until i get the water 'dirty' again.
It's not simply feeding the corals, it's feeding and managing conditions within the entire mini ecosystem you have in the tank. I feed the tank rather than feed the corals really as i want the tank to do most of the coral feeding 24/7 not just when i dump some goodies in there. Jack describes it very well below when he talks about developing as much bio diversity as possible and allowing the system to adapt to your slowly increased feeding levels.
If you stick with it and look at the rocks and critters more than the acros for signs of increased life and diversity i'm sure you'll see good results Sahin.
You said it yourself, you're doing everything right but not seeing great results. We know your ATI hybrid works so what's left - a hungry reef i think mate. The foods you're using now will do the job well in both feeding the acros directly and also every other critter that reproduces in your reef.
I don't get that crazy high alk level either mate, over 9 and i start to see trouble.
Thanks for the bump Jack and those pics which clearly show the mass filament reaction to food in the water. I think any meaty seafood that's pulverized down to a particle size small enough for an acro polyp to grab and consume is a winner. I leave all the pumps on and just turn the skimmer off when feeding so the food can cycle through the entire system from sump to display for a hour or so before turning it back on. If i ran socks all the time i would kill the return for an hour but i don't so the return stays on.
Glad you highlighted the need for caution when building up the reef life with increased feeding mate, rushing will just overwhelm the bio filtration and see poopy acros and lots of algae in my experience. :hammer:
Thanks mate. :thumbsup:
I have started to see these tiny white dots moving on the glass, so I guess the increased feeding has led to an increase in the critter/pod numbers.
I will take it slowly and increase the food that goes into the tank.
Thanks for EVERYONES input into this thread.
biggles
Premium Member
I'm glad you mentioned the tiny white dots on the glass because when i can see the light brown hue to the display glass from the brown algae i also notice the mandarin spend a lot of time picking happily on the glass eating things i can't actually see with a naked eye. I always forget to get the macro phone lens out when the time is right to see just what the mandarin is snacking on from the glass algae.
In the next few weeks i want to macro video acro feeding with the Polyp-Booster and nori since i notice acros in the display catching tiny bits and holding on to them like they do with full size mysis. I still need to get myself a bloody blender so i can shred everything that needs it down to a smaller particle size. I want to start making my own potent SPS food by mixing all the ones i've tested with positive results and use now with a meaty blend such as Jack is using. A bit like having your entree, main and desert all blended together and tipped over your head by the waiter - that's the way to feed corals :thumbsup:
In the next few weeks i want to macro video acro feeding with the Polyp-Booster and nori since i notice acros in the display catching tiny bits and holding on to them like they do with full size mysis. I still need to get myself a bloody blender so i can shred everything that needs it down to a smaller particle size. I want to start making my own potent SPS food by mixing all the ones i've tested with positive results and use now with a meaty blend such as Jack is using. A bit like having your entree, main and desert all blended together and tipped over your head by the waiter - that's the way to feed corals :thumbsup:
trueblackpercula
New member
Hello everyone and hope the new year is going well for all. So I have one more feeding left of the oyster feast left that I will use today. Tomorrow I am off to the fish store to make the pappone food and see what pictures I can post.
It's amazing some of the results that can be had with feeding the correct foods to out Sps.
Stay tuned for the next installment of macro lens videos
Michael.
It's amazing some of the results that can be had with feeding the correct foods to out Sps.
Stay tuned for the next installment of macro lens videos
Michael.
Michael, use Whole Foods for the fresh seafood, at least here it is as fresh as possible with no preservatives. You may have access to some good Asian seafood markets too, but make sure it is fresh. Some items are hard to blend, scallops, octopus and some clams/mussels don't blend well. I use either an old coffee grinder or a little mini food processor to get them down in size. Once you have the hard to deal with items small enough for fish to eat, it is also easier to puree` them.
Something I have always wanted to add but don't have access to is fish guts. You may have good access to them in an Asian seafood market. Guts are usually the first thing eaten in the animal world and for a good reason. When I clean jumbo shrimp I put the "veins" in the tank and it becomes a feeding frenzy with the fish, they know what the good stuff is and devour it.
The biggest tip of all is to send the wife out shopping while you make it, it keeps them from freaking out over what you are doing.
Something I have always wanted to add but don't have access to is fish guts. You may have good access to them in an Asian seafood market. Guts are usually the first thing eaten in the animal world and for a good reason. When I clean jumbo shrimp I put the "veins" in the tank and it becomes a feeding frenzy with the fish, they know what the good stuff is and devour it.
The biggest tip of all is to send the wife out shopping while you make it, it keeps them from freaking out over what you are doing.
biggles
Premium Member
The biggest tip of all is to send the wife out shopping while you make it, it keeps them from freaking out over what you are doing.
A much more serious and likely outcome will be the wife refusing to use the blender again and buying herself a newer expensive model - you need to keep your wits about you when reefing with a partner in close proximity or the real financial costs of this hobby can spiral out of your control........
