Reef tank feeding question   2/1/06
Folks.
<David>
I've been spending a lot of time the last few weeks reading your site,
<I as well... too much>
in particular responses re. feeding reef tanks.  Your site is an excellent resource - I wish I had found it years ago.
<And you had joined us by now responding to queries>
My next reef will be much different based on what I've read here.  Here's my current setup (this tank has been doing well - I also have a QT and a
nano but this is the tank I have questions about at the moment):
55G 4 foot tank
2" live sand substrate
60 - 70# live rock
wavemaker/powerheads
skimmer
heater
T5 lighting (4X54W) 12 hrs/day, 4 blue LED "moonlights" 24 hrs/day
Water check every week is good (Hagen tests), 10% weekly water change
w/RODI + Instant Ocean.  Makeup water is RODI.
Kent-I (weekly)
Kent Coral-Vite (weekly)
Kent Essential Elements (weekly)
Seachem Reef Complete (weekly, different day than others)
Seachem Reef Builder (weekly, different day than others)
pineapple brain (small)
plate coral (medium)
candy cane coral (small)
red/blue mushrooms (small)
hairy mushrooms (small)
bullseye mushrooms (small)
xenia (large)
leather toadstool (large)
colt/finger (LFS was not sure, I haven't come across any pics yet - medium)
2 colony polyps (small)
bubble tip anemone (big and happy)
2 ocellaris (small)
1 Foxface lo (will move him to FOWLR when he gets big)
cleaner and peppermint shrimp (2X2)
sand shifting star
various cleaner crabs, snails
I'm currently feeding coral every 2 days with Marine Snow (have started using blender since reading your site) and Liquid Life Marine
Plankton (with Cyclop-eeze).  I feed fish every day (mostly flake) and bubble tip gets stamp sized piece of minced clam every 3 - 4 days,
thawing tank water put back so clowns also get bits of clam. I have no problem blending or food processing food for these animals.
I have looked at Adam Blundell's excellent article on making reef food and I will follow a similar recipe (not all the ingredients are
available here) but I will have to freeze into packets about 1/4 thick.
<Good>
While Adam mentions additives, he does not give amounts.
<These are generally on the labels for such... variable per ingredients, batch sizes>
1. Would it be better to continue to add the Liquid Life separately from the food I make up?
<Yes>
  If so, should I also add DT'S Oyster Eggs to the tank at the same time?
<Could>
2. If I should add them directly to the food mixture, what is the correct proportion to use? ( I will drop the Marine Snow based on what I have read on this site.)
<I would... of very little value nutritionally>
3. What vitamins and proportion should I add to the food mix (brands)?
<... See their labels... most are deficient in fat soluble... and thus not much trouble in terms of potential overdose>
3. I'm a bit worried about water levels - with the present feeding every other day, I get algae growth on the glass pretty frequently but
water tests OK for nitrates/nitrites.  I would like to feed daily with the home mixture, but what are the guidelines for amounts?  
<Overridingly, your personal observations...>
Half a stamp-size thawed, 1/4 thick and LL/DT'S every other day?
<If this works for you>
5. Is the LL with Cyclop-eeze the correct food or should I be using the LL CoralPlankton - or both? (soft and LPS + mushrooms).
<Again... you will have to experiment, appraise yourself>
6. Other than the obvious water quality degradation signs, what should I watch for to indicate over-feeding?
<Water clarity, color... the usual nitrate, phosphate accumulation, algae proliferation...>
Thanks for your assistance.
David
<Don't become overwhelmed here... no need, use to "over-think". Bob Fenner>

Flower Pot Coral II
Dear Crew,
As you remember, I wrote concerning my G. stokesii (thanks for the correction). I wrote Kent and awaited a response. The response is in and I value your opinion as much and possibly more (your helping the amateurs, he is selling a product). Please do not take offense to my quotation of expert as I am unfamiliar with your staffs qualifications.
<No problem. If you are interested, there is a page on the crew, who we are, what we look like, what we do, etc. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/WWMAdminSubWebIndex/wwmcrew.htm>
I simply didn't want some smug response from them saying "who this guy, we are the pro's"
<No, I am the Pro, Steven Pro to be exact. :)>
You seem to overqualified to say the least and I am interested in your response. By the way, they asked If I am skimming. I said yes 4 hours per day venturi style. Effective today I have 3 inches of aragonite live sand and the stokesii are on the bottom. Thanks Steve-
HERE IS THE OFFICIAL RESPONSE FROM KENT
Hello,
Thanks very much for your inquiry; I'll do my best to try and clear up some confusion. Goniopora, in general, has a poor track record for survival in captivity, and the reasons for this aren't very clear to even the most experienced hobbyists and professionals in the industry. There are many factors, however, that are often observed and/or theorized to have an influence on the survival rate. Certainly, water temperature, nitrogenous waste concentrations, light characteristics, water flow, dissolved oxygen concentration, nutrient input, and presence of toxins excreted by nearby corals and other cnidarians play roles in the relative survival rate of Goniopora. I will, at this point, say that I am not aware that any specific studies have been performed on "bottled phytoplankton" and the size of the species included as they pertain to the feeding habits of Goniopora. Our product, Phytoplex, contains three species of phytoplankton in a size range of 2-15 microns, and our ChromaPlex contains two species with a size range of 5-25 microns. The recognized lower limit on size of phytoplankton as noted by Marine Biologists and Oceanographers is 2 microns; therefore I find it difficult to believe that Goniopora, which feed not only on phytoplankton (all 2 microns and larger), but also on zooplankton (also 2 microns and larger) are not able to feed on organisms present in our products. In other words, the insinuation or claim that the phytoplankton in Phytoplex are too large for Goniopora doesn't hold water. Corals and other organisms that feed on the smallest classes of plankton, femto- and picoplankton, at 0.02-0.2 microns and 0.2-2.0 microns, respectively, often use a visible mucous to aid in the capture of such small particles; Goniopora do not display that characteristic. Note that the femtoplankton class is composed wholly of virioplankton (virus'), and picoplankton is composed of bacterioplankton. Again, I believe that an individual would be hard-pressed to locate a study performed on Goniopora citing their feeding schemes, but perhaps I'm just not reading enough these days. Now, allow me to say that if the coral isn't getting the amount of nutrients it needs (i.e. the coral is simply not capturing enough of the plankton to meet its nutritional requirements) in order to survive and thrive, that's another matter, more easily solved. You didn't mention that you have a protein skimmer on this aquarium, did you omit that information or is the tank skimmer-less?
Kindest regards,
Cris Brightwell
Marine Scientist
Kent Marine, Inc.
www.kentmarine.com
<While I know of no studies involving Phytoplankton and Goniopora, Dr. Rob Toonen did perform a study on bottled Phytoplankton products. You should be able to easily find this on the net. The basics are what Anthony gave you in the last email. To be useful, it must be fresh, refrigerated, and whisked to ensure proper particle size. While their live Phytoplankton is probably of the sizes he quoted, Dr. Toonen's study showed that all of these products have a tendency to clump, making them worthless. They must be used up in less than six months, refrigerated the entire time (wholesale, retail, and your home), and need to be blended for a few minutes to minimize clumping. Do read the article for yourself, though. -Steven Pro>

Feeding Algae to corals
Bob, one more question....how do you feel about feeding micro algae, sparingly, twice a week for the corals??
I mix  about 1/4 or less phytoplankton using my tank's water, and shut the pumps off for a little while, and administer it with a feeding tube.
Pat Marren
<Very few corals actually feed on micro-algae. Am not a fan of administering for this purpose. If you feel the entire system is benefiting from such application... Bob Fenner>

Feeding Questions 4/21/03
Hi there,   Reporting in regards to my Eclipse 37 Gallon reef system. I was able to retrofit a Remora Pro Skimmer in the hood, changed the lights to Power Compacts, bought two more blue actinic lights in efforts to upgrade the system. Brown diatoms made their appearance and am combating them with blue hermits, Astraea snails, and RO water (from the grocery store). Several water checks insured no ammonia, no nitrites, and 20 ppm Nitrate.    
<all good except the nitrates... nitrate can be read as nitrogen or as an ion. To get your actual nitrate reading, you must multiply your test kit reading by 4.4. Thus... your nitrates in this case are really closer to 90 ppm. Getting high... needing better/bigger water changes... better skimmer...etc>
In order of appearance, I have brown mushrooms, yellow polyps, finger leather coral, pompom Xenia, green star polyps, and hammer coral. After extensive reading on your website, I am still at a loss when it comes to proper feeding.
<it is not something that can be quantified generically... rather case by case... or at least group by group>
Case in point, brine shrimp are often recommended as one of the staples,
<not by me/us <G>... adult frozen brine shrimp is a terribly hollow/barren food. Animals can actually starve to death if forced to eat it as a staple>
yet another FAQ refers to them as "whipped air".
<BINGO>
I am currently adding Kent Liquid Reactor (for Calcium and other additives) and Tech I (following directions to the tee) and was also cajoled into purchasing Kent Liquid Phytoplankton.
<sorry to hear it :) >
I have read you guys refer to this as "liquid pollution" on several occasions.
<some phyto products (like DTs) actually can be useful... but bear in mind what animals actually eat it (gorgonians, copepods, some bivalves... few soft corals) and who does not eat it (most SPS, nearly all LPS, the majority of soft corals perhaps). If fed to animals that will not eat it naturally... then yes... it is pollution>
Main question: I HAVE read all the articles and FAQs, yet no solid answer remains on feeding, and every single LFS seems to have their own advice.
<OK... impressive>
I have heard that Xenia basically don't need feeding (being autotrophic)
<correct... they do not even have a fully formed digestive system... rather telltale. And they are not wholly autotrophic... they just do not feed organismally (but can feed by absorption)>
but have also heard yellow polyps benefit most from direct feeding.
<correct... and they are not even closely related>
As this is my first reef tank, I do not want to "mess anything up"--too many people have way too different advice it seems.
<indeed... find your own way by intelligent consensus and experimentation, my friend>
Should I stop the phytoplankton direct feedings (once a week only) and switch to something you guys could recommend?
<feed what your corals will eat: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fdreefinverts.htm >
I am more than willing to get different kinds of food, if only someone could give a straight answer.
<your question is not realistic in the context that it is poised: we would literally have to answer the question coral by coral because you have not specialized in your tank but rather have a typical (and problematic long term) garden reef with , many types of feeders>
If possible, could you tell me which foods work best with each of the creatures I've described.
<in gross terms: mostly light for the leather coral, xenia and Starpolyps... fine meaty foods for the yellow polyps, hammer and mushrooms>
Again, every person I've spoken to has WAY different opinions. The last thing I would want to do is "slowly starve" my corals, like I've read in all your articles. Please try to be as specific as possible in your response, your help is greatly appreciated.
Also, in reference to all your articles, I've read you guys talk about NOT mixing LPS and SPS corals together. I wouldn't want to force the issue on anything, so this question might seem dumb--how are the fish stores I have seen able to manage an eclectic collection in one tank?
<short term versus long term... and the fact that they tend to do more water changes (dilution of allelopathic compounds). But when you have a mixed home tank that only gets small monthly water changes and the months/years start to creep by, bad things happen. These are animals that could live for many decades if given a proper and natural aquarium... not a crowded unnatural mix>
Every time I ask this question, I get weird looks and responses like "It wouldn't be a reef tank without hard and soft corals".
<ridiculous <G>... ask the clerk that told you that if he/she has ever been on a wild reef and observed 30, 50 or 100 different species of coral all together (touching) within the same few square feet in the wild. Ahhh....no. And certainly no cases of mushrooms anemones from 80 feet next to corals in 5 feet of water. Its unnatural... but hurts sales to admit it :) >
One last question, thank you for your patience. Like many others, I cannot resist not having a cute Clownfish wagging along in my tank. I understand that they do just fine without an anemone, but if it's at all doable, I'd really like to accomplish that (their interaction is at least 75% of the appeal). I've been told it's a.) too late to put in the anemone--should've done it first so it could explore and pick a spot to settle without stinging other corals and b.) don't even bother since the anemone will sting corals regardless--use them only in a species tank.
<the latter for certain... and your tank is way to small to even conceive of an anemone (humanely) with any other stinging animals in concert. Species tank only for anemones please>
Again, the only reason I'm perplexed is because these same stores have reefs with several anemones and several corals put together!
<temporary, my friend... we all need to take the long view for their health>
What do you guys think? Thank you for your time; you guys rock!
<best regards, Anthony>

Coral/Feeding
Hi Guys!
<Anthony Calfo here, bud>
It's me again. So here is my second question. I have had a mushroom coral 
<soft corallimorph or stony scleractinian?>
for about two months and have been feeding with Coralife Invertebrate Smorgasbord. 
<do be careful with such messy foods...pollution in a bottle and a good way to grow algae/increase nitrates>
My mushroom had been doing great, than I purchased an open brain coral. The LFS talked me into buying DT's Life Marine Phytoplankton, (very expensive). 
<the brain coral and mushroom (stony or soft) do not eat phytoplankton... they feed on zooplankton and by absorption... perhaps a waster of money unless you also have a refugium for culturing zooplankton to eat it>
For a couple of days after feeding with this, my mushroom just lays on his side, than stands back up. Is this normal??? 
<can be normal for a corallimorph, but is unrelated to the DT's>
I know this really stresses me so can't be good for my mushroom. Thanks again. Lori
<kind regards, Anthony>

Re: Coral/Feeding
Sorry Anthony, my mushroom is a mushroom leather coral, (Sarcophyton sp.)
<no trouble at all...thanks for the clarification>
sorry I am a new saltwater aquarist. I had to go get my book; Aquarium Corals. Also, if the food I have is going to pollute my water what do I feed these guys?
<Sarcophytons specifically feed almost to exclusion by absorption and from the products of photosynthesis. The way to grow these guys fast is simply bright light. They physiologically do not have the means to eat much of anything in a mix like "smorgasbord/gumbo", not large zooplankton or like substitutes. Its like feeding a 2 story acorn to a squirrel...hehe>
I also read on the daily Q&A's that you should stick with the same species when keeping corals in your system? I would like to have a Plerogyra sinousa, (bubble coral) will this be o.k.? Cheers...Lori
<really just stick to similar families of coral like focusing on soft corals. or small polyped hard corals, large polyped hard corals, etc. Although many/most folks do mix animals like an aggressive stony bubble coral with a chemically noxious leather coral... most of those same aquarists with garden tanks have all sorts of mysterious deaths, complaints and mixed growth rates from the unnatural mix. My advice in a perfect would is to simply keep buying from the wide selection of octocorals and even some Zoantharians available. There are so many species available that you should be able to resist the stony corals for the health of the tank. Best regards, Anthony Calfo>

Coral Feeding
I plan to obtain some non-photosynthetic corals like carnation corals and sun corals as well as some other non photosynthetic animals like certain species of gorgonians. Will a regularly dosed planktonic supplement such as Marine Snow Plankton Diet or Coralife's Invert. Gourmet Gumbo be sufficient in keeping these corals and others like them alive and thriving?
<No... you would do well to experiment making your own "mashes", blends of meaty and marine algae based foods... see the various listservs in the interest... ask re formulations, protocols for making, storing, serving. Bob Fenner>
Thanks,
Andrew

Corals & Food
Hi Guys!
It's me again. So here is my second question. I have had a mushroom coral for about two months and have been feeding with Coralife Invertebrate Smorgasbord. My mushroom had been doing great, than I purchased an open brain coral. The LFS talked me into buying DT's Life Marine Phytoplankton, (very expensive). For a couple of days after feeding with this, my mushroom just lays on his side, than stands back up. Is this normal??? I know this really stresses me so can't be good for my mushroom.
<Truthfully, the DT's is not going to be good or bad for either of the inverts you mentioned. Neither consume phytoplankton. Frozen Mysis Shrimp or Plankton soaked in Selcon and/or Vita-Chem would be my preferred food. Do be sure to go easy on the liquid foods, both the Coralife stuff and the juice from defrosting the frozen foods. You want to make sure you have good nutrient export as a lot of this liquid is concentrated pollution.>
Thanks again. Lori
<You are quite welcome. -Steven Pro>

Re: Overheated my reef tank!!
Hi Anthony..
<cheers, Doc>
Thanks for covering for Bob... Is he off playing at a conference or taking pictures under the sea somewhere exciting :)
What would you suggest in the way of feeding the Euphyllia ?? 
<very finely shredded meats of marine origin. Never larger than 1/4 inch. Mysids, Pacifica plankton and Gammarus are great frozen foods... so is Sweetwater plankton>
I have occasionally given small pieces of shrimp, etc that I give to my Carpet Anemone... the Euphyllia is very tiny now, with no mouth showing, and the tentacles are very short and flaccid.. 
<even small "chunks" of shrimp are inappropriate for the anemone and impossible for the coral. They will sting and seem to ingest only to regurgitate at night... this letting the animal starve over months when you think it is getting fed well>
I have some "Invertebrate Gourmet Gumbo" I can squirt around it, if you think that might be adsorbed.. 
<absolute pollution in a bottle... I wouldn't take any such product for free>
I also have some of Dave's phytoplankton to add around the Sinularia -- yes/no ?
<marginally helpful... read FAQs about dosing bottled phyto: must be bought and kept refrigerated, less than 6 months old and whisked in an electric blender with every feeding to reduce particle size to be even remotely useful to such coral>
--thanks again, --chane
<kindly, Anthony>

Coral Feeding
Anthony,
<cheers Mark>
I have been Reading the FAQ's on feed corals and was wondering if it's better to direct feed my Cyanine or just add the supplements directly to the tank.
<sorry about the correction, but if we are talking about a Cynarina (stony button coral... very fleshy and flowery) then direct feedings with minced meats thawed in saltwater are recommended. As a rule... supplemental foods from a bottle are nothing more than pollution in a bottle. Target feed whenever possible and use plankton reactors (fishless refugiums) when not>
My son help me install the Dolphin Amp Master it seem to have helped reduce the excessive heat transfer from the pumps. 
<excellent>
Little Giant did a-mail me and their Engineers verified that 3-4 degrees is normal heat transfer from those pumps. 
<yes... significant. A bummer>
As always thank for your insight and assistance.
Mark Johnson
<a pleasure. Anthony>

Coral foods, feeding
Hi,
Your expert advice needed. Ever heard of Salifert Coral food? Any comments about this product? Should I off the mechanical filter and skimmer when dosing this food? Any target feeding needed? <depends on what you are feeding, turkey basters work well if you squirt in the general area, but not directly at the coral> Thanks in advance.
<I have not had any experience with this product, and have not heard much about it either. Most prepared coral foods have particles that are too large for the corals to benefit. I would turn off the mechanical filter and the skimmer for a bit while feeding. You may want to post on some of the reef club forums to see if anyone else has an opinion on the product. If you use it, let us know how it works, thanks, Gage
http://wetwebfotos.com/talk/
http://reefcentral.com/>

Coral Feeding with Cyclop-eeze
Anthony, Today I ordered some sponge filters for my QT tank the people at Fish House Supply recommended Cyclop-Eeze to use as feed for corals. Their information describes it as a copepod, any input on their product.
<yep... nutritively it is a fine matter. The particle size is still too large for many/most SPS. Excellent for larger polyped zooplankton feeders. The frozen is more useful than the freeze dried. Freeze-dried is easier to get though and higher in protein. Make a slurry in a whisked blender with the dry product (handheld protein-shake blenders from the health food store are handy for this)... this will get the particle size down. Lipids are high in this matter... that may help conditioning for planulation in corals. Very cool... worth a try>
Thanks, Mark
<best regards, Anthony>
http://www.jehmco.com/PRODUCTS_/FISH_FOODS_/Cyclop-eeze/cyclop-eeze.html

Golden pearls (dry rotifers)
Hey there,
I just received my order of Golden Pearls, active spheres and clusters, and I was wondering what I should be looking for in the way of polyp expansion etc. Should I be feeding these at night when the LPS and SPS are sending out their feeding tentacles? Hope you can give me a hand, there are absolutely no feeding instructions on anything I received.
Thanx, Charlie
<Greetings, Charlie. The product you have mentioned has been received with mixed results in the industry. I am hopeful of this or a like product being viable as a zooplankton substitute but do have my concerns about particle size and delivery of "prey" to coral predators. You are correct that a night feeding is recommended for the LPS and SPS (possibly) that may accept it. A slurry or suspension can me made with the product (whisked in a blender is best) and poured into a strong stream of water in the tank. The mfg claims to have microbubbles in the product which help to keep the food in suspension longer. Curious. I need to work more with the product myself to draw a more specific conclusion. Do seek the smaller sized items in the product line. See mfg info here:
http://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/brineshrimpproduct5.htm#goldenpearls
Best regards, Anthony>

Re: zooxanthellae
Thanks for the info, its nice to get accurate info on corals from an experienced aquarist,
<Thanks kindly for saying so.>
I like info that will keep the corals around for many years. Do you think "Sweetwater Zooplankton" is a good diet on a daily basis or chopped Mysis shrimp?
<Both are excellent foods but neither (nor any) one food is a complete diet. As with fishes it is necessary to feed a wide variety. These two will be fine for your LPS but are too large for most other coral. Do consider also employing a fishless refugium inline in the system to generate natural plankton. In the meantime, both of these meaty foods will be very fine for your LPS corals. Add some Gammarus shrimp, Pacifica plankton and Cyclop-Eeze to the diet. Selcon soaking the food will be a great help too>
I'd like to direct it to them, should I use a turkey baster? Thanks AB
<There are many ways to target feed... turkey basters are a good start. Best regards, Anthony>