Are You Feeding DT'S Phytoplankton?

[crzyfshygy]

If so How much do you feed weekly and what types of corals do you think like it.
Julian Sprung writes in his book "Corals A Quick Reference Guide" That almost all corals soft and stony eat phytoplankton including SPS corals.

 

[connor]

i feed 2-3 times a week i have 2 croceas lots of softies and lps and a few sps

i feed about 2 capfuls to my 90 gallon

 

[granny]

I dont have a lot of corals, but I feed it(the tank) twice a week with a turkey baster. keep the jar in the refrigerator. I think it is beneficial to all filter feeders. I know that what I do have is healthy - sun coral, candy cane coral, feather duster worms, colonial polyps, green star polyps, snake head coral, and a leather hand coral.
The fish start swmming around like crazy when I feed the tank, so I guess they are getting soe of it as well.

 

[viper_930]

What for? LPS, SPS, and most soft corals can't even eat DT's phyto. Fish can't eat it either, they smell it in the water.

 

[puffer32]

So what eats it then?

 

[crzyfshygy]

I think Julian Sprung might know a little bit about corals.........Don't you :notsure:

 

[crzyfshygy]

Originally Posted by ViPeR_930
What for? LPS, SPS, and most soft corals can't even eat DT's phyto. Fish can't eat it either, they smell it in the water.
After feeding....they kinda look like they at a turkey dinner

 

[viper_930]

Bivalves, zooplankton, sponges, tunicates, some gorgonians, dusters, etc. Filter feeders in general. Protein skimmers love to chug that stuff too.
For one, SPS aren't filter feeders and the polyps are carnivorous.

 

[viper_930]

For one, SPS aren't filter feeders and the polyps are carnivorous.

 

[crzyfshygy]

Not if you unplug it

I have feed zoo in the past and I am not totally convinced that sps will eat that more than phyto due to the size.....I am probably wrong though...I have just never seen it. Can any one recoment a good all around food to feed a mixed reef?

 

[puffer32]

I use DT oyster eggs, and cyclopeze. My polops close around them both to ingest them.

 

[crzyfshygy]

Originally Posted by ViPeR_930
Bivalves, zooplankton, sponges, tunicates, some gorgonians, dusters, etc. Filter feeders in general. Protein skimmers love to chug that stuff too.
For one, SPS aren't filter feeders and the polyps are carnivorous.
Yellow tangs are herbivours, however mine eats Mysis as well. You can not limit any species of creation on this earth to one thing. Thats like saying Humans all like Mayo! Some like it...some don't!

 

[viper_930]

On the contrary, phyto is only a few dozen microns in size, some even smaller. Way too small for SPS coral polyps.
IMO zooplankton, cyclopeeze, and/or DT's oyster eggs would be much better choices for the dollar than phyto.

 

[viper_930]

Yellow tangs are omnivores. Even in the wild they do not feed soley on plants.
I'm not trying to say phytoplankton isn't worth it though. The phyto can feed small larvae and other zooplankton, which would then feed the corals.

 

[crzyfshygy]

I would have to agree in a full SPS reef!!! All though in a mixed reef....the system could benefeit from phyto and its safe to say that some SPS corals will consume phyto.

 

[am3gross]

i dont like mayo!

 

[pyro]

...I used to use cyclop ease once a week or so... then I checked my trates (don't run a skimmer) and stopped almost completely. Now I just spot feed with a turkey baster once in a blue moon to get them an extra boost here and there.
As a note to anybody running skimmerless like me who is readign this, I wouldn't suggest using any of these without a skimmer. My corals are doing fine minus the one I got in today (stupid shipping) and I rarely dose anything other than my kalk drip.