Coral Food
- Thread starter dc2mlbsm
- Start date
trouble93
Member
Originally Posted by dc2mlbsm
http:///forum/post/3208936
I plan on having corals in my 20g whenever it finishes cycling and I was wondering what would I need to feed the corals? I plan on keeping soft corals, lps, and polyps.
Marine Snow and Mysis Shrimp, Seachem Reef Plus to add vitamins and amino acids. Just keep in mind not to over feed. Make sure all you feed is being eaten. Adding all 3 of these will feed the whole tank so you only need to do it 2 maybe 3 times a week.
http:///forum/post/3208936
I plan on having corals in my 20g whenever it finishes cycling and I was wondering what would I need to feed the corals? I plan on keeping soft corals, lps, and polyps.
Marine Snow and Mysis Shrimp, Seachem Reef Plus to add vitamins and amino acids. Just keep in mind not to over feed. Make sure all you feed is being eaten. Adding all 3 of these will feed the whole tank so you only need to do it 2 maybe 3 times a week.
reefkprz
Active Member
depends on the corals.... most corals are carnivorous in nature few are planktivores. LPS and larger palythoa can generally eat larger meaty foods such as mysis shrimp finely chopped fishmeats clams etc. sps tend to go more for smaller micron foods like cyclops, oyster eggs etc, spot feedibng is a good route to go with most lps and palys as it prevents excess food drifting around your tank rotting. I would avoid warm shelf products such as "marine snow" from two little fishies, as well as warm shelf phytos, most of them are dead and of little utility to reefers other than as pollution. there are a bunch of diy fish and coral food threads on this site that can give you some great recipies for food for your tank. if you want to feed a phyto, fresh live phyto is the way to go. this will boost pod populations which in turn feeds your corals and fishes. in such a small tank as a 20gallon I would be cautios about over feeding. lots of your corals will actually get nutrition from the foods you feed your fish oncce the fish passes the food as feces, as most fish only remove about 11 to 15% of nutrition from food before they pass it. so the feces is still full of nutrients.
btldreef
Moderator
Originally Posted by dc2mlbsm
http:///forum/post/3209148
so do u guys recommend me just feeding my fish and just adding vitamins or what? I will be feeding mysis shrimp if that helps
Yes. Certain LPS will benefit from weekly feedings, but water changes and fish food w/ vitamins is usually enough, especially for softies.
Your tank is small, so it is very easy to pollute the water. I wouldn't use pre-made coral foods.
http:///forum/post/3209148
so do u guys recommend me just feeding my fish and just adding vitamins or what? I will be feeding mysis shrimp if that helps
Yes. Certain LPS will benefit from weekly feedings, but water changes and fish food w/ vitamins is usually enough, especially for softies.
Your tank is small, so it is very easy to pollute the water. I wouldn't use pre-made coral foods.
btldreef
Moderator
Originally Posted by dc2mlbsm
http:///forum/post/3209167
what kind of vitamins should I use?
Personally, I think Boyd's VitaChem for saltwater is the best out there, especially since they started adding the Omega-3s.
http:///forum/post/3209167
what kind of vitamins should I use?
Personally, I think Boyd's VitaChem for saltwater is the best out there, especially since they started adding the Omega-3s.
jackri
Active Member
97-98% of most corals get their "food" from lighting alone. LPS that can ingest food will benefit from mysis or other meaty food that it can accept by it's sweepers. Other than LPS that can eat that way I really wouldn't worry about feeding your corals. They also feed off of fish poo and whatever food you feed your fish.
Lighting and proper parameters are #1 though.
Lighting and proper parameters are #1 though.
reefkprz
Active Member
here is one recipie for fish food, there are many more spread all over this site lots of good ones out there.
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/vb/s...d.php?t=271292
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/vb/s...d.php?t=271292
stanlalee
Active Member
Originally Posted by dc2mlbsm
http:///forum/post/3209148
so do u guys recommend me just feeding my fish and just adding vitamins or what? I will be feeding mysis shrimp if that helps
just feed the fish. if you have fish in a 20g there wont be a shortage of nutrients and if there is it wont be anytime soon (until after its jam packed with corals and even then its unlikely). LPS will eat particles of everything your fish eat. SPS will be better off reserving water quality then trying to feed them extra nutrients in such a small system unless your running some substantial husbandry (sump with oversize skimmer, carbon dosing ect). even if you feed them a ml or so once a week of oyster eggs will be sufficient. softies will aborb nutrients however they do it from the water (I dont think there is definitive studies showing how they do but if nutrients are in the water they get them).
http:///forum/post/3209148
so do u guys recommend me just feeding my fish and just adding vitamins or what? I will be feeding mysis shrimp if that helps
just feed the fish. if you have fish in a 20g there wont be a shortage of nutrients and if there is it wont be anytime soon (until after its jam packed with corals and even then its unlikely). LPS will eat particles of everything your fish eat. SPS will be better off reserving water quality then trying to feed them extra nutrients in such a small system unless your running some substantial husbandry (sump with oversize skimmer, carbon dosing ect). even if you feed them a ml or so once a week of oyster eggs will be sufficient. softies will aborb nutrients however they do it from the water (I dont think there is definitive studies showing how they do but if nutrients are in the water they get them).
reefkprz
Active Member
Originally Posted by Stanlalee
http:///forum/post/3209999
softies will aborb nutrients however they do it from the water (I dont think there is definitive studies showing how they do but if nutrients are in the water they get them).
some yes some no. (as in some we havent figured out their feeding habits and some we have) ceartain coralimorphs are known to trap bacteria and particles of meaty detritus or zooplankton in their slime coat then ingest their slime coat, some softies like gorgonian capture feed just like an sps will on small micron phytoplanktons, some like xenia are capable of absorbing dissolved nutrients directly from the water hence the pumping action to pass water along the absorptive area of the filaments. leathers can capture small zooplanktons and bacteria at the tips of their tentacles. all corals feed organismally. many are still a mystery as to what they eat but no "fully photosynthetic" coral has yet to be discovered. palythoa are aggressive eaters on meaty chunks and so on.
http:///forum/post/3209999
softies will aborb nutrients however they do it from the water (I dont think there is definitive studies showing how they do but if nutrients are in the water they get them).
some yes some no. (as in some we havent figured out their feeding habits and some we have) ceartain coralimorphs are known to trap bacteria and particles of meaty detritus or zooplankton in their slime coat then ingest their slime coat, some softies like gorgonian capture feed just like an sps will on small micron phytoplanktons, some like xenia are capable of absorbing dissolved nutrients directly from the water hence the pumping action to pass water along the absorptive area of the filaments. leathers can capture small zooplanktons and bacteria at the tips of their tentacles. all corals feed organismally. many are still a mystery as to what they eat but no "fully photosynthetic" coral has yet to be discovered. palythoa are aggressive eaters on meaty chunks and so on.
reefkprz
Active Member
Originally Posted by Stanlalee
http:///forum/post/3209999
just feed the fish. if you have fish in a 20g there wont be a shortage of nutrients and if there is it wont be anytime soon (until after its jam packed with corals and even then its unlikely). LPS will eat particles of everything your fish eat. SPS will be better off reserving water quality then trying to feed them extra nutrients in such a small system unless your running some substantial husbandry (sump with oversize skimmer, carbon dosing ect). even if you feed them a ml or so once a week of oyster eggs will be sufficient.
I have to say in such a small set up I couldnt agree more.
http:///forum/post/3209999
just feed the fish. if you have fish in a 20g there wont be a shortage of nutrients and if there is it wont be anytime soon (until after its jam packed with corals and even then its unlikely). LPS will eat particles of everything your fish eat. SPS will be better off reserving water quality then trying to feed them extra nutrients in such a small system unless your running some substantial husbandry (sump with oversize skimmer, carbon dosing ect). even if you feed them a ml or so once a week of oyster eggs will be sufficient.
I have to say in such a small set up I couldnt agree more.