Invertebrate Food

[vanquish]

I’m really confused by the array of invertebrate foods offered out there. Kent products for invertebrate food include:
PhytoPlex, ZooPlex, ChromaPlex, MicroVert
I know they all serve different purposes, and are tuned to unique inverts/conditions. I’m thinking of going with PhytoPlex, since it seems to provide the broadest spectrum.
My tank currently has:
Inverts:
3 Blue Leg Crabs
3 Red Leg Crabs
3 Turbo Snails
2 Button Polyps **More Planned**
2 Littleneck Clams
2 Camelback Shrimp
1 Xenia Colony
1 Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
17-18lbs Live Rock **home to numerous feather dusters, peanut worms and coralline**
Fish:
2 False Clowns
1 Blue Damsel
1 Mystery Damsel
1 Scooter Blenny
1 Clown Goby
I Currently Supplement with:
Kent Iodine
PurpleUp
Thanks!

 

[miaheatlvr]

Hi Vanquish, one of the biggest problem with this hobby is all these different companies offering all these different types of food all promising something different, and how everything in your tank will starve and die without it. I think this is all BS and BESIDES using my kent marine, calcium, iodine and strontium all i feed my corals are cyclopeeze and feed the fish spectra and once in a while put in a squirt of "liquid life" bioplankton, thats it, dont let all these food companies confuse you. Anybody else agree?

 

[reefnut]

There is no reason for you to feed any of those "foods". Feed your fish and the inverts will feed on the left overs. Cyclopeeze is a good food to feed IMO just make sure you do not over feed. A little goes a long ways. I personally only use cyclopeeze twice a week.

 

[nofish4u!!]

Agreed with Reefnut. I don't feed my inverts anything, they just get the left-overs from the food I feed my fish.

 

[viper_930]

Vanquish, which animals in particular do you hope to feed with phyto?

 

[dragonladylea]

Okay I know I spoil all of my pets but look at it this way do you want to eat just bread everyday?? Not enough nutrients IMO
I feed my "tank" a mix of Marine cuisine, bio-plankton, cyclopeze, brine shrimp, krill and mysis.

 

[reefnut]

btw, invert food target corals, not really shrimp, crabs, snails, etc.
PhytoPlex is Phytoplankton. Phytoplankton is a plant...
ZooPlex is zooplankton. Zooplankton is an animal...
If you do want to feed your corals... find out what they eat and even if they are able to eat these types of foods.
I'm not sure about ChromaPlex or MicroVert but both target filter feeders which IMO is completely unnecessary.

 

[vanquish]

Excellent, thank you all for your posts they are VERY helpful; you all saved me from buying some expencive Kent products.
But lets say that I HAD to have something to feed, primarily for the Xenia and Buttons, but also for the other filter feeders... What would you all recomend? I know the snails/crabs/shrimp dont need anything special. I feed my fish Prime Reef Flakes and frozen brine shrimp from time to time; I just feel like that might be an incomplete diet for the other inverts?

 

[reefnut]

Xenia do not "eat"... they primarily absorb nutrient from the water. Some Button polyps will accept meaty foods... others will not. If you feel you need to feed something to the corals and other filter feeders, I'd feed them cyclopeeze twice a week. Mix the cyclopeeze with water and use a turkey baster to feed the corals.

 

[vanquish]

Ok cool, so I ordered some dry Cyclopeeze today. It looks like it is a powder from the picture, so I guess I just need to mix it with tank water and apply it directly to the filter feeders with a syringe or something a couple times a week? Sounds easy enough. Thanks for your help!