It's Impossible To Feed My Corals!

[coralwish]

HOW DO YOU FEED THE CORALS? I CAN NEVER DO IT. I READ ABOUT FEEDING CORAL ON THIS SITE ALL THE TIME BUT JUST CAN'T SEE HOW. OKAY I HAVE A SERENGE AND A SMALL TURKEY SPLADDER TO FEED THE CORAL. BUT I'VE TRIED A COUPLE OF TIME TO FEED MY FROGSPAWN AND THE BUBBLE BY SQURITING FROZEN BRINE SHRIMP SLOWLY INTO THEM BUT ALL THE CLEANER SHRIMPS AND FISH COMES OVER AND TAKES IT AWAY. PLUS THE CORALS CLOSE UP INSTEAD OF TAKING IN THE FOOD. PLEASE HELP BECAUSE THIS MAY BE THE REASON WHY MY CORAL NEVER GROWS.

 

[wamp]

The corals you mention do not require direct feedings. They will filter feed. They use light mainly as their energy source. If they are not growing, well.. Probably because of your lights.
In your Sig line, 55w bulb over a 90 gallon is not much lighting for the mentioned corals. They will survive but not strive.
Also, calcium is important to these corals. That is what they buid their base out of.

 

[rockster]

When feeding other corals, turn all the powerheads off. Gently squirt the food above the coral such that the food will fall gently onto the coral colony. Do not apply too much pressure when squirting the food as it will disturb the coral you are feeding and the polyps will retract.

 

[wrassecal]

All the above is good advise. I feed my other fish and the shrimp pellets so they will stay busy then I feed my corals.

 

[coralwish]

How much lighting does my tank need? I'm a college student with a part time job on weekends so let me know about and cost cutting information or tricks on buying lights for my tank. please help me out. THANKS

 

[iechy]

A word of advice I and many others around here have learned the hard way. Most cost cutting measures in this hobby cost more money in the end. If you do something on the cheap quality suffers and the livestock feels it. So you have to replace them and when you get fed up with that, you buy what you should have bought in the first place.

 

[wrassecal]

You have 110 watts on a 90. What kind of lighting is it? It may enough to sustain what you have. According to "almost" everyone I don't have enough light, but successfully keep the livestock in my sig line. I think that feeding with corals and anenomes is very important part of it so I would advise you to get that routine down first. IMO/E assuming your lights are the right spectrum you will be able to keep they types of corals you have listed. The don't skimp advise is good advise.

 

[coralwish]

So "Wrass", according to what you've said, I SHOULD NOT SKIM? HOW ABOUT ALL THE WASTE? PLMK
WHAT I DO IS TURN OFF THE SKIMMER EVERY OTHER NIGHT WHEN I ADD TURBO CALCIUM AND MIRCO VERT.

 

[tigriss]

I feed my corals frozen grouper eggs. I warm it and just throw it into the tank.( 1 cube). I feed my bubble, anenome , brittle stars krill. I just place it into their mouths. My fish are busy with the grouper eggs.
I turn my skimmer on every night between 6-9.
This has always worked and up until my recent mishap I had colt,zenia, polyps, mushrooms, leathers, brittle stars and an unknown all making babies

 

[wrassecal]

i skim 24/7 EXCEPT when I feed the tank with baby brine, micro-vert or DT's. Then I turn off the skimmer and Emporer 400 for a couple hours and just run the power heads. When I target feed the anenomes and bubble coral with meaty food I don't turn it off. You have to figure out what works best for you. Also, do you have 55 watts or 110 watts?

 

[coralwish]

I have a total of 110 watts. one 55w 20000k and one white.
i was thinking of getting metal halides when i save up enough money . SO how much do they usually run for a complete set for a 4 ft tank 90g tank?