[proranger]

what is some good food for coral i was at the lfs today and they told me to buy some stuff called coral frenzy. what does everyone use.

 

[Jessemac]

I think a bit of variety is best. Maybe just my thoughts, but there will never be just one thing floating around in the oceans water. So, I have and alternate randomly with
Whites97 Everything mix for fish and corals (corals send out feeders within seconds of being introduced)
Oyster Feast
Phyto Feast

I target feed the following once or twice a week
Mysis Feast
Cod eggs (also feed fish)
Roti Feast

I plan to get some zooplankton to add to the mix as well. I also dose Aqua Vitro Fuel daily.

 

[proranger]

i have been using the fuel , right now all i feed them is brine plankton and some thing eles cant remember what it is just ran out .

 

[Jessemac]

If you want something that is full of nutrients, vitamins and food for everyone. Get in touch with Dave (whites97, here on MR). He makes this food and all I can say is when I add it to my tank, corals, inverts, fish all go nuts. Crazy polyp extension and feeders, fish go into overdrive and inverts come from all the crevises.
Most of the others started out as samples I picked up from the Reef Nutrition booth while at the MMC this past November. I have since bought, Oyster Feast and Roti Feast. The Cod Eggs are also from Reef Nutrition. From what the sponsor said, it was supposed to be available December 1, 2011. But, I have not seen it anywhere. The only thing I have that isnt Reef Nutrition is whites97 food and the zooplankton when I pic it up. Probably the concentrated bottle by Kent that has a dropper.

 

[proranger]

thanks alot

 

[miyzfrider]

I target feed the following once or twice a week

When you say "target feed" do you somehow get the food right into the mouths of the coral? If so, how do you do that exactly. If that isn't what you mean, what do you mean by target feeding?

 

[jmowbray]

Target feeding means you take the amount of food and basically point it at the coral in which you want to feed. You don't necessarily have to shoot it right in the mouth as the tentacles will crab t and pull it in. You can feed with a turkey baster and some store like F&S sell longer basters so you don't have to stick you whole arm in the tank.

 

[jmowbray]

found it:

Aquarium Fish Feeding & Feeders: Kent Marine SeaSquirt Feeder

 

[miyzfrider]

Seems like just when I think I may have my setup complete, and I have the equipment I need, something else appears. Thanks, that's helpful to know and learn!

 

[mf2055]

A $2 turkey baster works pretty good, this is a bad hobby to be around if your afraid to get your hands wet... (Although after 20+ years I think I am alergic to salt now.... )

 

[miyzfrider]

I'm also quickly learning it's a bad hobby to be around if you're afraid of spending $$

 

[Jessemac]

When you say "target feed" do you somehow get the food right into the mouths of the coral? If so, how do you do that exactly. If that isn't what you mean, what do you mean by target feeding?

When I target feed I put 1ml of Oyster Feast in the tank and wait a couple mins before turn the pumps off. This is the only time I turn my pumps off for feeding. I mix 1 part (1ml of each) into a cup with 4 parts tank water for at total of 14ml and usually add a couple more during the feeding. I take a small turkey baster and I gently blow the food onto the corals until all the corals have been fed at least once. I leave the pumps off for about 15 minutes and then turn them back on. The only water movement during this time is my return from my sump.

 

[Jessemac]

I'm also quickly learning it's a bad hobby to be around if you're afraid of spending $$

A $2 turkey baster works pretty good, this is a bad hobby to be around if your afraid to get your hands wet... (Although after 20+ years I think I am alergic to salt now.... )

Both couldn't be more true! **** to both of them....lol:jester:

 

[proranger]

when is a good time to feed the corals.

 

[Jessemac]

when is a good time to feed the corals.

Good question. does anyone know? lol
I feed mine at random. sometimes it is when I get off work at 0700 or whenever I wake up. then other times it is when the lights are off or just before I go to work and just before the lights go off. I usually feed twice a day but, sometimes only once a day. no schedule. Random times, and a few different foods. Not too much though, you dont want to overdose the system.

 

[soverjas]

Shortly before the lights go out is better for maintaining good water quality.

The benefits of feeding our aquariums just before the lights go out is to allow the corals and fish that have gotten use to aquarium life and are open during the light period a chance to eat. However the major benefit to feeding at night is to have the lights off for when the nutrient levels are high from the feeding. Throughout the night, bacteria along with the micro/macro fauna that are largely nocturnal will be up all night searching and consuming the uneaten food reducing the time they are in the water breaking down becoming ALGAE food. Algae needs light to photosynthesis using the PO4 and and NO3 as fuel. The less PO4 and NO3 that is in the water when the lights are on the less algae you will have. Its a good practice to feed foods that breakdown into PO4 and NO3 at night. As for my fish they get various macro's on a clip to eat during the day hours. I may occasionally drop some pellets in during the day but only a couple so that the fish are eating them as they sink.

 

[dputt88]

I use coral frenzy about twice a week, using the recommended amount for my size tank. does anyone else use this? should i be changing up my routine and/or product?

 

[soverjas]

Its a good product. They list a exp date and all ingredients. its impossible for any one food on the market to cover everything all the organisms in your tank require to flurish I would only recommend adding some diversity.

 

[spartyblaze]

I highly suggest making your own feed - I too make mixture of several different types of food. Frozen, dry and flakes. I then separate it into two (at least for the past year or so):

1. Flat frozen zip lock bags
2. Dry mixes for quick feeding

For method #1, through the years I've just learned to mix it all up in a big pyrex - right now I'm feeding:
- Frozen brine
- Frozen mysis
- Rods Rotifers
- Almost expired DTs zoaplankton
- Reef Cleaners Filter Feeder Formula This stuff is the best buy I've found for the buck. $5 for Copepods, Rotifers, Brine, Golden Pearls and more
- Dry Marine Snow, can't recall brand
- Garlic Powder

Mix it up in a bowl and buy a box of freezer sandwich sized zip locks. I put about 3OZ in each one and freeze them flat on a cookie sheet in the freezer until they freeze. Now you have packaging similar to what you'd buy at the LFS in nice portions. After that, I dissolve in RO and feed. I'm not target feeding now, but have in the past. I do turn pumps off for about 15-20 too.

My secondary feeding is to set aside portions of the dry foods listed above, w/out garlic powder into the leftover Reef Cleaners containers. I use this to feed small amounts intermittently because it's so fine and easy to toss in.

I like to feed sometimes when the lights are off, because I feel like certain corals respond better to nighttime feeding and I get pretty good results with it. Most times I feed the dry powder food in dark.

 

[spartyblaze]