Coral Feeding, Good Aquarist  - 04/12/2007
Greetings Crew.
<Hello.>
I have a general question about coral feeding.
<Okay.>
I am really not having any issues, but I want to make sure it stays that way. My current line-up of LPS corals in a 210 Gal tank include; Euphyllia parancora, Euphyllia glabrescens, Caulastrea, Fungia, Goniopora, Lobophyllia, and Scolymia. (All corals are placed well apart, I am running Carbon and pulling off good skimmate each day).
<Good.>
I also have several SPS corals. I feed my fish 3X per day (small feedings) which consist of Spectrum Pellets
<Good dtuff.>
in morning and afternoon, Sweetwater Zooplankton in the morning, Evening meal is frozen mysis (sans the packing juice) and frozen Cyclop-eeze.
<Sounds like a good diet.>
I turn off the skimmer during this time to clean it and leave it off until a few hours after lights out. 2x per week I feed Liquid Life Coral Plankton and Bio-Plankton (whisked in a blender first) for my nocturnal critters.  My question is do you believe that it is possible for the corals to get enough food without being target fed?
<With proper water flow, good amount/right type of food; yes. And a refugium wouldn't hurt either.>
This is the only area where I am bad. I am fanatical about weekly water changes, Ca and Alk testing, skimming, etc. If you recommend target feeding than I will get in the habit of doing so,
<It's not a bad idea to target feed, but with the method you have, the variety and care I don't think you need any changes.>
if not, than I will leave well enough alone. BTW, as you are frequently told, THIS SITE ROCKS!
<Thanks.>
P.S. Even though I do not have a fuge, I seem to have a good supply of Copepods and Gammarus shrimp in the tank. I would think that this would be good also.
<Yes.>
Best Regards,
<Dean, just for personal interest you may want to read these Eric Borneman articles on coral feeding; 7 part series:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-07/eb/index.php
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-08/eb/index.php
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-10/eb/index.php
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-12/eb/index.php
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-01/eb/index.php
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-03/eb/index.php
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-04/eb/index.php  .>
Dean
<Adam J.>

To Feed Or Not To Feed (Fish and Coral Feeding)
Hi Bob et all..
<Scott F. at the keyboard tonight!>
I am very new to this game - well after 6 months into my first reef tank (100gal), I seem to be making some progress, with things starting to look good, even the hair algae are now reducing since I rearranged some of the live rock to give a better flow at the bottom of the tank.
<Cool! It's neat how a seemingly simple adjustment can yield huge dividends...>
Maybe you can help with a question regarding feeding of my fish. I have 4 green / blue Chromis, Yellow tang, Sailfin tang, algae blenny along with 2 cleaner shrimps, 8 hermit crabs and some snails. I have been feeding the fish with either frozen brine shrimp or a frozen 'formula' from blister packs, occasionally some marine flake food with a clip of romaine lettuce which only the Sailfin really eats.
<I'd really avoid Romaine lettuce. It has very little nutritional value for marine fishes, can potentially leach nitrate into your water, and is simply not as healthy for your fish as green items of marine origin, such as microalgae, Nori, or my favorite macroalgae, Gracilaria, which Zebrasoma tangs just freak out over! Give it a try1>
Reading through your q&a's, I understand that brine shrimp is not good?
<It's not bad...It just doesn't have a lot of nutrition, unless enriched substantially. Kind of like eating Power Bars all the time. Yes- they supply some vitamins, protein, etc.- but they come up short as a staple diet.>
and you recommend Mysis shrimp.
<Much, much better nutritionally>
Well, I bought some, but none of the fish will touch it.
<Odd...but it does happen now and again when fish aren't used to a new food>
Should I keep trying?
<I certainly would!>
I don't what to start accumulating uneaten food if I can help it.
<Just feed small amounts and try to clean up what is not eaten>
How about the sun coral that I have? It is the most gorgeous thing in the world when it opens to feed about an hour after I feed the fish. Should I give it anything extra than it gets in from the water, a friend suggested hand feeding with lobster eggs..
<It should receive some supplementary feeding- ideally- you could remove it into a separate dish, filled with tank water, and place food into the water in the dish. Let the coral feed for about a half an hour, and then return it to the tank. You could use the "packing juice" from your frozen foods to feed it...>
FYI-I also have various xenia, a large leather toadstool and a Goniopora. Ron Patmore
<The Goniopora may require supplemental feeding, too...I'd recommend that you purchase a copy of Anthony Calfo's must-have "Book of Coral Propagation" for more information on the care and feeding of these corals in the aquarium. I think that you'll love it! Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>

How to feed a bubble coral 3/22/04
I have a bubble coral (Plerogyra sp.) and have had it for about4 months.  it used to open up every day and here lately I have noticed that it doesn't open up as much anymore.  How and should I go about trying to feed the coral.
<Your bubble and open brain will benefit from feedings of small (BB-marble size) pieces of meaty food.  Simply place the food onto the corals when their feeding tentacles are extended, which is usually at night.>
I also have a brain coral that was opening up well and now he doesn't open up as much (expand or get fleshy).  what can I do.  my water quality is good sp 1.024, calcium 450, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, and nitrates 0.25.  my setup is a 15 gallon high tank with 72 watts of lighting (actinic bulb, and combo actinic with 10,000 daytime bulb, power compact).
<My first recommendation would be to do a water change and/or run some carbon.  Both of the corals you mentioned can be quite sensitive to water quality, and there are a lot of things that affect water quality that we can't test for.  Best Regards.  Adam>

Feeding coral
Thank you Anthony. Thanks for the help.  I am a little new at the zooplankton and hope that helps.  
<it will help for certain.. it is THE natural food>
I do have a few questions about feeding the zooplankton. How often, how much?  Or the usual question I guess.  
<varies by specimen and bio-load in tank (available nutrients from fish, feeding, feces, etc... actual light quality, etc) and many actors. But, I'd say 3-5 times weekly minimum. A small feeding daily is ideal>
I had been feeding my home made clam etc mash to one and all using a turkey baster, every 2 to 3 days....
<pretty good... but more often please. Again... small amounts are OK>
Now, with the zooplankton,  I am trying different things.  The first of which has been a mixture of the zoo (a piece about the size of a small marble),  
<Helene... I apologize, but I have forgotten in the flurry of e-mail if I referred you to this article before... But... on the WWM "latest article/FAQ page  We have a bunch of pertinent reef articles there including one on "Feeding reef invertebrates"... tells all. You really seem to have missed the fundamentals here (prey size and composition). The food particles you are feeding are too large (never more than 1/4")... and do pay attention to polyp size and behavior... it is very telling about their dietary needs.>
with the phytoplankton, a little of the clam stuff (marble size again), some vitamins...OK?  or should it all be done separately.... Varied is more important than separated or mixed.>
remember of course that I love all the little darlings but I do have a job!
<understood... that's why I keep suggesting that you simply feed a natural zoo-substitute like whole prey gammarus, Pacifica plankton and/or Mysis. No blending, mixing, supplementing, etc>
Also, should we take out the sponge in the overflow?  
<I'm sorry dear... I don't recall what the sponge was for?>
We have the skimmer going all the time and carbon once in a while.  
<I'd strongly recommend using carbon in small amounts changed frequently 24/7. Off and on use can severely effect coral health by shocking them suddenly with increased water clarity (less yellowing agents) from fresh carbon after an absence>
Someone said that the sponge will just catch all the zooplankton and ruin all our efforts....
<possible yes>
(keep in mind 75 gal tank, with 6 line wrasse, Sailfin tang, blue damsel, and 3 Chromis, assorted corals, brain, pearl, mushrooms, a few others who's names I have to get more familiar with (so much to learn so little time), the usual clean up crew) Hard to see if the crew is cleaning up all the food when the partials are so fine. Just not sure about the amounts.  Perhaps step up a little individual feeding for the pearl coral?  
<indeed... target feeding is always better when time allows>
No Mariah Carey for the Pearl.......but maybe a little Lyle Lovett at feeding time?
<Doh! What was Julia Roberts thinking?!?! If I had known her bar was set that low I would have flown out to LA in a Frankenstein costume and married a celebrity>
And what about soft lighting?  Aside from the romance, do they prefer to eat in the dark?  
<they actually do (mentioned in the article above)... zooplankton feeders naturally feed after the lights go out when plankton flares/comes out at night>
As usual, each thought brings a new question.....The update for the coral book is a great help. Thanks for sending it along.....Take it easy....Helene
<thank you for your eagerness to learn, my friend! Best regards, Anthony>

Feeding coral
Hi Anthony, Oh no, my dear, I don't mean that the pieces of stuff that I feed are as big as a small marble....the little zooplankton is shaved off in a pile about that big.....
<aha! I misunderstood... whew! I had visions of this coral being fed with a shoehorn... Ha!>
when I put that in the cup of water from my tank they sort of melt into tiny little dots....and the mash of clam etc has nothing in it any bigger than 1/8 " I'd say...I took the 'not too big' warning to heart when I made it
<excellent!>
However I will indeed read the link that you sent to me and try my best to wade through all the ideas.  Thank you again for all your help...Helene
<our pleasure... with kind regards, Anthony>