The Great Zoanthid Experiment

[Deanos]

Target feeding is only effective, if the coral responds to the feeding. Most zoanthids don't react when target fed. How does the experiment deal with that situation?

It should be no surprise, if your feeding zoanthids that take in offered target-fed food, they will grow faster, bigger, stronger :p I'd be more interested in finding a food that most zoanthids will eat when target-fed.

 

[meschaefer]

Target feeding is only effective, if the coral responds to the feeding. Most zoanthids don't react when target fed. How does the experiment deal with that situation?

It should be no surprise, if your feeding zoanthids that take in offered target-fed food, they will grow faster, bigger, stronger :p I'd be more interested in finding a food that most zoanthids will eat when target-fed.

Once again this comes down to defining what it that you want to study. In the orginal post he wanted to study the effect of feeding baby brine shrimp. There are two ways that the zoanathids could benefit from the addition of baby brine shrimp. Either through "directly intaking" them, or by picking up the "nutrients" after the brine shrimp break down.

The original post goes on to say that water quality is going to be followed closely to make sure that the water parameters stay relatively the same. It sounds like he is not interested in uptake of the "nurtrients" after the brine shrimp break down, or else you would expect that the water quality would change vis a vis the control tank.

let me state that I THINK THAT THIS EXPERIMENT IS A GREAT IDEA. I just think that he needs to decide exactly what it is he wants to study. Then narrow it down to one variable between the tanks (i.e. the feeding method; targeted, nontargted, or photosynthetic), which will dicatate how the tank needs to be set up.

Deanos' suggestion is another possiable experiment.

 

[digitalreefer]

let me state that I THINK THAT THIS EXPERIMENT IS A GREAT IDEA. I just think that he needs to decide exactly what it is he wants to study. Then narrow it down to one variable between the tanks (i.e. the feeding method; targeted, nontargted, or photosynthetic), which will dicatate how the tank needs to be set up.

Thanks for the support and you're right... I do have to eliminate variables and determine how to set everything up. This will prove to be the difficult part, and so I'm currently doing research on other research so that I can determine what variables to study and which to eliminate. This project may remain in the planning stages for a few months while i work everything out, so everyone's continued suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[fritz]

Perhaps you can try growing them
1. High light
2. Low light

A. High nutrient
B. Low nutrient

You could have:
Tank A (High nutrient) with a bright light on one side leaving the other side shaded (dimly lit)

as well as

Tank B (Low Nutrient) with a bright light on one side and the other side shaded (dimly lit)

If you frag each zoa colony you could put half of each colony in each tank and track their progress!
I would feed Tank A with rotifers rather then baby brine. Rotifers would break down easier and may even be ingested. (who knows)

 

[meschaefer]

There was a talkingreef podcast that delt to certin extent with setting up experiments such as this. They had an interview with Steve Pro regarding an experiment that he did, as well as future experiments he wass thinking of doing. You can track Steve Pro down at RC, he may be willing to give some imput on this.

 

[ezee]

meschaefer,

That is why you need to make the distinction about what your studying. If you are studying target feeding, then the amount of nutrients in the water will not mattter. Both sets of zoanathids would need to have the exact same amount of nutrients in the water. That way the only difference is if they are target fed or not. This is the test in option number two. You would not need a filter to remove all the compounds, only to the extent that it could prevent the food that is being target fed from reaching the control animal before it breaks down. I was thinking of something like filter floss or a sheet of the material that filter socks are made of.

If not, all you are testing is whether feeding generally (i.e tank feeding) is better than not feeding at all and requiring them to get all of their nutrients from photosythesis. This is test option number one. If this is the case, then you will have to have two seperate systems.

There is opition number three. Target feeding vs. Light only. You can't test target feeding against light only without removing them from the system to be fed. In that case you would need one system, and a fully seprate holding tank for feeding purposes only. You could not feed them directly in the same tank where they will be housed, as the food will break down and add nutrient level to the water. If that happens you are really testing one of the other test options, depending on how the system is set up.

I think it is accurate that the key here is to define what we are discussing but I think digital reefer wanted to compare fed to light only. See below for his quote.

If the comparison is target fed vs. tank fed, which is what I believe you are describing, a shared system would be easier. I think what digital wants to do is target fed vs. only light, at least that was how I read his proposal. In the event that he wants to go target fed vs. only light, a shared water source is a contaminant to the light only system.

I am considering starting an experiment to prove the effects of regular feedings on various zoanthid colonies. The experiment would consist of two tanks set up identically with numerous zoanthid colonies of equal polyp count in each tank. Nutrient levels would be monitored on a daily basis to avoid a disparity in nitrates, phosphates, etc. On a set schedule, one tank will be fed a specified amount of food (likely baby brine shrimp), the other tank will be left unfed.

E

 

[jenniebutterfly]

i would like to see the rc thread about injecting one color into another zoa. that would be cool if you could create colors you want, i would also like to see how this experiment works out. i have some pink zoas that eat cyclopeeze. but i also have some zoas that do nothing when target fed.