Feeding and growth of LPS

[Paul B]

I was just looking through some pictures from a couple of years ago and I noticed the progression of one of my Euphyllia type of corals.
These are an easier type of coral to keep but I didn't realize it had grown so much because I see it every day.
I think this first picture is about 3 years ago, then two years ago, then today.
In the last picture the coral is about 10" across but most of it is in the dark and can't be seen.
I feed this, and all my LPS clams almost every day and it seems to have a positive outcome on their growth. I also feed this coral pellets that I soak in fish oil.
At first I had a problem with it as I do with all small things in the tank due to the urchin

I feed fresh clams (which I freeze) by slicing off tissue thin slivers. Clams are hard to cut and messy if they are not frozen. One chowder clam is about 75 cents and lasts a couple of weeks. All of my animals including the fish get clams as well as live worms. Clams are a very good food because they are one of the only foods besides mysis and worms where we can feed the entire animal and not just the muscle as what happens when we feed scalop, squid or fish fillets. Almost all of the nutrients are in the guts of the animal.

 

[Paul B]

Sorry wrong picture

 

[FlyTekk]

Dude i was wondering same thing. I have 2 lps both hammers. One green one purple. I have never fed either. When i got them from 2 different mreefers they each said dont feed they only need light light and calcium. But ive noticed they have a mouth. So i wonder.

Also, would'nt clams be too big? i figured the mouth was for tiny plankton.

 

[Paul B]

Those corals will live without food but they grow much faster with it.
I scrape off tissue thin pieces of clam but these corals can handle larger pieces. The problem is that they don't digest very fast and a large piece will rot before it gets used by the animal.

 

[motortrendz]

i just ordered the lps pellets from fauna marin, but the label is in german.. how do you feed the pellets to your lps, i try but it gets blown all over and do you try to feed each head? or if a few heads get it the nutients go thruought the whole colony, like acans or gonipora...

btw, really nice growth pictures...

 

[FlyTekk]

good questions. And how long can a frozen clam be used? Some say that after a while in the freezer its no good?

 

[jcs11236]

i just ordered the lps pellets from fauna marin, but the label is in german.. how do you feed the pellets to your lps, i try but it gets blown all over and do you try to feed each head? or if a few heads get it the nutients go thruought the whole colony, like acans or gonipora...

btw, really nice growth pictures...

i have been using these pellets for over a year. i use a turkey baster and sprinkle over. the frog/torch/scolys grab it. turn pumps off. these pellets are lps steroids. lol

 

[motortrendz]

so put them in a cup with water and put them in and suck them into the turkey baster? how ofter should i do this?

 

[Paul B]

I feed them almost every day with one of these. I feed everything with one of these. The clam will last a long time in the freezer but it will get leathery in a month or two. You have to keep it in a plastic bag but twist the bag and put a rubber band around it to kep out air. I use the clam in a week or two anyway so it is fine.
If you buy the clams and freeze them live, they are closed and will last for months

 

[motortrendz]

where do you get those? can i order them online somewhere??

 

[jcs11236]

thats some collection u got there Paul! lol
i use this one http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003XDGAAU/?tag=reefs04-20
hopefully Paul has a link where he gets his

 

[motortrendz]

thanks, if paul doenst have a link im gonna get those.. thanks jcs

also do you put the pellets in a small cup or container with saltwater mix them and get them softer then suck them up into the baster? or do you do it right away so they dont deteriorate? do you add anything to it? any kind of drops or additives or is the fauna marin pellets got it all type of food?

 

[Paul B]

I order the rubber squeeze parts on line by the case then buy the acrylic tubing and bend them

 

[motortrendz]

I order the rubber squeeze parts on line by the case then buy the acrylic tubing and bend them

would you be willing to make me a few? and ill send you a paypal?

 

[Paul B]

The problem is that I have to order a case of them. I sold them three times on these forums when people told me they wanted them, then I shipped a few and all three times I was stuck with the rest of the case so I don't make them any more.
You can google "Rubber Bulbs". they come from a lab supply.
I get them here. http://www.labdepotinc.com/Product_Details~id~344~pid~12713.aspx
The ones I use are 56341-367 and they cost $62.19 for 12 of them, then you need to buy acrylic tubes and bend them.

 

[charliethetuna88]

I'll take 2 Paul if u do order any ill pay u first also how's that lol

 

[BrooklynReef]

DOSING RECOMMENDATION Fauna Marin Ultra LPS food :

2 x weekly feed the particles direct to the corals. Shutdown
your pumps and place one particle by Polyp to each coral.

https://www.cherrycorals.com/product.php?productid=2518&cat=0&bestseller=Y

 

[motortrendz]

I'll take 2 Paul if u do order any ill pay u first also how's that lol

i would do the same, i would also take 2 maybe 3 if you do different sizes..

 

[motortrendz]

DOSING RECOMMENDATION Fauna Marin Ultra LPS food :

2 x weekly feed the particles direct to the corals. Shutdown
your pumps and place one particle by Polyp to each coral.

https://www.cherrycorals.com/product.php?productid=2518&cat=0&bestseller=Y

it seems almost impossible to be able to get them to sit on each pollyp.. and also some corals dont seem to hold onto them like acans..

is the health of the coral related to the polyps as a whole or individual.. meaning if 25% of the polyps recieve a pellet, the the product and vitamins dispurse out to be used by the whole? or is a 100 polyp coral each polyp is only acounted for 1% of its health.. i hope that question makes sense

maybe pratreef could answer that??

 

[sanjay]

If its a connected tissue then for sure the whole polyp is connected and you do not need to feed each one individually. If the polyps are clearly individual and separated then may be best to try to feed as many as possible.

Getting the pellets to sit in each individual polyp will require to spend hours.

The polyps of these corals are quite sticky and I prefer to take a turkey baster and gently squirt a mix of fine chopped up food, pellets and cyclopeeze and let the corals grab what they can. Make sure the pumps are off.

sanjay.