What to add for corals (for feeding)

[Dubge]

Ok I was just wondering what I should be adding to my water for corals? I have been recently been adding a few frags here and there and they are looking real good but I want to make sure I put in the right things! As of right now I am not adding anything but I am sure if I dont start I will eventually run into problems

Could you post specific products that have worked for you?

thanks
Ray

 

[hdtran]

Eric Borneman's book has a 'coral mush' preparation involving whole raw shrimp, scallops, fish, nori, etc. that he blends and freezes in thin sheets. Then, he "feeds the tank."

You can buy phytoplankton-in-a-bottle, and other similar preparations that you just "feed the tank" or baste your corals (not at the coral, but a cloud near the coral).

I personally use a phytoplankton bottle to feed my filter feeders (skimmer off, then, phytoplankton in the tank), and let the corals have the leftovers from frozen fish food (fish get flake, which they sneer at, and frozen formula-1, defrosted and minced, which they love, alternating). The anemones get target fed a bit of shrimp or silversides about 2x/wk.

 

[Jolieve]

I don't think you'll need to feed your corals just yet. Your live rock should have all the filter feeder food you need for the time being. If your tank gets packed full of corals... then I might revisit this question again in a year or so. Don't forget most coral is primarily photosynthetic, they don't need a lot in the way of filter feeder foods to keep them happy. What they really need is good lighting.

For calcium, I dose about 2 tsp. of ball pickling lime per gallon of top off water, and I use kent superbuffer to raise my dkh. I don't dose anything else in my tanks at all.

Hope this helps,
J.

 

[hdtran]

I personally test before dosing chemicals, e.g. test for Ca before supplementing, test alkalinity before dosing, etc.

 

[Jolieve]

*chuckle* I thought testing beforehand went without saying...

J.

 

[hdtran]

New forum, gotta drill it into their heads 8) (I'm selling some dehydrated water on e-bay, just add RO/DI water, and you've got high quality water :wink: )

 

[ChrisRD]

Dubge,

What sort of corals are you talking about? Do you have fish in the tank as well?

In general, I would say no real additives are required beyond Ca and Alk supplementation and food for your fish.

Some of the fish food, waste from the fish, dissolved organics, fish waste, bacteria, etc. will all end up being a food source for many species of corals with nothing further being required...

 

[Dubge]

Just softies to go along with my handful of fish

thanks for the heads up, I am going to pick up a Ca test kit today, other then that I think I have got everything covered

Ray