coral feeding/skimming

[fe_toad]

I am getting ready to start adding some begginer corals (mushrooms, xenia, candy can, yellow polyps). Other than kalk, calcuim, and fish food, should I be feeding/dosing and additional "stuff". I am a little confused on the subject since I get varied info. on their requirements. I figure the "its not an exact science" line will apply to this subject as it does to most reef keeping subjects, but I'm hoping to at least get a clearer understanding of what I should be doing. If I do start feeding the corals, should I turn my skimmer off during feeding times? Wouldn't the skimmer effectively skim the "food" out?

 

[Anonymous]

In general:

Test the level of trace elements before dosing them, only dose what you test for, and have a reason to dose them.

With your proposed coral load water changes will probably provide all of the trace elements you need including Calcium and Alkalinity.

The Candy Cane & Yellow Polyps should be spot fed occationally. Turning off all circulation temporarily will help with that.

 

[fe_toad]

What should I be dosing? Phytoplex, Iodine, Stromium? I currently don't test for any of these. Should I start?

 

[Anonymous]

I dose Limewater for topoff and that's it. Occationally I'll add Magnesium chloride if I find my Mg level is low.

As a person just starting corals I would start testing Calcium and Alkalinity and that's it. Skip the phyto for now IMO. Feed the Candycane and Yellow Polyps small bits of meaty seafood but it's not required, they'll just grow faster if you do. Don't overfeed.

 

[fe_toad]

Thanks Guy.

 

[Anonymous]

I dose Limewater for topoff and that's it. Occationally I'll add Magnesium chloride if I find my Mg level is low.

As a person just starting corals I would start testing Calcium and Alkalinity and that's it. Skip the phyto for now IMO. Feed the Candycane and Yellow Polyps small bits of meaty seafood but it's not required, they'll just grow faster if you do. Don't overfeed.

The only thing I would add to that is how you feed the meaty foods. I use the frozen stuff, let it thaw in a small amount of tank water (I add Selcon to mine but it's purely a personal preference), then pour it into a fine "baby brine shrimp" net and rinse it with a small amount of tank water to get out the excess nutrients. Then I spot feed it to the coral.

At the drug store you can get a large "ear wax" flusher or somwthing similar...basically a small turkey baster which you can use to gently blow the food into the polyps.

HTH