Coral Growth?

Analogies · 04/16/2008, 10:28 PM

I was interested in knowing what other forms of supplyments/foods might help your corals grow bigger?

I have the essential lighting, Solaris I4, good current, skimmer and do water changes of 40% every week. All perameters are perfecto!

Aquarist007 · 04/16/2008, 10:35 PM

I feed my corals twice a week:
I turn the main pump off but keep the ph's on for circulation
I do this just before the attinics go off in the evening
The mixture I use is mysis shrimp, marine snow and cyclopeeze
the corals are allowed to feed for 45 min
This is for mostly LPS and softies
If you have sps then add some DT phyto to the mix

Aquarist007 · 04/16/2008, 10:36 PM

here is a thread on coral recipes:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...hreadid=176530

mattpenn · 04/16/2008, 10:40 PM

dont you think 40% water change every week is a little to much?

Analogies · 04/16/2008, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by capn_hylinur
here is a thread on coral recipes:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...hreadid=176530

Thank you sir.

Analogies · 04/16/2008, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mattpenn
dont you think 40% water change every week is a little to much?

I don't know but my parameters are all good?

nugzo · 04/16/2008, 11:06 PM

i think 10% a week should be sufficient. Unless your having problems that require a 40% weekly change. 40% a month would be more like it.

Nanz · 04/17/2008, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by capn_hylinur
I feed my corals twice a week:
I turn the main pump off but keep the ph's on for circulation
I do this just before the attinics go off in the evening
The mixture I use is mysis shrimp, marine snow and cyclopeeze
the corals are allowed to feed for 45 min
This is for mostly LPS and softies
If you have sps then add some DT phyto to the mix

Wow.. Maybe Im overfeeding.. I feed a cube of mysis every night, hehe.

Aquarist007 · 04/17/2008, 07:48 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Nanz
Wow.. Maybe Im overfeeding.. I feed a cube of mysis every night, hehe.

with a lot of corals mysis is a little too large for them--you end up feeding your fish and your cuc.
Cyclopeeze or marine snow is a lot smaller for lps and if you have sps feed them DT phyto supreme mix

Aquarist007 · 04/17/2008, 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by nugzo
i think 10% a week should be sufficient. Unless your having problems that require a 40% weekly change. 40% a month would be more like it.

I agree--even 10 per cent every two weeks. Your corals will benifit from an organically richer environment. Excessive water changes strip alot of good stuff out of the water
One of the prime reasons for water changes is to replace trace ions ect in the water with fresh salt water mix. In most cases the trace elements are barely used up in two weeks or a month so once a week is really needed

I am assuming here that it isn't a very small tank however--the smaller the tank the more need for weekly water changes--but not 40 per cent

greenbean36191 · 04/17/2008, 10:21 AM

Quote:

if you have sps feed them DT phyto supreme mix

Almost all corals are carnivores and have no use for phyto. The few exceptions are things that are essentially impossible to keep like Dendronepthea.

Aquarist007 · 04/17/2008, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by greenbean36191
Almost all corals are carnivores and have no use for phyto. The few exceptions are things that are essentially impossible to keep like Dendronepthea.

sps corals--greenbean---do they not go after phyto more than lps corals

SCIFI_3D_zoo · 04/17/2008, 11:20 AM

40% water change/week. Whoa. That's a new one. I bet your water QC is really good. You are stripping potential food sources. Your corals feed on the little bit that is in the water. Plus you're killing yourself with all that extra work.

Once your tank is established you can start to think about feeding corals less. If you look at the TOTM's a lot of those guys feed corals little to none. They just feed the fish, have a lot of Tangs, etc. And left-over material from their feeding and waste feed the corals. You'll see very little added in the way of additives too (iodine, strontrium, etc.).

Nanz · 04/17/2008, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by capn_hylinur
with a lot of corals mysis is a little too large for them--you end up feeding your fish and your cuc.
Cyclopeeze or marine snow is a lot smaller for lps and if you have sps feed them DT phyto supreme mix

Hmm.. Cyclopeeze? I have some of that stuff but its a powder and does not dissolve very well. What type of cyclops do you use? What is marine snow? I thought that was fancy name for Phyto or DT.

tankjunky · 04/17/2008, 02:03 PM

What should i be feeding my softies. My lfs tells me to feed them phytoplankton. Should i use something else?

SCIFI_3D_zoo · 04/17/2008, 03:12 PM

They'll sell you all sorts of crap. You don't need it if you are feeding fish. THere is stuff disolved in the water for them to eat from feedings. I've had softies for years and never fed them. Shrooms, leathers of all types, etc.

tankjunky · 04/17/2008, 03:20 PM

They go without being fed a lot but will it make them grow faster. cause im kinda impacint with that in now have like 16 different corals.3 lethers, 5 different shrooms, a bunch of zoos, a GIANT gbta, gsp, a giant thing that my unckle gave me i think its a cult but dont kno its big and bushy, and i think a silk coral, some brown star polyps, a green toarch and a feather duster.

04/16/2008, 10:28 PM	#1
Analogies Moved On Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 64	Coral Growth? I was interested in knowing what other forms of supplyments/foods might help your corals grow bigger? I have the essential lighting, Solaris I4, good current, skimmer and do water changes of 40% every week. All perameters are perfecto!

04/16/2008, 10:35 PM	#2
Aquarist007 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hamilton, Canada Posts: 28,240 Blog Entries: 1	I feed my corals twice a week: I turn the main pump off but keep the ph's on for circulation I do this just before the attinics go off in the evening The mixture I use is mysis shrimp, marine snow and cyclopeeze the corals are allowed to feed for 45 min This is for mostly LPS and softies If you have sps then add some DT phyto to the mix __________________ I prefer my substrates stirred but not shaken Current Tank Info: 150gal long mixed reef, 90gal sump, 60 gal refugium with 200 lbs live rock

04/16/2008, 10:36 PM	#3
Aquarist007 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hamilton, Canada Posts: 28,240 Blog Entries: 1	here is a thread on coral recipes: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...hreadid=176530 __________________ I prefer my substrates stirred but not shaken Current Tank Info: 150gal long mixed reef, 90gal sump, 60 gal refugium with 200 lbs live rock

04/17/2008, 11:20 AM	#13
SCIFI_3D_zoo Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Sebring, Florida Posts: 1,072	40% water change/week. Whoa. That's a new one. I bet your water QC is really good. You are stripping potential food sources. Your corals feed on the little bit that is in the water. Plus you're killing yourself with all that extra work. Once your tank is established you can start to think about feeding corals less. If you look at the TOTM's a lot of those guys feed corals little to none. They just feed the fish, have a lot of Tangs, etc. And left-over material from their feeding and waste feed the corals. You'll see very little added in the way of additives too (iodine, strontrium, etc.). __________________ The Key to immortality is to first live a life worth living.... BRUCE LEE Current Tank Info: 90g Reef(no SPS b/c of AquaC skimmer) Pacific Blue Tang, Maroon Clown(hosting Finger Leather), Mystery Wrasse(who's location is a mystery), Coral Beauty, Mandarin. AquaC EV240, JBJ ATO, KALK top-off, Prodibio

04/17/2008, 03:12 PM	#16
SCIFI_3D_zoo Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Sebring, Florida Posts: 1,072	They'll sell you all sorts of crap. You don't need it if you are feeding fish. THere is stuff disolved in the water for them to eat from feedings. I've had softies for years and never fed them. Shrooms, leathers of all types, etc. __________________ The Key to immortality is to first live a life worth living.... BRUCE LEE Current Tank Info: 90g Reef(no SPS b/c of AquaC skimmer) Pacific Blue Tang, Maroon Clown(hosting Finger Leather), Mystery Wrasse(who's location is a mystery), Coral Beauty, Mandarin. AquaC EV240, JBJ ATO, KALK top-off, Prodibio

04/16/2008, 10:40 PM	#4
mattpenn Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: j'ville,florida Posts: 66	dont you think 40% water change every week is a little to much?

04/16/2008, 11:06 PM	#7
nugzo Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Fayetteville NC Posts: 78	i think 10% a week should be sufficient. Unless your having problems that require a 40% weekly change. 40% a month would be more like it.

04/17/2008, 02:03 PM	#15
tankjunky Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Vacaville CA Posts: 1,146	What should i be feeding my softies. My lfs tells me to feed them phytoplankton. Should i use something else?

04/17/2008, 03:20 PM	#17
tankjunky Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Vacaville CA Posts: 1,146	They go without being fed a lot but will it make them grow faster. cause im kinda impacint with that in now have like 16 different corals.3 lethers, 5 different shrooms, a bunch of zoos, a GIANT gbta, gsp, a giant thing that my unckle gave me i think its a cult but dont kno its big and bushy, and i think a silk coral, some brown star polyps, a green toarch and a feather duster.