I'm deciding what to feed my corals.

[Scubajoe1]

Photosynthesis is fine for producing sugars and carbohydrates that can keep coral alive but they prefer protein as well for a balanced diet. The algae only can supply the carbs. There is a reason that most corals extend their polyps and tentacles at night and would recommend feeding them in the evening. a couple times a week should be sufficient for the corals. That said fish waste will also provide some nutrition for the corals as well.

[Mark9]

Feeding corals?
I throw in some reef energy every couple weeks and reef chili every couple weeks.
Also feed the lps some LRF once in awhile.
Things got to eat, don't they?

[Megistos]

Zooxanthellae provides the coral with all nutrition it needs to survive and grow

This doesn't quite make sense. There has to be some organic material present as well, otherwise there's nothing to add mass. Not saying they need to be directly fed, but physics kind of requires the presence of more than just light and water for growth.

[Reef Frog]

^ Correct. Millions of years of existence with mouths and they don't eat? Naw.

I think the confusion exists because some people don't target feed and their coral specimen seems to survive. Maybe even grow. But it is getting food somewhere, somehow. Probably from the water column.

Anyone who has a Fungia or Scoly - watch them eat. Mother Nature provided with that function and you think it has no purpose?

[GreshamH]

Originally Posted by organism

Zooxanthellae provides the coral with all nutrition it needs to survive and grow, I'd recommend asking google or in the reef chemistry forum here if you think otherwise. Also, "will eat" =/= "must eat." Feeding your corals is not a bad idea when done correctly, but it's easy for people to screw up their water and stop corals from growing, especially new hobbyists. Soooo many newer people quit the hobby because their tanks get covered in algae that ate their corals after someone told them they had to feed their corals. At the end of the day you won't find anything legitimate, anywhere, saying that photosynthetic corals must eat to thrive because it's already been disproven several times over.

I've ran huge ULN vodka-dosed farm systems for years that were never fed, everything from mushrooms to SPS grew like crazy and I sold tons of corals. My display now is also ULN and was never fed until a few months ago to get my rock anemones spawning. I've had mushrooms, zoanthids, LPS and SPS grow so fast I have to give them away sometimes. Awesome pink goniopora in there that grows pretty fast too. No food. According to this thread my tank and those huge farm systems shouldn't exist.

I'll say it again: this thread is pretty much pure misinformation that has been disproven for decades. If anyone is in doubt, go post in the reef chemistry forum or spend some time on google because this is not a debate. We might as well be exchanging opinions on "is the text on this page in English."

No one is saying you can't get by without feeding, but you are 100% saying corals will survive on zoox alone... which isn't true. They are eating bacteria in your tank, and other stuff. Sure, you didn't add food, but they captured and ate it. That helped increase their photosynthetic ability. They are not 100% photosynthetic. That is not a debate among scientists, just internet jockies.


Two articles by two men I highly respect:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2015/2/aafeature
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2013/12/aafeature

[GreshamH]

Originally Posted by Megistos

This doesn't quite make sense. There has to be some organic material present as well, otherwise there's nothing to add mass. Not saying they need to be directly fed, but physics kind of requires the presence of more than just light and water for growth.

He's providing an opinion as fact. Science does not agree with him.

[scubadan206]

Corals do eat, but do not need us to feed them. Depending on the type of course, the symbiotic algae will provide between 80-90% of their necessary requirements. This is common knowledge. The remaining 10% is not necessary for their existence, just our enjoyment as far as growth and coloration that we crave. They are usually provided what they "eat" from fish waste. Weather it is through bacteria, complex nutrients, or other things that organisms need to thrive.
Some corals need feeding but the majority kept in our hobby do not need supplementation from us. It's just preference and the fact that everybody is different. A balance should be maintained.
Corals in our tanks are like flowers in a greenhouse. They are forced into a situation that is not completely natural. To get what we are after, they may need to be provided a premium source both for the symbiotic algae and for the extra little bit we want to make them look better. So maybe if we want the best look we need to provide the best conditions. Provide the best we can for that extra 10%.
Just my .02

Daniel.

[scubadan206]

The videos from Red Sea talk heavily about providing the right balance of chemistry to make them grow faster, or look better. The two mixtures are different though.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7PMIvMKqSY
This is a good series on coral nutrition. Fairly basic and easy...

[amcvay1979]

in my opinion...again opinion....corals developed polyps and "mouths" to supplement themselves in periods of extreme darkness or when overgrowth could shade them out. It doesn't mean they won't benefit from both light and protein, but I know there are many out there that advocate zero feeding and are successful. There are others that advocate heavy feeding and are successful. In our hobby the one size fits all approach seldom works. Some swear by ULN systems, other thrive in what some would call dirty systems with nitrates and phosphates present. I feed Rods to my fish and if the corals get some leftovers, fantastic. I have target fed in the past and I've not seen any explosive growth, yet I do have a lot of frags so I may target feed more in the future, but by and large I focus much more attention on maintaining solid parameters like salinity, alk, cal and mag more than target feeding. Just how I roll I guess.

[amcvay1979]

that being said, I have had great experience with Rods, Doc Eco Super Egg paste and have heard that Reef Chili is a great food.

[Fredfish]

Originally Posted by GreshamH

No one is saying you can't get by without feeding, but you are 100% saying corals will survive on zoox alone... which isn't true. They are eating bacteria in your tank, and other stuff. Sure, you didn't add food, but they captured and ate it. That helped increase their photosynthetic ability. They are not 100% photosynthetic. That is not a debate among scientists, just internet jockies.

Two articles by two men I highly respect:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2015/2/aafeature
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2013/12/aafeature

Made my day with that line, you did.

[organism]

Originally Posted by GreshamH

No one is saying you can't get by without feeding, but you are 100% saying corals will survive on zoox alone... which isn't true.

That is not a debate among scientists, just internet jockies.

Lovely how you missed the people saying corals can't get by without feeding, ie the point of my responses in this thread and the reason people need to be educated in the fact that corals do not need supplemental feeding, in a rush to add troll-level punchlines to one sentence I said. My point was simple and stated numerous times, and you agreed with it: corals do not need to be fed. My bad for saying "zooxanthellae algae" instead of "do not add food" in the name of not sciencing up this already surreal debate, while I'm aware they do eat stuff from the water some readers were barely grasping the idea that they don't need extra food.