Filter Food?

[cwby416]

I just got some new corals at woody's over the weekend, and would like to know what the best method and type of food to feed them.

Brown xenia, white xenia, feather duster, leather coral

thanks in advance

~Randy~

[Allyson]

I feed mine a mixture of Golden Pearls & Tahitian Blend Algae Paste. You can find both at http://www.brineshrimpdirect.com

I mix them with water in a shot glass & add a little every day or two.

Good Luck!

[Heavenly Damsel]

Try Eric Borneman's recipe. You can get most of it at the local grocery store. If you have a blender you are all set. Ingredients will be fresher and you will know exactly what is in it. We are all guilty of not feeding our corals enough of the foods they can ingest.

[mapster]

I dont know much about your system but if its a newer tank you may not want to dump a whole lot of food in there if your tank isn't mature enough to handle it. If you dont have a lot of critters in your sand bed and rocks to take care of the un-eaten food then it could become toxic. Do you have fish? If so then feeding your fish should do enough to feed your corals. Filter feeders will feed on the tiny food particles the fish dont eat, fish poop and other dissolved organic matter. I feed DT's phytoplankton on the days Im not feeding the fish (every other day) and I think this would have less of a negative effect on your water parameters than a blender mush. This is of course assuming your tank is a new set-up. If Im wrong, forgive me and go with the blender mush as it works great.

BTW, none of the corals you listed would need any direct feeding.

[Allyson]

The reason I suggested only feeding golden pearls and/or algae paste (in small amounts) is that you only have filter feeders.

My tank houses only 3 fish & a variety of leathers, feather dusters & corals. Therefore, I feed my tank either a homemade mush which has the pearls & paste in it every other day or so (a small amount scattered for fish & scavengers & target feed my meat eating corals) or a few mysis or prime reef and on alternate days I feed a very small amount of the shot glass mixture.

[Heavenly Damsel]

Eric Borneman’s Coral Food Recipe

6 fresh shrimp
12 fresh mussels
12 fresh clams
12 fresh oysters
1 package frozen sea urchin
1 package frozen roe
8 oz decapsulated Artemia nauplii
½ cup dried seaweed (after soaking) (mix brown, red and green)
10 gm (0.3 oz) powdered sea greens/antioxidants
3 oz Marine flake food
3 oz tiny pellet premium marine food
30 ml Marine vitamins (Selco, Super Selco)

1. Powder and mix the sea greens and antioxidant tablets.
2. Add the liquid vitamins and Marine flake food.
3. Thaw the fish roe, sea urchins and nauplii in a separate bowl.
4. Soak the dried seaweeds in pure (no chlorinated) water until soft.
5. Liquefy the fresh seafood and softened seaweeds in a blender. All seafood shells are removed and discarded.
6. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and gently stir until blended.
7. Freeze in Ziploc bags in thin flats.
Feed approx. 20 ml for 300 gallon of system water every night.
More details are available in Eric’s book Aquarium Corals Selection, Husbandry and Natural History (pg 64-65)