Culturing Live Foods(Plankton, Rotifers, Brine)

[Reefdude5]

Ok, this might be big, but i would like to know if it is worthwhile to culture live foods, as it is a rather big endevour. Any body do it, which are the best tyes? Also, just how do u do it? Are brine required to feed things rotifers don't? Can most corals eat brine, i thought it was too big? Also, is a plankton reactor a really big benifit, and how does it work? Thanks!

[gregt]

Some corals can eat live foods. However, why would they if you can provide them the proper nourishment that they don't have to expend energy to collect?

I like this analogy... I am perfectly capable of planting a garden, doing all the work necessary to raise the food, raise enough to last me all year, preserve the excess during harvest time for later. However, it's a whole lot easier to stop by the grocery store and pick it up already prepared for me. That let's me expend my energy on other pursuits. (for corals this would be growth. Ok, for me too, but not in the same direction )

The same hold true for your corals. They can (and do) feed on non-live food (such as bacteria) much easier than they can catch live food.

Feeding live food is going to make export much more difficult. It doesn't really accomplish much (see above). And, it really isn't all that nutritious. Unless you fortify it before using it, it is nearly nutritionally void. And if your going to do that, why not cut out the middle man and let your corals get the nutrition directly?

HTH

[Reefdude5]

sounds like a good, logical anology! The foodstore makes since, but that's the same type of food, So its definitly not NECCESSARY, but could be an addition? Just not one that would make since with all that effort.

[gregt]

They're gonna eat the easy to catch stuff (bacteria) first anyhow. They're full by the time you toss in the live food....

[gregt]

Also, as I posted earlier, there is very little nutritional value in the live foods. Those animals are little more than an empty shell.

[Reefdude5]

Well, you made a believer out of me! any contrary beliefs? How does a phyto reactor work anyway, and just for curiosity, is zooplankton or phytoplankton better?

[gregt]

I'm CERTAIN we can drum up somebody that disagrees.... Hello????

[Reefdude5]

Echo, Echo, Echo!

[cdemeritt]

I most certainly disagree, however I just wrote out all my reasons why just to have my computer crash before I could hit the send button, and as I'm planning to write a lenghty introduction letter that'll cover this later tonight I hope, I'll wait to rewrite it all out.
Chris