To Spot Feed Or Not To Spot Feed

[John]

I know from experience that it's not needed. I also know from personal experience that I was getting better growth when I was spot feeding...

Now it comes down to "What did you spot feed your Zs and Ps?

I like to do a large mix of foods.

San Fransisco Bay Brand foods that I use in my mix.
Carnivore Cuisine
Spirulina Brine Shrimp
Mysis Shrimp


Omega 1 Flake Food with Garlic
Cyclop-eeze
Coral Frenzy

This is not a daily thing, I would only spot feed once or twice a week.

[rmalone]

I only target feed my rhizo and dendro. I only rarely (every couple months) feed my RBTA's. Nothing else besides fish get fed. I just see no reason to add nutrients that aren't needed. It just makes nitrate and phosphate management more difficult.

[Tom@HaslettMI]

The only corals I regularly spot feed are LPS. I Never feed zoas or palythoa. On rare occasion I'll spot feed my protopalythoa. My main coral food is mysis soaked in Zoecon and/or garlic. That said I do broadcast feed goldenpearls so some may get captured and eaten by the zs and ps.

HTH,
Tom

[pjr]

Anyone use Reef Chili or Coral Frenzy? My symphylia and Calaustra seem to really like the CF. and rics are supposed to dig the RC.

[John]

I use coral frenzy, I need to pick some more up though.

All of my corals really dig the coral frenzy. So does my skimmer though...

[Fordris]

my wife likes to target feed our coral every 2-3 days (guess its good i do WC every week ). Our Coral seems very happy and seems to be growing very fast. I know its not needed to feed this often but it makes her happy so who am i to argue lol

[ReeferRob]

On occasion I will feed my LPS Fauna Marine LPS foods. I'm cautious however because the food is so rich and packed with energy that it is too easy to over feed and have a sever nutrient spike. If you want to see amazing, feed some to a scolly and see how quick it gobbles it up.
Most recently I've been experimenting with the FM Zoa/Acan food in the grow out tank. Similar in looks to CF but doesn't dissolve into the water column and is a sinking micro pellet or powder. My palys close up almost instantly but I think the chalices live it most. As Todd says "they slurp it up like spaghetti" it actually pretty cool to watch. Just a little sprinkle, they slim up, you walk away a minute and their slurping it into their mouth in strings. Very entertaining. FM hit the bullseye on there latest releases IMO.

[Sir Patrick]

I am a broadcast feeder myself.

I spot feed my lps here and there, and will usually hit the polyps that show feeding responces, but when it comes to feeding my polyps, I figure they will catch what they can/will. Whatever they dont catch, I can be certain that the food breaks down small enough for the zoas (that show no feeding responce) to make use of it , before my skimmer pulls it all out. I feel very comfortable that all my polyps feed well before all the nutrients are excavated out of the tank with broadcast feeding.

I do, however, turn my return pump off a while, when feeding, to keep the food in the water column for a while.

[John]

I forgot to mention, after every feeding I change out my filter sock. That helps IMO.

[Wy Renegade]

I'm another of those who doesn't feed regularly, more from a food availability than anything else. My tank is predominantly zoas with a few palys and others mixed in. The local LFSs don't really carry much, so its either order it online or don't feed. Also depends on my fish population. If/when I have fish, I usually broadcast feed every other day. When I had flasher wrasses I feed daily, sometimes twice daily. When I fed mysis, I would sometimes spot feed the palys (now reclassified as protopalys) and PE zoanthids. However, I can't say that I saw any increased growth rate as a result. But again, I don't do it regularly.