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additives and food.

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peiji View Drop Down
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    Posted: February 24 2003 at 9:35am
thus far I haven't added any food to my reeftank. I had the impression that enough light and amino acids, etc. was good enough. I've learned that I should be adding something like Coral Vital, MarineSnow, Black Powder or something. There are tons of products out there and I'm confused. Right now I have different types of xenia, mushrooms, zooanthids, and frogspawn and star polyps. What would be the best supplement? I'm leaning towards Coral Vital.
Jared Page
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WhiteReef View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote WhiteReef Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 24 2003 at 12:33pm

Additives are not a must for keeping corals healthy.  The trace elements that the corals need to thrive are the more important topic.  If you do frequent water changes then it is not parative that you use additives, as this will usually add them back into you tank.  Also you do not have any high calcium loving corals, so you probably don't even need to worry about adding calcium to the tank.  But to help speed up their growth rate some additives work great for this.  However, when ever dosing additives into a tank it is important to measure them as to not over dose, as this can cause serious problems.

One thing that you mentioned is feeding your corals.  Additives are not a method of directly feeding your corals.  Additives are like vitamins to us.  To feed your corals there are several things on the market you can use.  The most common are Rotifers and Green Water.  Some corals will even eat small shrimps and such.  So that is what you would need to 'feed' your corals in addition to proper lighting.

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Richard

Former 47G Column Reef, Magna
20" x 18" x 31"H
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Suzy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Suzy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 24 2003 at 1:37pm
I love to feed our stuff! My blastomustas swell up and get bigger every time I spray them with brine shrimp. I think our gorgonians are eating baby brine shrimp. And should I mention we have the coolest sun polyps on the planet!! Coral Vital states on it's label it has lipids, which we feed to pt's in the hopital (In TPN,aka the most expensive dinner known to mankind).Protein,lipids and carbs are used by animals at the cellular level. (Velvet green ,DT's marine are wonderful veggies) But what is Black Powder? I might mention that we have a really cool crop of cyanobacteria,and underneath that,hair algae ! But our stuff grows like crazy!!! Do some things need added nutrients.like animals and some things live on light,like plants?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mark Peterson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 05 2003 at 5:23pm

Marine Snow and Black powder are coral food. If sufficient filtration is available, feed a lot and watch the coral grow.

One of our members, Ross Bagshaw, whose tank has been on the reef tour for the last three years, asked me once what he could do to slow his coral growth because everything was growing so fast it was squeezing up out of the tank  I suggested that he reduce his regimen of additives which included lots of so called "vitamins". He is religious in his addition of a plethora of additives. His tank is in the reef tour section. It's the 120 where you can hardly see anything but coral. Ross is the lucky older gentalman who's wife always brings such nice goodies to the WMAS meetings.

In short, additives are not necessary but do make a difference.

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