New aquarium-owners often believe that a balanced tank doesn’t need much in the way of additional feeding. However, this simply isn’t true. Just like the rest of your fish and invertebrate populations, your corals need a reliable supply of nutrients. Otherwise, they could develop illnesses that keep them from growing and coloring your aquarium.
Still, feeding your corals isn’t just about sprinkling flakes in your tank. We have some advice to help you feed them properly. Here are our tips for effectively feeding your aquarium coral life.
Pick the Right Type of Food
Not all corals eat the same things, nor do they eat the same quantities of food. As such, the first key step to correctly feeding your specimens is to understand what type of food they’ll thrive on. All corals sustain themselves on a combination of energy from your tank’s lighting; larger, meaty organisms; and smaller, plankton-like creatures. Depending on the species of coral you keep, your aquarium life may like some of these foods over others. Generally, LPS (large polyp stony) corals like larger pieces of secondary food, while SPS (small polyp stony) corals like powder-based foods.
Use an Effective Applicator
You also want to make sure you’re using the right applicator for the food you pick. Squirt bottles, bulb syringes, and mixing containers are all very viable ways to deliver food to your corals. But not every type of tool will work with all the different varieties of food. For this reason, you want to choose carefully between them. Mixing containers and squirt bottles tend to work better for broadcast feeding, spreading the food throughout your entire tank for your corals to pick up as needed. Syringes, on the other hand, work better for point-feeding powdered food to specific corals.
Be Careful Not To Overfeed Your Corals
Another crucial tip for effectively feeding your aquarium coral life is to take care not to overfeed them. Believe it or not, it is possible to overfeed your corals, and there are several risks to doing so. For one, it can create an overabundance of nutrients in your tank, resulting in excessive algae growth. It can also make it difficult for you to manage how large your corals grow.
Know When Your Corals Like To Eat
For the most effective mealtimes for your corals, know when they typically eat the most. A large number of coral species tend to favor eating at night. In fact, you might even see them undergo a physical change around this time of day as their polyps open to receive food. So you’ll want to watch for these signs to ensure your organisms are getting what they need.
Feeding your corals is an important part of keeping them healthy and thriving in your tank. As such, using these tips can ensure that you’re on the right track and that your ecosystem is adequately set up for continual success.
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