Reef Discussion

[Lesley]

HI all,
Just wondering if anyone can suggest an affordable coral food,
I currently use Seachem plus & Trace as directed twice a week each,
But it has been pointed out to me that Seachem plus is a food supplement only and I should be using "food"as well.

I have very recently been using Polylab Reef Roids. Love the product and have seem improvement in all the corals, especially my gonis which I felt were losing a little color. The were extending well but just not quite right.
I do run very low nitrates - undetectable Phosphates 0.00-0.02
I have seen great improvement in all the corals since using Reef Roids twice a week as directed.
BUT
2oz is costing me $39.95 and that lasts my tank a fortnight. The larger size at 4oz is $70.00 (slightly cheaper ) but not many LFS here stocking that size.
Its just not sustainable. I have been mixing it into 50ml of additional amino acids when using.
So each feed is costing about $10.00
I am over target feeding defrosted mysis and brine, too many corals to do this with and the fish steal most of it anyway. They follow me around and its impossible to "target feed" anything with 7 tangs. urghhhh. Sick of wet arm pits with a 2.5 deep tank and dribbles all down the tank too....its just toooooo hard. (lazy I know)

Anyone have any affordable suggestions or ideas please. Maybe a home made mix or homebrand mix that would work just as well.

And please dont suggest running a dirtier tank, I don't like algae !! LOL

 

[Buddy]

Wow when I used reef roids one of those small containers easily lasted me 6 months! If I used more than a small sprinkle per week my phosphate would go through the roof. This is with a 1000l tank.
I never really saw any difference in my corals when I used it.
Maybe you could try target feeding with a Julians Thing. No more wet arms :)

 

[Lesley]

Wow when I used reef roids one of those small containers easily lasted me 6 months! If I used more than a small sprinkle per week my phosphate would go through the roof. This is with a 1000l tank.
I never really saw any difference in my corals when I used it.
Maybe you could try target feeding with a Julians Thing. No more wet arms :)

Usage on reef roids is as follows. 1 teaspoon per 100g. I have 370g ( if Google is correct ). So approx 3.5 teaspoons twice a week. Do you mean target feed with frozen or with roids ? Tangs steal all the frozen. OVER target feeding. Too many corals. If I do only the gonis then no chance - feed - tangs - gone !

 

[Lesley]

Wow when I used reef roids one of those small containers easily lasted me 6 months! If I used more than a small sprinkle per week my phosphate would go through the roof. This is with a 1000l tank.
I never really saw any difference in my corals when I used it.
Maybe you could try target feeding with a Julians Thing. No more wet arms :)

Maybe you didn't see a noticeable difference because you weren't following directions and using enough :). :)

 

[Rob]

Oh... never bothered to find out how much to use.... I only use 1/4 spoonfull twice a week (100g tank) with same amount of 100% reefsafe amino, skimmer is off for 3 hours during a feed however skimmer will fill up over night after a feed, I cannot imagine doing 1 teaspoon.

Im kinda like Buddy dont see a huge benefit although all the corals come out for a feed when its in the tank, maybe I too dont feed enough -although my skimmer will have a heart attack. I have some Roids + Amino soaking now before I put in the tank maybe I should double the dose :)

 

[Buddy]

Maybe you didn't see a noticeable difference because you weren't following directions and using enough :). :)

I followed instructions but my phosphate was way too high after dosing the recommended amount after a couple of weeks. I had to drop it back to a sprinkle because that was the amount that wouldn't raise phos.

 

[Lesley]

Oh... never bothered to find out how much to use.... I only use 1/4 spoonfull twice a week (100g tank) with same amount of 100% reefsafe amino, skimmer is off for 3 hours during a feed however skimmer will fill up over night after a feed, I cannot imagine doing 1 teaspoon.

Im kinda like Buddy dont see a huge benefit although all the corals come out for a feed when its in the tank, maybe I too dont feed enough -although my skimmer will have a heart attack. I have some Roids + Amino soaking now before I put in the tank maybe I should double the dose :)

I use to use Red Sea a & b. My skimmer would go nuts. With plus / amino / roids My skimmer doesn't change. That's 4 teaspoons ? Very strange. Maybe less organics in this than Red Sea ? Any other food ( cheaper ) that you would recommend ?!

 

[Lesley]

I followed instructions but my phosphate was way too high after dosing the recommended amount after a couple of weeks. I had to drop it back to a sprinkle because that was the amount that wouldn't raise phos.

Oh. Ok fair call. I will test my phos next couple of days & see if above 0.02. Will be interesting to see !

 

[Buddy]

Have you tried Cyclop-eeze? http://www.cyclop-eeze.com/product_info.php
The food size is a little larger than the Reef Roids.

 

[ReeferRob]

I target feed Lesley, broadcast feeding is fine if you had a lot of SPS in there to snag up all of the extra foods. I will only target feed corals using pellets one time, cyclops the next and pureed krill the next. I feed every 3rd day and I too dose Trace and Plus the day after feeding as well as mixing 2ml with the foods I'm feeding.

 

[Ian3145]

I too use reefroids and a container lasts me ages. I mix 1/2 spoon (comes with it) plus 1/2 spoon of 100% Reefsafe Amino Acids, mixed in RODI and allowed to sit for an hour as per Amino instructions.

I turn the return pump of for an hour when I feed to make sure as much as possible stays in the DT. I have it on a timer to come back on in an hour in case I get sidetracked.

 

[Lesley]

I too use reefroids and a container lasts me ages. I mix 1/2 spoon (comes with it) plus 1/2 spoon of 100% Reefsafe Amino Acids, mixed in RODI and allowed to sit for an hour as per Amino instructions.

I turn the return pump of for an hour when I feed to make sure as much as possible stays in the DT. I have it on a timer to come back on in an hour in case I get sidetracked.

I feel ripped off completely now. I paid $39.95 and didn't get a darn spoon. Lol. Ok so what your saying is I am over dosing ? Yes ? Does everyone else under dose ? If I get same results with half the dose I will be very happy.

 

[Ian3145]

I dose 1/2 tsp of each for 3 weeks then 1 tsp of each every fourth, roughly. In fact really roughly. I dose the three weeks about an hour before lights out and the fourth about an hour after lights out. My logic is to get all corals but there's really no logic to it at all. I'm just "individual".

 

[Franklin Dattein]

I too use reefroids and a container lasts me ages. I mix 1/2 spoon (comes with it) plus 1/2 spoon of 100% Reefsafe Amino Acids, mixed in RODI and allowed to sit for an hour as per Amino instructions.

Waiting an hour isn't really necessary when mixing with Reefroids, Pete from 100%RS confirmed this in a FB forum some days ago.
The reason to wait, is to let food absorb de aminoacids, thus transporting more aminos directly to the coral. However, only specific foods can absorb it, like brine shrimp and pellets.

Having that said, I also mix Reefroids with aminoacids from 100% and it lasts for over an year. If i need to heavy feed large SPS, I prefer to use mysis or NLS LPS pellets.

 

[Ian3145]

I found that the amino acids really improved the overall heath of my corals. Mind you I've been using it for so long now I no longer notice. One thing though, I once ran out of the 100% Reefsafe brand and bought another - my tank did not like it. I can't describe it any better than that. It's like everything suddenly felt flat to put it in human terms. I ordered from Pete (great service by the way) who despatched some same day and my tank improved again within days of switching back.

Since then I have never used another brand and always add amino at least once a week.I have no idea if 100% is a better brand or perhaps it was something to do with change but it works for me so I stick with it. It's very reasonably priced and lasts for ages.

 

[Susan Bates]

Wow when I used reef roids one of those small containers easily lasted me 6 months! If I used more than a small sprinkle per week my phosphate would go through the roof. This is with a 1000l tank.
I never really saw any difference in my corals when I used it.
Maybe you could try target feeding with a Julians Thing. No more wet arms :)

I have one of julians things for feeding I find it great as my tank is deep as well, no more wet arm pits

 

[Agent M]

Finely puree some mixed raw seafood and freeze it.

There is an Aussie guy on Reef Central named Biggles who puts skimmate back into his SPS tank and is getting great results.

You can go the fresh/natural food route. Like one of these:
https://www.vitamingrocer.com.au/Hatch-N-Feeder-Brine-Shrimp-Corral-p/308500.htm

If the tank is invertebrate safe, you can add things like a decent sized army of microhermits - my preference are the Yellow Tip Hermits. My first 3 were with me for 6 years. They will produce larvae quite regularly. I would stock 3-4 hermits per 200L volume of water as they produce loads of larvae. Turn the skimmer off at night to allow the tank to get the best out the feed they will provide the coral. No wet armpits involved with them ;)

http://www.oceanarium.com.au/item.toy?iid=1143697

http://www.oceanarium.com.au/item.toy?iid=1160400

 

[Rob]

@Agent M Nice find... Im going to give the skimmate a go and see the response...