Coral nutrition and growth - is light enough

r23guy009

r23guy009

Premium Member
Hi everyone -This is my first time posting here.I wanted to get some clarification regarding coral growth and nutrition. I heard some people saying that they have good growth with just good lighting and no supplements but I don't understand how corals, especially LPS with a lot more soft tissue mass, can survive long term only on good lighting. I understand that they get their energy source from the zooxanthellae but what about the raw building blocks for their soft tissue? Ca and Mg are of course supplemented but I can't see how tissue can grow without additives. The ocean has tons of micro organisms that they probably feed on so I imagine we need to create the same nutritious environment in our small piece of the ocean?Thanks everyone for their input!View attachment 2015
 
I dose Alk/Cal/Mag but I stopped feeding "coral food" a couple months ago. I just broadcast the Rod's original blend and all my corals still seem to be growing. That is my experience so far. I know some people dose other additives for growth and color but I am in no hurry as my tank needs to last me at least 5 more years before I upgrade lol.
 
It really depends on you and how you stock and maintain your tank. Some people run their tanks at 0 Nitrate and 0 phosphate. They run large skimmers that strip all nutrient out of the water. So they feed their corals. Others try to maintain low Nitrate and Phosphate, run skimmers at lower levels and don't need to target feed. Both work.Some people do scheduled water changes and others never change their water. Both work.  You need to decide how you will maintain the tank long term and then adjust the process to fit.I feed the fish 2-3 times a day flake food. They love the Omega One flakes and storage is easy. I drip Kalk water for calcium and ALK, and drip mag after every 3 Kalk drips.  Like Chris, I do not target feed my LPS. I use ReefRoids and Coral Frenzy. I mix with tank water and Red Sea Reef Energy, shake till my arm hurts then turn off the skimmer and pour into the tank. When the tank clears I turn the skimmer back on. The next day I target feed the Anemones ground shrimp and the corals and fish get the left-overs. The following day or so I do my water change.  (unless I'm out of town. During travel I'm lucky if my husband remembers to feed the fish!) This process works for me and my schedule. I keep the nutrients low and water changes replenish the trace elements.
 
Coral requires food in addition to light, just as plants require nutrients in addition to light.If you put this in as solids and skim it out you can keep your free nutrients in the water down (if you choose).  You could also keep your free nutrients up a bit (say nitrates at 5 for example) and things will usually do ok (generalization there, but it holds unless you're talking an SPS tank, and even then it holds in some cases).  In many cases there is enough left over from feeding the fish that things are fine as long as nutrients are not aggressively exported.
 
I use LRS Reef Frenzy feed the fish and corals all together 3 times a week the other days I mix it up with flakes I just added oysters my fish go crazy for it I get them on the half shell 
 
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