How to feed Zoanthids?

rc04 · #1 01/03/2008, 07:44 PM

I am very new to the hobby and I got some zoa last week. I am wondering how exactly to feed them. Do I have to feed them directly or will they just get whats floating around in the water? Thanks in advance for any help.

photobret · #2 01/03/2008, 08:07 PM

Zoa's dont really need to be fed as such but if you want to see faster growth use a turkey baster type feeder and squirt Mysis or Rotifers at the heads, depending on the size of your zoa's.

geoxman · #3 01/03/2008, 08:34 PM

You are new to this hobby so I would focus on your water quality and your light source. I would not try and feed them as most do not feed directly.
Can you tall us about your set up?
Welcome to the never ending money pit of SW and zoanthids! best of luck to you!

MUCHO REEF · #4 01/03/2008, 08:38 PM

Hello and welcome to the hobby and RC.

You are going to receive a wide variety of answers on this topic as we all have our own beliefs and idealism that goes along with it. Zoanthids are photosynthetic corals, ( using light as their primary source of energy ). Meaning adequate lighting is more then enough to sustain them. Many will use external/secondary feeding as a means to get their polyps to grow faster and reproduces quicker as well. Excessive feeding is not good in my unprofessional opinion. Especially with home brews of raw food that if not consumed, will lay on the reef, rock work, substrate and begin to decay. Sure, some inverts will consume this uneaten food, but most will be tramped somewhere in your system and allowed to decay. This can lead to a spike in phosphate and ammonia levels to rise as the food decomposes. The phosphate spike can trigger unwanted algae blooms and now you've created a problem so to speak.

I've chosen to keep the lens on my halides clean and clear of all salt spray to insure that my corals are receiving the maximum amount of allowable light from my 250's. I feed only twice a week at best, lately only once a week. My choice of food in Coral Frenzy.

Particulate food has to be mixed with some tank water to hydrate it. All return pumps should be turned off as well and your skimmer if you have one. I leave my eternal pumps on in the tank to help circulate the food for 20 minutes to 30 minutes. Then I turn off those two pumps and allow any suspended food to settle for 10 to 15 minutes. I turn the eternals back on for a few minutes then the return. If you have a skimmer, I would just leave it off the rest of the day or it will go crazy.

I believe feeding should be a secondary source of nutritional uptake for corals, not a primary source. Meaning light feedings once or twice a week are fine. I will admit, many years ago before I started feeding my polyps at all, my growth was simply phenomenal. Experience was all I had to go on to prove that feeding was not a make or break. Many writers believe it is a must to feed, I'm just not convinced. I hope others will weigh in with their opinions as well and you can decided which approach you want to take.

I hope this helps.

Mucho

What Photobret is speaking of is call Target Feeding.

Geoxman makes a great point and I would listen to him well. Focus on acclimating yourself to reefing first. The rest will come as you read, research and ask questions. Just try not to get caught up with feeding right now. If you do choose to feed, proceed very lightly my friend.

geoxman · #5 01/03/2008, 09:10 PM

Man, you are smooth in all replies! It just flows and is so non confrontational and educational. You should start every reply "now grasshopper" JJ, Mucho---but you should get out of that marketing gig and run for office someplace in MI. You might want to drop the reef from your name though, as it will only lead back to Detroit.

good luck rc04 and everyone is here to help out!

MUCHO REEF · #6 01/03/2008, 10:20 PM

Oh stop it Geoxman LOL. I had to put the degree on hold years ago. Only have a year left and it's hard to complete right now.

*** I really need to start proof reading first. I made a mistake when i posted the word "eternal" twice in paragragh 3. It should be "internal" pumps.***

Corrected paragraph below.

Particulate food has to be mixed with some tank water to hydrate it. All return pumps should be turned off as well and your skimmer if you have one. I leave my internal pumps on in the tank to help circulate the food for 20 minutes to 30 minutes. Then I turn off those two pumps and allow any suspended food to settle for 10 to 15 minutes. I turn the internals pumps back on for a few minutes then the return. If you have a skimmer, I would just leave it off the rest of the day or it will go crazy.