Feeding corals at night....

[jhuntington12]

Been reading everywhere that people spot feed their corals at night. My question is...how do people do this because all my LPS and softies seem to close up, and shrink away when the lights go out. 30 minutes after the lights come on in the morning they are all blown up and puffed out, so I was just curious if I was missing something here?

Don't most of your guys' corals close up at night? So what would be the purpose of feeding them then? Or are we talking like at a moonlight setting or when you begin to ramp down the lights?

Thanks for the input!

[lllesley]

Yes your right about 30 mins after lights out they do start closing up and extending their feeding tentacles. I feed mine at 5am in the morning with Reef energy A & B when it is pitch dark 3 x week and I spot feed them when the moonlights have about 15 mins left before lights out 2 x a week. Believe it or not they get used to a feeding schedule and actually open very quickly once the spot feeding starts. biggest problem is keeping the fish away from them and turning the flow off for long enough for them to eat properly.

[cnreef]

My cleaner shrimp always steals the food from any corals so I have given up. If the corals want to eat then they can pick up the nutrients from the water column on their own, no more babysitting for me...

[lllesley]

Thats all well and good if you have lots of nutrients in the water column but I run a low nutrient tank and have to feed to keep corals alive and achieve lots of colour. lol
Phos 0.00 nitrates 0.01 so nothing much for them to eat lol .

[Crooked Reef]

The corals are eating. Fish waste and other particulate matter before it has a chance to hit the nitrogen cycle and turn it into nitrate. Also keep in mind that those numbers are after filter feeders, macro algae and corals eat. You are getting the leftovers as your parameter numbers.

[snorvich]

biggest problem is keeping the fish away from them and turning the flow off for long enough for them to eat properly.

You can get tupperware bowls to act as coral lids, drill holes for flow to protect from fish.

[snorvich]

The corals are eating. Fish waste and other particulate matter before it has a chance to hit the nitrogen cycle and turn it into nitrate. Also keep in mind that those numbers are after filter feeders, macro algae and corals eat. You are getting the leftovers as your parameter numbers.

I agree.

[lllesley]

Thanks for that. Appreciate the feedback. Still very new to this and first tank so any advice greatly received
Thanks .

[Art13]

I usually feed mine about mid day, the dendro and sun if i can get them open around that time, if not i just wait until lights out to feed them. every now and then at night i'll spray reef frenzy onto the lps when their feeders are out.

[Spyderturbo007]

My cleaner shrimp always steals the food from any corals so I have given up. If the corals want to eat then they can pick up the nutrients from the water column on their own, no more babysitting for me...

I make sure the cleaner shrimp gets food first. That normally keeps him busy and gives the coral time to feed. But I do agree, those guys are pretty annoying when it's time to feed the coral.