frustrated with coral

I don't think air would do it unless the coral was already stressed? I've exposed my candy cane (and most if not all of my corals) to air more times than I can count and have never had any ill effects as a result.

 

The reason you don't want to handle the fleshy part (where the base attaches the "head" in particular) is that the oils on your skin can cause infection. If this is the case, you should do an iodine dip.
Exposing them to air also has its threats. The polyp/head (whatever you want to call it) is actually incapable of supporting its own weight out of the water column, so there can be tears/injury that occur if that happens.

 

Ah, good point!

 

as for what Pack said, about the phyto, thank you. i've asked about everyone at a few different LFS and nobody can give me a straight answer but the general consensus was that it was food and something will benefit from it. i guess all i'm doing is fouling up my water. that being said, would anyone here recommend reef chili or zooplanton or anything like that? or should i just target feed my LPS with Rod's and wash my hands of this plankton crap?

 

oooOOOooo alright. um, stupid question: do i need any kind of special coral iodine or just medical grade? do i need to go to a LFS or can i save 50% on a walgreens trip?

 

Neither rods or zooplankton will really work with LPS either. They like meaty items. Depending on the size of the coral, brine, mysis, krill, those sorts of things. I feed my smaller LPS (hammer, acans, candy canes) brine/mysis, while my torch gets krill and chopped sea food. But even then I maybe feed once a month if that, it's not something that is really necessary.
I can't answer your question on the iodine because I honestly have no idea, so I will leave that one to someone else.

 

no rods either. what am i NOT wasting my money on?

 

If you can find Lugol's iodine at Walgreens, more power to ya. We buy ours from Foy's Pigeon Supply which, of course, is much cheaper than that which you find at the LFS.

 

great, thanks guys