NPS Keepers, what are some of your observations?

Inwall, you should take 5 minutes and make my target feeder:



The applicator is rigid airline tubing and for me its long enough i can reach anywhere in my 125g without getting my water all "handsy" I don't get any NPS but I can individually deed chalices mouths with precision and unlike the bulb (turkey baster) type feeders I don't lose suction and dump in extra nutrients where they aren't used properly.

 

that is a great idea!

just purchased this yesterday to try out. Too early to see how it works but the fish LOVED it when I fed. Didnt get great PE at first however this morning everything was fully extended.

Welcome to Reef Interests - Reef Pearls

 

I know you like to experiment so have you looked in to growing your own phytoplankton? I have read a lot and depending on your set up it seems like it could be pretty easy and save you a small fortune. There are quite a few good YouTube videos on setups. I've looked in to it myself but I don't have any NPS corals. I do have a Gorgonian but it is defiantly photosynthetic. It likes a ton of flow and seems happiest if I point a powerhead (about 70gph) right on it.

 

I did years ago. WHAT A PAIN IN THE NECK!!! LOL The easiest to grow strain is nannochloropsis and, while it's great food for feeding copepods or gut-loading Artemia, it's less suitable as a food for most NPS animals. I want other red and brown phyto too and I have no desire to have 6 or 7 different cultures going. You constantly have to bleach bottles and equipment or it crashes. Accidentally get some phyto of a different strain on your hand and contaminate a different culture and it crashes. You look at some species that are more difficult to cultivate sideways and they crash. LOL Most of the phyto that is sold in LFS's and online are centrifuged to concentrate the population and also to remove excess nutrients. If I grow my own, all of those excess nutrients would go directly into my aquarium (which I don't want).

Gorgonians in low flow tend to grow algae on them which subsequently kills them. They are definitely an animal that likes good flow.

 

Nanno isn't even good for feeding copepods! They can't eat it. Nanno has a tough "shell" on it and copepods poop them out intact!

All the ones that are super nutritious are unstable as heck.

 

LOL However, it sure does prove that your skimmer is amazing. Just look at how much skimmate one gets in a day or two.

Yep. Like I said. All you have to do is look at them sideways and they crash.

In all honesty, I fiddle with things a lot, do experiments, challenge conventional wisdom, made some of my own foods, etc., all the time. This is one area where I just don't feel it's worthwhile to DIY. I have no problem whatsoever paying for a good blend of phyto. I just choose to not buy the formulations that are primarily Nanno.

 

What is a good blend of phyto?

 

phytofeast live by reef nutrition is the only one we use.

That is, unless we are using Phycopure.

 

There isnt a "good" mix of Phyto. I'm all about products that store their species separately. Everything in this world fights for space, food and basic survival. I don't want any of that going on in a bottle of product I pay money for. There will always be a winner when left long enough and you'll get a single species anyways.

Isochrysisis is great, but touchy with a short shelf life, but the nutritional value is off the hook.. Tetraselmis is much hardier and is still pretty nutritious. One thing nanno is great for, is keeping your culture tanks free of ammonia (unless you use a dead product and then it's just adding to the ammonia). Not your Phyto cultures, but for something like a rotifer culture.

 

Does anyone wonder what happens in the first chamber of a sump in a biocube that is fed phytoplankton and various types of zooplankton all day long? Aiptasia and a whole lot of featherdusters. Hey, I don't mind. As long as they stay there as opposed to growing in the tank, my attitude is live and let live.