some gorgonian PE pics!

Discussion in 'NPS Corals' started by schackmel, May 1, 2012.

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  1. schackmel

    schackmel Giant Squid

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    we basically feed all day long. Ideal way to feed NPS is to drip it in all day long, however we are manually feeding them.

    In the morning when the lights go on, we feed our fish Rods food and Rods fish eggs.

    Then through out the day we will feed a mixture of the above food, and do a lot of target feeding. We have a variety of feeding tools, a turkey baster, a syringe with feeding line and a couple medicine droppers. One of the droppers is left with the original size opening (for the finner particle food) and one that we cut off the tip to allow for meatier foods.

    We do basically have to adjut the amount and type of food used frequently depending on how the corals are doing. We still havent figured out the best way to feed yet.

    At the end of the night then we does phyto and Brightwell Zooplantinos M and S.
     
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  3. inwall75

    inwall75 Giant Squid

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    About 10~15 years ago, I was keeping "impossible things to keep alive" animals alive long-term. I was able to keep crinoids, sponges, scallops, jellyfish, etc. going well. Unfortunately, I wouldn't consider that tank a success. The name of the tank was the T.O.C. (Tank of Crap). It was ugly as sin. LOL I did a lot of experimentation then. I was keeping them alive but I doubt they were as healthy as they could have been.

    For a while, I partially owned a LFS and I kept NPS corals and critter successfully then too. However, I had thousands of gallons worth of water to dilute the extra food into. (I would seriously pollute the NPS tank on wall system #2 and the waterflow skipped this tank for 1/2 hour to an hour at a time and this tank had it's own powerhead for when the system wasn't running). Then I would open the ball valve and put it back into the system.....all the other corals in the other tanks would feed and the remainder would get skimmed out by the Poopmaster 5000. (The poopmaster 5000 was a 6foot tall Frankenstein's monster skimmer that I created by seriously modding a very large MRC skimmer). I kept everything alive. In fact, I grew Tubastrea so quick that I was able to afford to keep Tubastrea Eating Nudibranchs as pets. This is Frick and Frack. The Sea Slug Forum - Phestilla melanobrachia As you can see, they are very efficient feeders. For obvious reasons, they were kept in an entirely different system because I didn't know their reproduction methods. I chopped off some sun corals every week and fed them like one would put food into a dog's bowl. I felt a little more comfortable with this system because I wasn't just keeping things alive, I was getting reproduction and a LOT of growth.

    I'm still experimenting. I'm trying to reproduce the success I had at Planet Reef in a 29g. LOL I know it sounds silly. However, please wait until I fail to make fun of me....it's working thus far. Remember the old Chinese proverb...."“The man (person) who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it”. Once I'm satisfied with my feeding routine, I'm going to be moving this to a 40 breeder with a sump and a skimmer to make my life easier.
     
  4. steve wright

    steve wright Super Moderator

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    this thread needs some additional feeding time pictures IMHO

    for those of us with zero or minimal experience of NPS corals
    it would be interesting to see just how the tank looks during feeding time

    Steve
     
  5. inwall75

    inwall75 Giant Squid

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    I'll try an take some after they've been fed.
     
  6. schackmel

    schackmel Giant Squid

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    tried to snap some pictures after the final feeding tonight. Earlier today have had oyster feast, phytofeast, reef pearls and cyclopeeze.

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    Tonights final course included feedings for the gorgorians first with reef pearls. We turn all the pumps off and target feed these. Unfortunately pictures post feeding of these really dont turn out very well because the polyps usually close up when they take the food.

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    The introduction of this food will get the polyps of the other corals out.
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    Then comes the second course for this evening. Tonights menu included rotifers, oyster feast, rods coral food, and phytofeast (we have sponges in this tank also) We go around and hit each polyps of the sun corals (tubestrea) and the dendros. I have recently added several acans in this tank, and also feed each polyps this (i am working on training these new frags to take more meatier food.......will move onto krill soon)

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    here you can see the bottom was just fed

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    Then comes dessert. I mixed cyclopeeze in the remaining coral food and went back and fed each polyps again. With the remainder of the food, i just dumped in the tank for the carnations and chili corals.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: May 4, 2012
  7. Vinnyboombatz

    Vinnyboombatz Giant Squid

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    Awesome pics!! Also thanks for reminding me to purchase some Reef Nutrition stock.I hear it is going to do well this quarter.LOL;)
     
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  9. steve wright

    steve wright Super Moderator

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    Fantastic sequence of pictures, thanks to both of you for these

    question, from start to finish, how long does feeding time take ?
    I will be keeping a look out for the Reef Pearls having read a few posts about them on here
    including Curtis and yours (Trent is a fan also)
     
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  10. schackmel

    schackmel Giant Squid

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    thanks! About 30 min or so at a time. However, we dose a little and do other things so it is not like 30 min continous time. And honestly there are many feedings that time is short and we will just dump it in and just allow them to filter feed it.

    There are also many days that we may not feed more than 1 time a day due to time, however we really try to do at least 3 times a day and try to ensure each polyps is fed. This has resulted in some great PE, and all of our sun corals are day trained. Plus we are getting great growth rates, especially with our dendros.

    as you can see in some of the pictures, algea is a problem in this tank at times, especially on the glass. Nutrient export is truly the biggest problems in this tank. While NPS require almost a constant supply of food, they really do not do well with dirty water. Hence the frequent water changes. We regularly replace phosgaurd and Clear FX pro by Blue Life (new, better type of Chemipure elite)

    The tank is a 29g biocube. We are planning on growing into a bigger tank eventually but right now as you can see we are having good luck.

    There are a couple pieces that we are still looking for to complete our collection. We want black tubestrea and I want a spider sponge.

    THanks everyone for looking and all the good comments
     
  11. schackmel

    schackmel Giant Squid

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    purchased 2 more pieces today for the tank. Local store advertised they had in spider sponge so I ran to get that. I picked that up and also found a purple gorgonia ventalia. I can not wait to see them open up, as soon as they do will post pics!

    It is funny because this particular LFS brings in the unique and different things and knows we have a NPS tank. The owner (who mind you is one of our competetors) took me around and showed me all the new and unusual things they got in. He actually drops me emails when things come in. That is how we got anglers, yellow carnation etc.

    On side note, we did just pick up the new reef nutrition tigger feast.........more updates to come
     
  12. schackmel

    schackmel Giant Squid

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    here are our 2 newest additions!

    Spider sponge.......as you can see he hasnt polyped out yet.

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    and our purple sea fan
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    when they are more settled in i will try to get close ups