coral question....

[tampafishguy]

I have a quick question, can a colony of coral transfer nutrients from polyp to polyp? i.e. if I feed just some of the polyps in a colony, will others receive nutrients?

thanks guys....

 

[Aquarian]

What kind of coral are you asking about? Sun Coral each head has to be fed, flowerpot also. I don't think the mouth of a polyp is a community mouth.

 

[tampafishguy]

i was asking about favia and acan colonies more than anything else.

 

[Aquarian]

Each head of a lps is a individual and can live independently of the colony. That being said fi you were to feed the same head and not feed the others you would see better growth in the fed head. But not all Lps require feeding, but they do grow faster with feeding

 

[MitchReef]

The question is entirely specific to the exact LPS. Some types share and others don't. I know that Blastomussa wellsi share nicely. You feed one, you're feeding them all.....

 

[pkc]

Hi tampafishguy.
No, most species of coral polyps waste, that provides a large proportion of the symbiotic algae’s diet will not provide anything to the next polyp beyond 5 to 10 percent of useful nutrients which includes the organically bonded phosphorus and orthophosphate!
There are ways to feed all corals, large and small polyp with just adding the foods to your aquarium and not selective feeding.
We see millions of acans here and keep most colours, I just copied this pic of a single polyp starting out that I took a pic of on a recent collecting trip of the thousands seen that day in one to three foot of water.
A single acan polyp before A sexually adding to its community.