Greedy cleaner

[little_fish]

I would say things like green star polyps are 100% sustained on their symbiotic relationship. Supplemental feeding is only helping them by making your water "dirty" which they love. I dont consider the uptake of dissolved organics from decomposed food as eating.

And i look at almost every single post on this site, and i would say my corals grow at a comparable rate without supplemental feedings.

And please take the time to read the paper i linked to

 

[jzaso]

Your tuff Little fish,-I believe starpolyps are gorgania- not true corals - I saw the paper could not read it all based on 1955 study?Your right it is not a blanket statement but applies to 90% of true corals.Corals are the only animal that 70% of the animal is devoted to capturing/ processing food.
I believe for long term survival (over 3yrs) supplemental feeding is needed.
I,m sorry about the short responses-lets call it a truce?
John.

 

[little_fish]

sure, im fine with a truce

 

[BL1]

I believe for long term survival (over 3yrs) supplemental feeding is needed.
I,m sorry about the short responses-lets call it a truce?
John.

I'm not arguing, or trying to pick on you. I legitimately want to learn more, that's why I'm asking this. If I've never fed my coral and it's 4x bigger than when I bought it a year ago, then why after three years if it's not fed will it die. A growing coral in my mind would be a healthy coral, correct?

Original frag

And today

 

[jzaso]

Hey Brian,
The way I understand it is when the coral is smaller the food requirements are smaller as the tank (contained system) matures so does the biomass(corals/clams ect)overpowering the tanks ability to produce food(zoo/phyto/bacteria/)as the tanks mass is constant the coral is not -always growing requiring more food.
Certain species can live for years in captive system with out feeding others months-every species has diff req -I know thru exper that after three years of no feeding Favia/favites/ will lose the ability to produce feeder tentacles and rapidly decline.
By the way that is a beautiful thriving coral
I go with current scientific line of thought and experiance on this , my long term results,
have been huge with supplentmental feeding with LPS corals
John

 

[jzaso]

Cool little fish,
Have good night!

 

[BL1]

Hey Brian,
The way I understand it is when the coral is smaller the food requirements are smaller as the tank (contained system) matures so does the biomass(corals/clams ect)overpowering the tanks ability to produce food(zoo/phyto/bacteria/)as the tanks mass is constant the coral is not -always growing requiring more food.
Certain species can live for years in captive system with out feeding others months-every species has diff req -I know thru exper that after three years of no feeding Favia/favites/ will lose the ability to produce feeder tentacles and rapidly decline.
By the way that is a beautiful thriving coral
I go with current scientific line of thought and experiance on this , my long term results,
have been huge with supplentmental feeding with LPS corals
John

That makes sense, with the requirements growing as the coral gets bigger. I don't spot feed but, I figure that when I feed my fish, some small, small pieces get blown around to the corals. That is what I meant by not feeding, they will get food supplimentally by feeding my fish.

 

[jzaso]

Yes,
That is some supplement more when the fish hmm.. poops?
Problem with our contained systems is there ability to produce food degrades
rapidly as the rock and sand bed become impacted less surface area for bacto/plank.
to colonize= less food production as our corals are rapidly growing demanding more-
This hobby is a constant learning experience-more is known of the moon that is what are in our ocean! sad isnt it!
Have good night Brian,
John.