Best Feeding Time?

[jcook54]

What's the best time to feed our corals?

I'm talking about reef roids or similar "powdered" coral foods. I usually feed once or twice a week when I just happen to notice my candy cane colony has it's tentacles out. This usually happen a little while after the lights turn off. The problem is that everything else in the tank seems to be dormant. The favia might be extending tentacles but everything else (acro, blasto, pocci, etc.) has retracted polyps once the lights go out. I'm not the most consistent with it either but I want to get on a somewhat regular schedule with it. My nitrates are really low and I thought I might try feeding a bit more to get them up rather than dosing.

 

[york1]

I feed about 30 minutes after the lights start ramping down. The ramp down over 90 minutes. It usually means the day shift is still active and the night shift is just coming out.

 

[dball711]

I feed mine at about 7:30 AM after the first lights turn on and then again at about midnight they get a heavy feeding about two hours after all the lights are out. So far this is getting me pretty decent results as far as growth and coral health. Polyp extension after lights is best after lights out.

 

[bhodges82]

My skimmer turns off at 9pm until 3am, i usually feed 1/4 tsp reef roids and frozen food after 9, and then feed 1/8 tsp aroind 5:30am. My light schedule is from 12pm to 11pm, the late night feeding should stay in the water column most of the night until the skimmer turns on and starts removing it, the early morning feeding happens because it's usually pretty dark in the house and tank and i know most of my coral has feeders out. This has been working really well for me for a while now.

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[Eric_n_Ga]

I feed wed evening about 2 hrs before lights out , and sat a heavier feeding a few hrs before a water change . Feeding reef roids mixed with rods full reef frozen food for some chunks . Also add a little phyto here and there like Mon and Thurs .

About this night feeding most of my corals seem to close up tight at night . What corals feed at night?

 

[bhodges82]

I feed wed evening about 2 hrs before lights out , and sat a heavier feeding a few hrs before a water change . Feeding reef roids mixed with rods full reef frozen food for some chunks . Also add a little phyto here and there like Mon and Thurs .

About this night feeding most of my corals seem to close up tight at night . What corals feed at night?

All of my chalice corals, fungia plate corals, acans, and sps extend at night.

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[bhodges82]

My skimmer turns off at 9pm until 3am, i usually feed 1/4 tsp reef roids and frozen food after 9, and then feed 1/8 tsp aroind 5:30am. My light schedule is from 12pm to 11pm, the late night feeding should stay in the water column most of the night until the skimmer turns on and starts removing it, the early morning feeding happens because it's usually pretty dark in the house and tank and i know most of my coral has feeders out. This has been working really well for me for a while now.

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I forgot to mention that this is my daily routine, i don't skip days.

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[dball711]

About this night feeding most of my corals seem to close up tight at night . What corals feed at night?

My Acros and montis have serious polyp extension once the lights go out.

 

[jcook54]

That is sick Dave. In a great way. I wonder why mine don't seem to do anything like that. Perhaps it's because I don't check on them much after lights out. My lights go off at 8:30 (after a blue period). Maybe I should check them right before I go to bed? How long after lights out does this happen in your system?

 

[dball711]

It’s about 2 hours after lights out when I feed at night but I think they start reaching out as son as the light go dark. Yes check it out and see what’s going on, I’ll bet you’re in for a surprise!

 

[bhodges82]

5am, everything is feeding.

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[Mom2Many]

I feed coral frenzy right before my lights turn on in the mornings. I feel that way the night feeders (like my candy canes) get some as it curculates though the system and then when the lights come on and things wake up... the day feeders get it too. I feed food to my fish about an hour after my lights come on when I dose my reef energy.