Feeding Dendros

[SlamaJama]

Ive have my dendros for a few days now and there happy and healthy ,so far. I religiously feed them every other day, but its hard and im looking for some other ways or systems of feeding them.
I have an SPS dominated tank, and im torn between keeping the fish occupied while i feed the dendros, i over feed the tank so that they (the blasted fish) dont steal dendros food...i find myself standing guard while they slowly (as freakin ice melts) eat....sps dont like lots nutrients, so its a problem to over feed tank....any sugestions?

 

[Deanos]

You could feed the dendrophyllias after the lights are out.

I use a Kent SeaSquirt to target feed my corals.

 

[jhale]

I got the squirt to feed my duncans, and my acans.

 

[fritz]

Maybe you don't need to target feed them (I know it sounds crazy.) I've been reading a lot lately about how people have a tendancy to feed LPS the "biggest thing they can swallow" and think that they are doing what's good. The fact is that it takes a VERY large amount of energy and effort for the LPS to digest large food, if they can at all. More often then end up digesting some and spitting out the rest. Autoposies seem to show that LPS eat much smaller food then most people target feed. So while they CAN swallow a large meal you're better off giving them smaller ones that they can more easily digest. The articles suggest the Ronen method. Overfeed and your LPS will do fine on the scraps.

 

[DEEPWATER]

Mike ,find a low flow area where the dendro can brag the food

I place my sunpolpys and dendro in those areas and they eat verytime i feed my tank no need for target feeding

 

[House of Laughter]

Mike, I have NEVER target fed any of my acans or any LPS for that matter

However, I am thinking you want them to grow out?

I would avoid feeding them every other day. I agree with Fred and the article on the animal needing energy to feed - when will they grow??

I am feeding the duncans once a week and then whatever it can grab from feeding the fish. This is new to me as well and I am not liking the feeding thing, but, that comes with the territory I guess.

In short:
Feed

 

[House of Laughter]

Mike, I have NEVER target fed any of my acans or any LPS for that matter

However, I am thinking you want them to grow out?

I would avoid feeding them every other day. I agree with Fred and the article on the animal needing energy to feed - when will they grow??

I am feeding the duncans once a week and then whatever it can grab from feeding the fish. This is new to me as well and I am not liking the feeding thing, but, that comes with the territory I guess.

HTH

House

 

[SlamaJama]

nearly imposible to find a low flow area, whr i can apreciate them, i have a baster and a asperator that i can get the food to them, its the fish STEALING the food thats the problem, even if thr full they peck at the shrimp or meat i give them...uhhhgg

 

[Deanos]

Mike, I have NEVER target fed any of my acans or any LPS for that matter

Let's not forget that the dendros SlamaJama is referring to, obtain zero nutrition from light, unlike the acans and other LPS you're accustomed to. In Mike's scenario, where they are competing with fish, scraps alone will not sustain his colony for long; let alone growing them out.

Duncanopsammia is a different story, as they do obtain energy from light.

 

[DEEPWATER]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Reef-Aquarium-T...oryZ3212QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

get one of these the target feed you ttank ,best way i found next to a baster

 

[fritz]

Mike I think the only solution is to give them to me
You know what they say, "If you love something, set it free"

Holla at ya boy!

 

[SlamaJama]

.......i have a baster and a aspirator that i can get the food to them, its the fish STEALING the food that's the problem, even if the fish r full they peck at the shrimp or meat i give them...

its the thievery i need to fend off, not so much getting them food

 

[Deanos]

its the thievery i need to fend off, not so much getting them food

Previously posted:

You could feed the dendrophyllias after the lights are out.

 

[SlamaJama]

Previously posted:

i read that ty...lol....thats not working, im old, and my eyes r closing around 10-11pm and thats when my lights r totally off...

 

[scarf_ace1981]

slama this may sound stupid but the only thing i can think of is using a 2 litter bottle. just cut the bottom off and set it over the dendros. but this may only work if they are on the bottom glass, if they are on your rockwork the 2 litter method may not work.

it sure beats the hell out of standing there for ten mins waiting for the dendro swallows while you shoo your fish and shrimp away

 

[heuerfan]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Reef-Aquarium-T...oryZ3212QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

get one of these the target feed you ttank ,best way i found next to a baster

Hey Ronen, is the tube big enough to take in mysis shrimp? This is exactly what i've been looking for!

Slama- like Jon said, you might have to make a shield for them while you feed. I personally have to stand on guard also because of my hungry fish.

For the record, i'm feeding my dendros every day lots of mysis

 

[Dace]

which one do you guys think is better this http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merc...ct_Code=K-SSQRT1&Product_Count=&Category_Code=

or this http://cgi.ebay.com/Reef-Aquarium-T...oryZ3212QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[DevIouS]

I have the eBay doser.....works great.

Mike:
I would not feed every other day. That's bit much.
I would start off with a small amount every few days, then gradually work your way up to larger amounts & more frequent.
I feed every 3 days & sometimes go up to a week.
It doesn't have to be a set schedule.

It's true more feeding = better growth for this coral.

I deal with the fish eating & shrimp grabbing as well. I guess it's one of the joys of owning a Dendro.

I feed all the critters & fish at the same time to keep them busy while the Dendro feeds, but find myself standing guard as well.
Keep in mind, if you feed a large amount at one time...the longer it will take for it to consume it.
They are very slow eaters.
There are times I feed small amounts twice in a day.


Dean:
If he chose to feed at night....I think it will cause the Dendro to open up mostly at night.

 

[SlamaJama]

thxs house and others...

jon, i might try it, ive used it before for my sun corals (thy died tho)

philly, great info, thxs

steven, thy seem to prefer mysis ove my home made (no accounting for taste)

david, turkey baister...99cents...but im sure the $14 jobers have thr perks..lol

 

[Deanos]

Dean:
If he chose to feed at night....I think it will cause the Dendro to open up mostly at night.

Absolutely true. But an open Dendro eating at night will probably be healthier than an open Dendro not eating enough during the day under the circumstances SlamaJama described.