A question on direct feeding your LPS

[Lam]

I recently got an oxypora and have been unsucessful at feeding the coral. I've managed to put the coral in a location that the tangs won't nip at. I feed the fish/hermits/starfish/shrimp to distract them but the coral eats so slow that the other inhabitants eventually end up stealing food from the oxypora. I can't fashion a dome over the coral because of the location it's in.

Anyone have a trick they want to share?

 

[Fingolfin]

The same thing happened to me.

A couple years ago I had a pair bubble corals. For the longest time I didn't feed them at all and they were doing well. All of the sudden I decided to feed them chunks of food at a time. However, they digested so slowly that my tangs and butterflies tore apart corals to reach the food. Needless to say, the corals suffered then never recovered.

Then I gave up feeding LPS after that.

 

[jango]

What about something like this Lam,

 

[reefnroll]

Lam -
Dude... just ask your coral's mutha!

I fed that coral mostly at night. It lived in my frag tank, which is on a reverse light schedule from my reef... so it ate in the dark, in a fishless tank. No problem... no competition. Plus, with the lights out, oxys send out tentacles that snatch up the food like fly paper.
The parent colony lives in the reef and eats with a participatory audience. It takes in what it can... but it doesn't get a 'lot.' Just feed the rest of your tank well, then dump some foof onto that frag. In time, it will learn to send out feeders during the time you normally feed. It just needs a chance to adjust and fend for itself (swallow faster). You can also try to slip it a meal or two at night when the tentacles are out.

b

 

[Lam]

Jango, thanks but unfortunately I can't fashion something like that because of where the coral is placed.

Bec, I didn't want to pester. I have actually started feeding when lights are out. However, my starfish loves to feed in the dark as well as my peppermints and hermits. I fed the brittle starfish a decent sized oyster chunk but she's such a pig! I'm afraid to overfeed but I don't see any other options.

Thanks for the replies!

 

[Armando]

lam any pix?

 

[wrassefan]

Lam,
I usually feed the tank with the return pumps off but the tunze on to circulate the food. It does suspend longer with the main pump off...and I feed a bit heavy as most do. I do agree with Bec and feed the tank then target the oxy.

 

[reefnroll]

Lam -

Don't worry about pestering me. That's one of my favorite corals, and I would gladly spend the time to help you figure out the feeding issue - or any other for that matter - than have either of you suffer. Andy is right about the pumps. When I really want all my LPS to get a good meal... I shut everything down for about 15 minutes and then do a huge feeding dump. That frag of yours have about... what... 5-7 mouths? It will definitely get something.

Also... feed very small bits to the oxy, and larger stuff to the pigs. The oxy will take in meaty foods that are chopped up, like mysis, clam, etc. Just make it into a mush.

b

 

[Lam]

Also... feed very small bits to the oxy, and larger stuff to the pigs. The oxy will take in meaty foods that are chopped up, like mysis, clam, etc. Just make it into a mush.

Aha! I've been feeding it ~1/8"-1/4" cubes of fleshy foods. No wonder why it can't swallow it! The food sits there on a pedestal for one of the many inhabitants to dine on. It's been also been fed mush, so I suppose it's been eating after all. WHEW!

Armando, I can't believe I haven't taken a picture of that acquisition. Thanks for reminding me and here it is:

 

[Armando]

wow very nice !

 

[Pinkskunk]

Is that an Achan.... something?
a very pricey coral.

 

[Lam]

Sorry for the fuzzy shot. I was lazy and didn't use the tripod, but you get the picture.

Pinkskunk, it's not ancanthastrea and the current craze puts the prices way out of my budget. It's oxypora lacera which um....er, is also pricey.

I found one site selling a 1/2" frag for $80. Thank you Bec for making this prized coral palatable. It's at least 1.5" with 6 mouths.

Bec, I don't recall this coral 'scrolling' in your tank. Should it in the future? Here's a picture at fishindex.com:

 

[skyedolphan]

He looks to be doing very well although shocked that you posted a pic fuzzy like that heheh

 

[Lam]

Actually I just checked here and it mentions plating/laminar growth pattern I like that better

 

[Armando]

[ stands in line for a frag]

 

[reefnroll]

Hey Lam -

Yeah... I'm sure that baby has been sucking down food... it looks nice and fleshy. It gets bony looking and off-color when it's not eating well. Maybe move it into a tad more light to bring out the blue hues more (if the colors in your shot are accurate)... but it's looking just great. There an old shot of the parent colony on this thread... last shot.
http://216.235.242.50/forums/showthread.php?t=5374&page=1
This colony was 90% dead when I got it from Skiptons about 3 years ago. I have a shot somewhere.. I'll post it when I find it.

b

 

[reefnroll]

Oh well...

I can't find the very first shot... but here's the colony about 3 months after I got it, when the flesh had at least grown enough to cover most of the skeleton. This piece is just a little larger than Lam's frag, but his frag is a whole lot healthier!

 

[reefnroll]

Here's what it turned out to be.

I need to take a new shot. It's actually nicer looking than this now.