This article was co-authored by Doug Ludemann. Doug Ludemann is the owner and operator of Fish Geeks, LLC, an aquarium services company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Doug has worked in the aquarium and fish-care industry for over 20 years, including having worked as a professional aquarist for the Minnesota Zoo and Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. He received his Bachelor of Science in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from the University of Minnesota.
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Coral is a marine organism that consists of numerous polyps. They are found in tropical oceans but can also be kept in saltwater aquariums. Coral are living animals and they need to eat. In addition to photosynthesis, most coral need to eat additional food directly from their environment. Learning how to feed coral will keep it healthy and thriving, resulting in a beautiful saltwater reef aquarium.
Steps
Feeding Your Coral Indirectly
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2Keep fish and other microfauna in your coral aquarium. The waste products of these creatures will be used to indirectly feed your coral.[5]
- Damselfish, Clownfish, Blue Green Chromis, and Firefish all fit in well with a coral environment.[6]
- Microfauna are the critters that live alongside coral in the ocean. Sponges, sea squirts, and marine worms are microfauna that will thrive alongside your coral and help to keep them healthy and well-fed.[7]
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3Purchase fish foods that can also be eaten by coral. These include phytoplankton, krill, shrimp, squid, or clams.[8]
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4Feed your fish. Feed your fish using the instructions on the box. Small bits of the food will naturally drift in the water, allowing your coral to eat it up.[9]
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5Leave your fish and other microfauna in the aquarium with your coral. The fish will digest the food and excrete detritus and dissolved organic compounds. Your coral will naturally feed on this residue.[10]
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6Feed your coral directly if necessary. If you notice your coral looking unhealthy, you may need to feed them directly.[11]
Feeding Your Coral Directly
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1Feed your coral two to three times a week. Wait one to two days between each feeding. You should notice an improvement in your coral’s health.
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2Purchase coral foods with different particle sizes. Coral polyps come in many different shapes and sizes. Smaller polyps will not be able to take in large particles of food, while larger polyps will prefer large particles of food. Mixing together a variety of foods with different particle sizes will give you the best results.[12]
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3Refer to the food containers for serving sizes. Different foods with different particle sizes will have different serving sizes. It’s important to get the serving sizes right so you don’t end up with extra food floating around in your tank.
- Overfeeding your coral can lead to a buildup of nitrates in your aquarium. Nitrates are toxic to coral. If you stick to the serving sizes on the food containers, this won’t be a problem.[15]
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4Mix the three foods together with saltwater from your aquarium. Measure out the serving sizes for each of your three foods. Place in a bowl or other container. Mix in enough salt water to soak all of the foods.[16]
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6Turn off the flow in your tank. This will allow you to target feed each coral without the food drifting away.[20]
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7Keep the lights on. Feed your coral at the end of the day when the daytime lights on your aquarium are still running.[21]
- You want to mimic a natural environment as much as possible in your aquarium. Coral are most active in the evening before the sun goes down. Feeding your coral in the evening will ensure they absorb the most nutrients.[22]
- If you forget to feed your coral in the evening, it’s OK to do a make-up feeding during the day.[23]
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10Turn the flow back on in your tank. This will allow fish in your saltwater tank to feed on the leftover coral food and will help to keep the aquarium clean.[28]
Community Q&A
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QuestionHow to draw a food web with ten organisms including grass, fleas, a beetle and a baboon?
Community AnswerThose four organisms don't all directly interact with each other, but you could have grass at the bottom and then being eaten by fleas, beetles and baboons. Then, you could show that fleas bite baboons and that baboons eat fleas.
Warnings
- Most coral can be fed easily. However, some rare coral require very specific types of food and feeding schedules. If you have a rare coral, ask someone at an aquarium store for help on how to care for it.⧼thumbs_response⧽
References
- ↑ Doug Ludemann. Aquarium Care Professional. Expert Interview. 27 August 2019.
- ↑ http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/aboutfeedingcorals/a/aa080804coralfo.htm
- ↑ http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/aboutfeedingcorals/a/aa080804coralfo.htm
- ↑ http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/aboutfeedingcorals/a/aa080804coralfo.htm
- ↑ Doug Ludemann. Aquarium Care Professional. Expert Interview. 27 August 2019.
- ↑ http://www.liveaquaria.com/PIC/article.cfm?aid=297
- ↑ http://www.personal.psu.edu/sbj4/aquarium/reeffood/feeding.htm
- ↑ http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/aboutfeedingcorals/a/aa080804coralfo.htm
- ↑ http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/aboutfeedingcorals/a/aa080804coralfo.htm
- ↑ Doug Ludemann. Aquarium Care Professional. Expert Interview. 27 August 2019.
- ↑ http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/aboutfeedingcorals/a/aa080804coralfo.htm
- ↑ https://reefbuilders.com/2015/09/14/how-to-feed-a-coral-reef-tank/
- ↑ https://reefbuilders.com/2015/09/14/how-to-feed-a-coral-reef-tank/
- ↑ https://reefbuilders.com/2015/09/14/how-to-feed-a-coral-reef-tank/
- ↑ http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/aboutfeedingcorals/a/aa080804coralfo.htm
- ↑ https://reefbuilders.com/2015/09/14/how-to-feed-a-coral-reef-tank/
- ↑ https://reefbuilders.com/2015/09/14/how-to-feed-a-coral-reef-tank/
- ↑ https://reefbuilders.com/2015/09/14/how-to-feed-a-coral-reef-tank/
- ↑ https://reefbuilders.com/2015/09/14/how-to-feed-a-coral-reef-tank/
- ↑ https://reefbuilders.com/2015/09/14/how-to-feed-a-coral-reef-tank/
- ↑ https://reefbuilders.com/2015/09/14/how-to-feed-a-coral-reef-tank/
- ↑ http://www.personal.psu.edu/sbj4/aquarium/reeffood/feeding.htm
- ↑ http://www.personal.psu.edu/sbj4/aquarium/reeffood/feeding.htm
- ↑ https://reefbuilders.com/2015/09/14/how-to-feed-a-coral-reef-tank/
- ↑ https://reefbuilders.com/2015/09/14/how-to-feed-a-coral-reef-tank
- ↑ https://reefbuilders.com/2015/09/14/how-to-feed-a-coral-reef-tank/
- ↑ https://reefbuilders.com/2015/09/14/how-to-feed-a-coral-reef-tank/
- ↑ https://reefbuilders.com/2015/09/14/how-to-feed-a-coral-reef-tank/
About This Article
To feed your coral directly, first purchase some coral food, which you’ll use to feed it 2-3 times a week. When you buy the food, you’ll need to get at least 3 different types to mix together, such as copepods, rotifers, and marine plankton, which will give your coral some nutritional variety. Once you have your coral’s food, follow the serving size instructions and mix the 3 types together in a small bowl with a little bit of salt water from your aquarium. Then, let the food mixture soak for 10 minutes to allow it to dissolve into the water. When you’re ready to feed your coral, use a pipette to gently squirt a small amount of the food mixture near each polyp of your coral. To learn how to feed your coral indirectly, read more from our Veterinary co-author!
