Spot Feeding SPS

[casper320]

Does anyone spot feed SPS, specifically acros?

I notice when I turn off my pumps where its possible to surround my acros in a "cloud" of food, I get a strong response and secretion of mucus from the acros.

I've read in reputable sources that mucus can mean a feeding response, but also mean stress. It clearly seems like the purpose is capturing food, I'm just curious how the physiology works with drawing the mucus back into their polyps or if that even happens. If that's the case it does seem like SPS take a long longer to eat than LPS.

Has anyone kept their pumps off and fed their SPS and seen any positive benefits?

[erky]

there are a few studies out there that contradict each other, id say if you see them grow/color better then keep it up. if anythign you are adding po4/no3 which can help them to some degree rather than the physical food

[lazylivin]

When feeding a super small micron food many acropora will shoot out white filament feeding Tentacles. They will be completely different from the polyps that we see extended during the day and come out of the skin of the acro. They are super fine like hair. Enough to cloud the water of 0 to 50 µm fish meal like golden pearls from BSD will typically bring them out for about 15 - 20 minutes. Are you seeing them or just mucus? If just mucus then it may be an irritation to the food.

I have seen an improvement in many corals from feeding food sizes it can consume.  Not to the point where it’s going to turn an unhealthy or brown coral into a colorful coral. But minor color/growth improvements to a healthy, colorful coral. 
Sps because they don’t feed from their polyps but rather a specialized micro tentacles that takes a good 10 minutes to come out after food is introduced probrably will benefit better from a broadcasted food that is neutrally buoyant that stays in the water column for the longest time

[casper320]

Do you know if reef roids or benepets contain food thats <50um? It may be a combination of mucus and tentacles. When I turn the flow back on the mucus gets blown around in the water column.

[SweetReefOH]

I can’t answer your question about size but after the mucus comes off the coral, the feeding filaments can be seen in the flow, coming off the coral skin.

[lazylivin]

You want to keep the flow on when feeding sps. I am not sure about those products either but here is a great sps food
https://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/original-golden-pearl-diets-active-spheres/gp-5-50-micron-reef-larval-diet/

Use this link for a 5% discount https://www.brineshrimpdirect.com/?AFFILIATE=05114

[casper320]

Awesome! Thanks