Tip of the Day – 1/2/2012

During the day, corals get their nutrition from photosynthesis driven by our aquarium’s lighting. Depending on the species, photosynthesis byproducts account for more than 90% of a coral’s daily nutritional intake. However, coral’s do actively feed on other particles, and a good majority these feeding activities occur at night. This is evident by extended polyps when the lights are out. Because of this, aquarium keepers should also consider feeding their tank at night. Feeding during the day can provide valuable nutrients, but why not feed them when they are actually trying to eat? Just sneak in a couple of hours after the lights have turned off, dump in a bottle cap or more of plankton based foods, and that’s it…simple as that.