Fauna Marin has developed a new food for corals called Coral Sprint. Fauna Marin has described it as, “a revolutionary progression in feeding technology” so we have decided to give it a try in one of our coral farm tanks starting next week.
Coral Sprint is a highly nutritious powdered food that can be used to feed SPS, LPS, and Azoox coral. It contains a collection of beneficial nutrients and proteins which until now, was only found in nature.
Coral Sprint is the first product to utilize volatile proteins, bacterial cells, and special nutrients as a food source. This selection of proteins and fats are commonly available in nature, but not in enclosed aquariums. Admittedly, I wasn’t exactly sure what volatile proteins were when I first read this description but Fauna Marin has described it for us in greater detail below.
In nature, corals are constantly surrounded by beneficial nutrients but in enclosed systems, the supply is scarce and sporadic. Fauna Marin has studied the effects of this missing link in a semi-closed system like an aquarium and through their research, they developed Coral Sprint. Simply put, Coral Sprint provides our aquarium corals with key beneficial nutrients without the risk of increasing NO3 and PO4.
Dosing recommendation:
- Mix Coral Sprint powder in a cup of tank water, shake well for at least 20 seconds
- Dosing Amount – Add 1 level scoop with the dosing spoon of Coral Sprint (included) per 132 US gal (500 liters) of aquarium water every 2 days.
- Pour directly into the aquarium.
The instructions do not mention turning off protein skimmers or other mechanical filtration devices but it makes sense to dose this product in feed mode, if you have that ability, to obtain maximum absorption.
According to Fauna Marin, Coral Sprint is the first product on the market to take the special nutrients found in nature and successfully turn it into an available food source for your coral.
This new source is the missing link for providing many corals with essential foods that conventional coral foods do not supply. In nature, corals are found in very clean, yet nutrient-rich water. By nutrient-rich, we do not mean Nitrates or Phosphates, instead we refer to it as “coral feed“ such as plankton and volatile nutrients which are constantly available to the animals.
These volatile nutrients are best described as a mixture of proteins and fats which are constantly being formed then decomposed by marine bacteria; this is a reoccurring process in nature’s reefs. It is this process that ensures the endless variety of species in our reefs. Finding a way to utilize these volatile nutrients as a food source has been a problem that has gone unsolved, until now. Coral Sprint is the first coral feed which makes these special nutrients available to the aquarium enthusiast. The volatile nutrients that occur in nature can now be fed to your corals! Preserved in beta-glucan shell cells, these nutrients become available to the corals after the powder has been dissolved.
-
- T Meyer Coral Examples using Coral Sprint
How it Works
Coral Sprint is consumed by corals in two ways. Corals can absorb Coral Sprint nutrients directly through their tissue by contact and also by ingesting the food particles though the coral mouth. Coral Sprint is much finer than the usual coral food and is therefore beneficial to all corals, as well as sponges and azooxanthellate corals (non-photosynthetic), which especially benefit from this product. Coral Sprint closes a supply gap, which can occur again and again in nutrient-poor SPS and LPS aquariums. When added to the system, no NO3 or PO4 is increased, but corals are nevertheless supplied with the essential feed. Coral Sprint is not a selective product that emphasizes individual colors or is developed for certain animal groups. Coral Sprint provides a deep, rich color and fluorescence for all corals and a metallic shine on coral tissue. In addition, it provides your corals with energy – especially in nutrient-poor aquariums or with special husbandry systems such as the Fauna Marin US Style Primefrag® system. The effect of Coral Sprint depends on environmental parameters. It is ideal for low-nutrient systems and/or coral breeders with SPS and LPS. With a low and long-term dosage, as well as low nutrient values and correctly adjusted water values, you can achieve better growth even under heavy blue light conditions.
Calculating the best dosage
Due to the differences in tank size, stocking levels, and aquarium husbandry techniques, an exact dosage for your reef cannot be calculated. The amount of Coral Sprint to add to your reef will solely depend on the aforementioned factors. Our feeding recommendations serve as a tool to help you find the appropriate amount of food required by your tank. When dosing Coral Sprint, the feed remains active in the aquarium for a short time but is then completely decomposed and consumed by corals, bacteria, sponges, and sea squirts.
Feeding instructions: 1 Dosing spoon per 500 L or 132 US gal, add every 2 days. Take a sample of tank water and add 1 dosing spoon per 500 liters or 132 US gallons to the sample cup. Dissolve the Coral Sprint powder by shaking vigorously for at least 20 seconds. Feed the solution directly into the aquarium by pouring in a high-flow area. For heavily stocked aquariums and SPS-heavy Zeolight systems, add 1 drop of Food Energizer per dosing spoon. Compatibility with other Products and Systems Coral Sprint can be used alongside all types of filtration and nutrient management systems. We recommend you start with 25% of the indicated dosage and increase the dose by 10% per week. Dosing Coral Sprint with Reef Vitality and Coral Balance: Coral Sprint, Reef Vitality and Coral Balance can be dosed together. We recommend you start your CS, RV and CB dosage at 50% of the recommended feeding instructions. For all other coral foods, Coral Sprint can be dosed at the same time. We recommend aquariums using Coral Sprint, always use activated carbon, such as Carb L.
Mixing Instructions Shelf-life after mixing Coral Sprint is biologically active and contains no artificial preservatives. For that reason, Coral Sprint should be used immediately after you dissolve the powder. The solution created with Coral Sprint can only be used for a few hours, unless frozen.
Coral Sprint is now available at authorized online dealers and retail stores in the US.
