Who Gives A Fish Forums

I've got a mixed reef with mostly softies like Zoanthids and Mushrooms. How often should I be feeding them? Right now I'm doing twice a week with Reef Roids, but they don't seem to be growing much. Tank's a 40 gallon with LED lighting, parameters are stable, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 5 nitrate.

Dude, my Zoas thrive on neglect. I barely feed 'em and they're taking over the tank. Maybe yours are just chill like that. What's the vibe with your lighting? Mine are under cheap LEDs and they're popping.

landon wrote: ↑Tue Sep 09, 2025 6:14 am Dude, my Zoas thrive on neglect. I barely feed 'em and they're taking over the tank. Maybe yours are just chill like that. What's the vibe with your lighting? Mine are under cheap LEDs and they're popping.

Lighting can definitely affect growth. Armorguy, what's your photoperiod? Too much light without enough food can stress them.

Yeah, soft corals are like the couch potatoes of the reef world. They'll survive on scraps but might not win any growth contests. Try cutting back to once a week and see if they perk up. Or switch to a liquid food like PhytoFeast for variety.

Thanks for the tips. I'll try reducing the feeding and tweak the flow. My lights are on for 8 hours a day, but I'll monitor if that's too much.

armorguy wrote: ↑Tue Sep 09, 2025 3:54 pm Thanks for the tips. I'll try reducing the feeding and tweak the flow. My lights are on for 8 hours a day, but I'll monitor if that's too much.

8 hours is fine, but if you're running high-intensity LEDs, consider dimming them slightly. Soft corals don't need as much light as SPS.

Mine are under 12 hours of light, but it's budget stuff. Maybe your corals are just picky eaters. Ever tried spot feeding with a pipette? It's kinda fun.

Spot feeding can work, but it's easy to overdo it. If you go that route, start small. What's your tank's salinity? Stability there is key for softies.

Honestly, if they're not melting or closed up, they're probably fine. Soft corals are weird like that. Sometimes they just decide to grow when they feel like it.