Fauna Marin question

[Kreeger1]

I'm getting ready to make a order for fauna marin foods. I just don't know what all to order.

Could someone give me a list of foods and suplements I would need to start the fauna marin system.

I keep Dendros, scerlo's sea fans and sponges if that helps.
Im looking to add this system as a add on to what im doing. So I probably won't be feeding it as often as the say to, it will replace a feeding of what I would normally feed.

Thanks Erik

[KeithM]

Hi Erik,

I pretty much use the whole range of Fauna Marin foods in a wet mix, bacteria mix and I also use the particluate foods in a autofeeder.

1. Wet paste - mostly for the seafans/sclerons
- Ultraseafan, ultraminF and UltraminS. Seafan and MinF are particulate foods and MinS is a general amino acids solution. I mix all three up (sometimes with some ultraclam and ultrabooster too) into a paste, then store it in a syringe so its easy for me to feed and keeps the mix moist if you cap it off.

2. Bacteria/particle mix (Frozen) - mostly for the dendros:
Ultrapac - coral mucus/carrier
ultrabio - bacteria strains
ultraminS - amino acids
Ultralife - a zeolite clay-like powder carrier
Ultraclam - phytoplankton
UltraminF & Ultraseafan - particle foods.
Ultrabooster - fatty acids

With the bacteria mix, you need to prep it in advance. I first mix ultralife and ultraminS into a paste together 24hrs before hand for the ultralife to absorb the aminos. The next day, I add a little extra MinS to losen the paste up. You will find the the ultralife absorbs of a lot fo the minS. The reason we do this is so that the ultralife can carrier the aminos to the corals.

You also need to prepare the ultrapac 24/hrs before hand. Mix the ultrapac with saltwater, ultrabio and a little minS. Mix well - use a handheld food blender. Leave this for 24hrs until the ultrapac granules have dissolved completely. This also gives the bacteria time to multiply in the mix.

Once both the ultralife and ultrapac mix have been prepared for 24 hours, mix the whole lot together with ultraclam, ultraseafan, ultraminF and ultrabooster. You can either feed this mix directly, or freeze it into cubes. I also sometimes add frozen rotifers in the frozen mix.

I currently am freezing them in 15ml test tubes and I feed 2-3 tubes a day. I have just designed a new feeder (similar to a magnetic kalk stirrer) and I should have it to test by next week. This wil be used to feed cubes of the frozen bac mix.

WARNING: if you feed the bacteria mix neat - be prepared for a seriously bad smell! I have kept the mix at room temp for upto 2weeks...whilst the corals seem to love it..after about day 5-7...it starts to smell very bad...this is the reason why i started freezing it.

The idea behind the mucus/bacteria mix is that dendros feed on coral mucus (SPS?) that is carried down flow to the dendros. As this mucus mix flows towards the dendros, it is broken down by bacteria and also picks up various bits of zooplankton and phytoplankton. This mass/floc of bacteria and plankton is what dendros feed on... - At the moment, this is what i'm going by ;)

3. Dry mix - fed in autofeeder - ultraminF, Ultraseafan, ultraclam. Along with other foods such as - reef roids, coral frenzy, tropic marin zooton etc.

[Kreeger1]

Thanks for the info, lots to take in :)

[Kreeger1]

Also, when I get the packages, do I mix all the contents in?
if not do you store them in the freezer or frig?
Thanks again
Erik

[KeithM]

Also, when I get the packages, do I mix all the contents in?
if not do you store them in the freezer or frig?
Thanks again
Erik

Hi Erik,

I'm not sure what you mean exactly...

I make my mixes in batches (about 3-4weeks worth) and freeze it.

The wet paste mix (seafan + MinF + MinS) I keep in a syringe at room temp.

HTH

[Neptheid]

Keith, how much of the Fauna Marin product do you go through in a month? Do you find it really expensive to keep it up?

[KeithM]

Keith, how much of the Fauna Marin product do you go through in a month? Do you find it really expensive to keep it up?

Hi, I go through a lot of foods - not just Fauna Marin stuff...so yes, the cost does mount up. I do try to buy foods in bulk to keep the cost down a little...I haven't worked out how much i'm spending per month...but its quite a bit!

[tomcoleman]

keith can you show me some pics of this feeding syringe? I have a GHL doser and woundered if i can use this to dose the mixture if i keep it a very light paste in ro water with small airstone to mix

[KeithM]

No photos I'm afraid - thread is very old. Just picture regular 20ml medical syringe filled with a thick paste.

I have also tried using peri dosers. The grotech peri (triple doser) would get gummed up and burst at the joints or just stop all together. The only doser that was able to keep pace with the pressure from the thick mixture was the Fauna Marin industrial type doser.

When I keep the paste light, bacteria would grow very quickly in the mixture that would again gum up the grotech doser. Also, after a couple days, the smell was disgusting...

IMO, the best way to deliver the food would be either via a refrigerated container or medical syringe doser

[tomcoleman]

keithm see my update http://www.ultimatereef.net/forums/showthread.php?p=3291913#post3291913

I might just squirt daily