Target Feeding
Target feeding is a coral feeding technique that involves delivering food directly to an individual coral rather than dispersing it throughout the aquarium. By placing food close to the coral's feeding structures, reef keepers can ensure that specific corals receive nutrition while reducing competition from fish, invertebrates, and other corals within the system.
This method is commonly used when feeding larger-polyped corals, corals recovering from stress, newly introduced specimens, or individual corals that may require additional nutrition.
Why Is Target Feeding Important?
Target feeding allows reef keepers to provide nutrition with a high level of precision. Instead of relying on food drifting through the water column, food is placed directly where the coral can capture and consume it.
Benefits of target feeding may include:
- Delivering nutrition directly to specific corals
- Reducing competition from fish and other tank inhabitants
- Supporting stressed or recovering corals
- Feeding corals with larger feeding responses
- Reducing unnecessary food dispersion
Many hobbyists use target feeding when they want to ensure a particular coral receives adequate nutrition.
How Does Target Feeding Work?
Target feeding is typically performed using a feeding tool such as:
- Pipette
- Turkey baster
- Feeding syringe
- Coral feeder
Food is mixed with aquarium water and gently released near the coral's polyps or feeding tentacles. Water flow is often reduced temporarily to prevent food from being carried away before the coral has an opportunity to capture it.
Once the food comes into contact with the coral, feeding responses may occur as the coral captures and consumes the available nutrients.
Which Corals Benefit Most from Target Feeding?
Many coral species can benefit from target feeding, but it is particularly common with:
- Large Polyp Stony (LPS) corals
- Corals with visible feeding tentacles
- Newly fragged corals
- Recovering corals
- Corals showing reduced growth or feeding activity
Some corals readily accept larger food particles, making target feeding an effective method for delivering concentrated nutrition.
Target Feeding vs Broadcast Feeding
Target feeding and broadcast feeding are the two primary feeding approaches used in reef aquariums.
Target Feeding
Food is delivered directly to a specific coral, providing precise nutritional delivery.
Broadcast Feeding
Food is distributed throughout the aquarium, allowing multiple corals and reef inhabitants to feed naturally from suspended particles.
Both methods can be effective depending on the coral species, feeding goals, and food being used. Many successful reef keepers incorporate both techniques into their overall feeding strategy.
Common Misconception: Every Coral Must Be Target Fed
A common misunderstanding is that all corals require direct feeding.
In reality, many coral species are highly adapted to capturing suspended food particles from the water column and may thrive with broadcast feeding alone. Target feeding can be beneficial in certain situations, but it is not always necessary for every coral in every aquarium.
The best feeding approach often depends on the coral species and the overall nutritional strategy of the reef system.
Can Target Feeding Improve Coral Growth?
When used appropriately, target feeding can help ensure corals receive adequate nutrition. However, coral growth depends on many factors, including lighting, water chemistry, flow, nutrient availability, and overall system stability.
Target feeding should be viewed as one component of a complete coral nutrition program rather than a guaranteed solution for growth challenges.
The Bottom Line
Target feeding is a precise feeding method that delivers nutrition directly to individual corals. It can be an effective way to support specific corals, provide concentrated nutrition, and assist stressed or recovering specimens. When combined with proper reef husbandry and balanced nutrition, target feeding can be a valuable tool for maintaining healthy and thriving corals.
