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Information from DT's plankton about their Premium Product Line
DT's Natural Reef Diet - Oyster Eggs
Oyster eggs are harvested and packaged as a food for corals. Oyster eggs are highly nutritious, with high levels of protein and omega3 fatty acids. The particle size is extremely small at approximately 45 microns. The combination of small size and soft texture makes this an easily captured food particle. Corals for which this food is particularly useful are those with poor prey capture responses and those with very small polyps. Included are Porites, montipora, Goniopora, gorgonians, soft corals, and the oyster eggs even show some success with the maintenance of previously difficult or impossible to maintain azooxanthellate soft corals and seafans.
The utilization and availability of oyster eggs as a coral food was first
discussed in 2003 with a biologist in Vancouver, BC who had developed
methodology to extract the eggs in quantity. Later that summer Eric Borneman
was sent a sample to test for reef aquarium use.
Oyster Eggs as a Coral Food SourceOne of the difficulties in the maintenance of reef aquaria is the ability to provide consistent, nutritious, and usable food resources that help to reproduce the large amount of particulate food or zooplankton available on natural reefs. Late in the summer of 2003, Dennis Tagrin, of DT’s Plankton Farm, provided me with a food source he had been considering as a marketable product and asked for my analysis of its utility for reef aquaria. Under the microscope, the cell density of the product was extremely high, and the addition of 1ml of the eggs produced a high particle count in a 55-gallon reef tank (sufficient to feed every coral polyp several times over!). The eggs are approximately 40-50 microns in size, making them an excellent size for capture by corals and other filter feeding invertebrates. These oyster eggs have a very good nutritional profile, and appear to maintain their nutritional value over long periods of frozen storage. The eggs have a strong “fresh-ocean” smell, and elicit a strong feeding response from both fish and invertebrates. I greatly look forward to the regular availability of this product as a natural and beneficial plankton-substitute for my other reef systems. Eric H. Borneman
Pocillopora feeding on oyster eggs DT’s Natural Reef Diet is kept frozenAvailable in 3 sizes: 30 ml (1 oz), 500 ml and 1000 ml Feeding recommendations: Corals for which this food is particularly useful are those with poor prey capture responses and those with very small polyps. Included are Porites, Montipora, Goniopora, gorgonians, soft corals, and the oyster eggs even show some success with the maintenance of previously difficult or impossible to maintain azooxanthellate soft corals and seafans. Frozen oyster eggs can be dispersed into the water column to feed most small mouthed stony corals, sea fans, gorgonians and soft corals that feed on small particle food. Target feeding with a pipette is also effective to feed targeted corals. To ensure the complete uptake of the oyster eggs, turning off the protein skimmer for at least an hour when feeding is highly recommended. Protein skimmers will remove oyster eggs and waste at least some of this food. One suggestion is to have your skimmer set up on a timer to be off for several hours when feeding. 1 ml will feed a highly populated 50 gallon (189 liter) aquarium. The label directions recommend a feeding amount of 1 ml (1/5th tsp) for a 50 gallon or larger aquarium. This amount may be taken as an incremental dose of 1 ml per 50 gallons or more. Hobbyists must use their own judgment in calculating an amount per feeding for their aquarium. Greater amounts can be fed with additional benefit without nutrient issues, especially once the skimmer is back on. Night time is the best time Corals are feeding on small particles at night when zooplankton is normally raising up into the water column. To take advantage of this natural cycle oyster eggs can be fed after the lights are turned off. Alternately, some corals are active by day and night, and they can be fed at any time. Target feeding is best for Goniopora One recommended method 1. Cut the bottom off of a soda bottle and use it to isolate the area around the Goniopora while feeding. Remember to clean the bottle by rinsing with water. Do not use soap or any other cleaning solution. 2. Mix a very small amount of oyster eggs in aquarium water to make a suspension and feed through the top of the bottle. This will concentrate the food around the targeted coral and protect it from fish that may pick at and damage the coral while trying to get at the food. Remove the bottle after the coral has time to feed. How much time can only be estimated, so use your own judgment.
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