The beauty of reef paste is the way it extends feeding time due to the slow breakdown. This concentration of food leads to far less waste where food particles, especially flakes, are lost in the rocks very quickly. Many bold fish will physically eat the Reef Paste from the glass, while releasing a cloud of finer particles that are taken by smaller fish and corals. For shy species and inverts sticking it to the actual living rock works very well, and they start feeding this way quicker than on the glass.

 

Taking the adaptability of reef paste a stage further it can be used as a carrier for other food items – using the advantage of the slow release rate to deliver the food over an extended period. Number one additive for me is a pinch of reef sticks mixed into the reef paste, holding them in place for the larger fish to target and actually pluck out.

 

Equally good is to take a ball of Reef Paste, flatten it slightly, and add some defrosted Mysis shrimp. Either fold the paste over, or add a little more on top so the Mysis are trapped in the paste ball. Stick it onto the glass as usual and the feeding response from fish like butterflys is far improved as they hover near the paste and dart in to pick the Mysis as they become exposed.

 

To steadily feed Reef paste to just your corals blend some of the dry powdered feed into the ball, and stick it in the end chamber of the sump, on the glass above the return pump. Now the paste will dissolve over a much longer time scale, steadily feeding particles of food in the return flow. This is a perfect way to feed the tank after the lights are out.