Reef sticks have several applications – Fed whole they suit larger species, and crumbled into the water all species will respond very well, darting around catching the particles. If you want to create a soft, fast dissolving paste they can be added to a small pot and covered in water for 10-15 minutes. Drain off the water (into the tank) and begin blending the sticks until they form a soft ball of paste.

 

You can add any of the powdered feeds at this stage, or add a little more water to the paste needs it. This gives you a fast breakdown paste that will cloud the water with particles almost instantly, totally the opposite of the ready made reef paste product.

 

Another little trick with reef sticks is to damp them down 5 minutes before feeding them – this softens the outside, something many more species like when feeding, and speeds up the release of the soluble amino acid feeding trigger. This is an excellent tip when getting your fish used to the sticks as a new food. In effect this ‘pre-soak’ happens when the sticks are added to the reef paste as well.