Things have really changed in the reef aquarium hobby, haven’t they? Even if you’ve only been in the community for a few years, you’ve surely noticed that we’re currently experiencing a sort of renaissance. Fueled by continuing advancement in technology as well as an intense exchange of information, the hobby has reached a point in its development where we now often instruct scientists on coral husbandry! PNS YelloSno™ is a nod to this unbelievably sophisticated level of mastery we have collectively attained.
Completing the reef food web
Research suggests that most, if not all, corals feed heavily on particulate organic matter. Marine snow is a highly enriched form of particulate matter. It is, in fact, the primary component of many species’ heterotrophic diet (certain gorgonians appear to favor this resource over zooplankton and phytoplankton) (1, 2)! In light of its ecological importance, it should come as no surprise that aquarium food manufacturers have for years attempted to formulate a marine snow-like diet.
Marine snow, however, is not easy to replicate. Formed from a series of complex physical, chemical and biological processes, it exhibits a number of distinct features (including its own ‘taste’). It has for long been recognized that corals are selective filter-feeders--they can recognize favored food sources, and are indeed capable of rejecting less favored food particles--we should strive to offer them food items that resemble as closely as possible those which they exploit in the wild.
PNS YelloSno™ is made with naturally occurring sources of chitin (the ‘seed particles’) and live purple nonsulfur bacteria (PNSB). Our proprietary fermentative process allows microbial colonization of the seed material. This not only nutritionally enhances the particles, but promotes the formation of sticky biofilms which makes the clumps adhere to each other. The result is a wholesome and highly palatable marine snow simulation.
This product is especially noteworthy on account of its B vitamin content; it contains the entire B complex, and is particularly rich in the essential vitamin cobalamin (B12). A great diversity of reef organisms, including corals, zooxanthellae and even some cycling bacteria such as Nitrobacter and Nitrospira require cobalamin for health/growth, yet cannot synthesize it themselves, and therefore must acquire it in their diets. As such, this key nutriment might easily become depleted in a recirculating captive ecosystem such as an aquarium.
Feeding PNS YelloSno™ is as simple as slowly pouring 1 mL/gal into an area of moderate flow where it can disperse into the water column. Feedings may be carried out as often as once daily. This product can be used as a base diet for a broad range of suspension-feeding animals; nevertheless, owing to its rich content of vitamins and trace elements, it can also be used in smaller portions to supplement other feeds.
Gently shake the bottle before each use. Light shaking preserves larger particles which are appropriate for coarse filter feeders (i.e., feather dusters, gorgonians and LPS Corals); heavy shaking results in mostly smaller particles which are more appropriate for fine filter-feeders (copepod nauplii, sponges and SPS corals). As with any other particulate reef aquarium food, cutting mechanical filtration for an hour after each feeding is advised.
Special applications
PNS YelloSno™ may be gut loaded into live feeds such as rotifers, copepods, adult brine shrimp, etc. While optimal dosage and loading time will depend upon numerous factors such as type/density of food items, we recommend a starting point of 2 mL/gal (holding vessel volume) for approximately 30 min. Depending upon whether or not the user intends to add the the product to the main tank, it may be added either before or after the food items are strained and rinsed. Maintain adequate aeration throughout the entire loading period.
PNS YelloSno™ is similarly used to gut load freshwater live feed (Moina, paramecia, etc.), particularly when simulating a lake snow event.
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