How to Target Feed Corals: A Practical Guide

Q: What foods work well for target feeding corals, and how do I size them correctly?

Commonly used options include mysis shrimp (whole or chopped), other chopped meaty foods, and reef-specific pellet or frozen foods formulated for corals and filter feeders — our hammer coral feeding guide covers this in more detail for one common LPS genus, but the same general principles apply across species. The key consideration is matching food size to polyp size: a piece that's too large relative to the coral's polyps can be difficult to capture or process, similar to the oversized-food issue discussed for anemones, where a portion that's too big can lead to regurgitation rather than successful feeding. For corals with small polyps, this might mean finely chopped foods or smaller pellet/particulate products; for corals with larger polyps (like many hammer or torch corals), whole mysis or similarly sized pieces are often appropriate.

Q: What's the actual technique for target feeding — timing, tools, and flow?

The general sequence: wait for polyps to be extended (timing varies by species — some corals extend more during low-light periods, though not universally), reduce flow temporarily in the area so food doesn't immediately drift away, and place food directly onto or very close to extended polyps using a turkey baster, pipette, syringe, or feeding stick/tongs depending on the food and the coral's size. After placing food, watch for capture — polyps closing around the food and tentacles drawing inward toward the coral's center are signs the coral has successfully captured what was offered. If food consistently drifts away without being captured, reducing flow further, feeding more directly onto the polyps, or adjusting timing (if the coral's polyps weren't fully extended) are the usual troubleshooting steps.

By Hektor Jorgo Published August 20, 2024 Updated June 14, 2026 4 min read

A reef keeper using a pipette to target-feed a coral with extended polyps

Quick Facts

What Target Feeding Means: Placing food directly onto or very near a coral's extended polyps, rather than broadcast-feeding the whole tank
Common Tools: Turkey baster, pipette, syringe, or feeding tongs/sticks, depending on food type and coral size
Common Foods: Mysis shrimp, chopped meaty foods, and reef-specific pellet or frozen foods sized for the target coral's polyps
When to Feed: When polyps are extended — often during low-light periods for some species, though this varies
Flow During Feeding: Often reduced temporarily so food has a chance to be captured before drifting away
Signs of Successful Feeding: Polyps closing around food, tentacles drawing inward toward the coral's center
Portion Sizing: Match food size to polyp size — oversized pieces are hard to capture and more likely to go uneaten
Avoiding Water Quality Issues: Uneaten food breaking down contributes to nutrient buildup — start small and adjust based on what's actually consumed

Target feeding sounds more technical than it is — it's mostly "get a small, appropriately sized piece of food onto the coral's polyps before the current carries it away," repeated until you've got a feel for what works for your specific corals.

Short Answer

Target feeding means placing food directly onto or near a coral's extended polyps, using a tool like a turkey baster, pipette, syringe, or feeding stick — rather than broadcasting food into the water for the whole tank. As covered in our overview of how corals eat, captured prey is one of several feeding pathways corals use, and target feeding is how keepers make that pathway reliable for a specific coral rather than leaving it to chance. The core technique is consistent across species: wait for extended polyps, reduce flow, place appropriately sized food directly on the coral, and watch for capture — with portion sizes and frequency adjusted based on what's actually consumed.

Why Target Feed at All?

Broadcast feeding — adding food to the water column for the tank generally — works fine for fish and many other inhabitants, but as discussed in our overview of how corals eat, a coral's ability to capture prey depends on its tentacles being in the right place at the right time. In a larger tank, or one with significant flow, food broadcast elsewhere may simply never reach a particular coral's capture radius. Target feeding solves this directly by bringing food to the coral, which is particularly relevant for corals where direct feeding is associated with better growth and coloration — our hammer coral feeding guide covers this for one widely kept LPS genus, but the underlying logic extends to many corals.

Choosing and Sizing Food

Commonly used foods include:

Mysis shrimp — whole or chopped, depending on polyp size
Other chopped meaty foods
Reef-specific pellet or frozen foods formulated for corals and filter feeders

The key principle is matching food size to the coral's polyps. A piece that's too large relative to the polyps can be difficult to capture or process — similar to the oversized-food issue discussed for anemones, where portions that are too big can lead to regurgitation rather than successful feeding. Corals with small polyps generally need finely chopped or particulate foods; corals with larger polyps, like many hammer or torch corals, can often take whole mysis or similarly sized pieces.

The Technique: Timing, Tools, and Flow

Wait for extended polyps — timing varies by species and tank; some corals extend more during low-light periods, though not universally
Reduce flow temporarily in the feeding area so food doesn't immediately drift away
Place food directly onto or very near extended polyps, using a turkey baster, pipette, syringe, or feeding stick/tongs appropriate to the food and coral size
Watch for capture — polyps closing around the food and tentacles drawing inward toward the coral's center indicate successful feeding

If food keeps drifting away uncaptured, the usual fixes are reducing flow further, placing food more directly on the polyps, or feeding when polyps are more reliably extended.

Feeding Multiple Corals Without Overfeeding the Tank

The main downside of feeding too much is generally not direct harm to the coral — it's uneaten food breaking down and affecting water quality, the same concern covered in our hammer coral feeding guide. For tanks with several corals being target-fed:

Start with smaller portions than you think you need, and observe how much each coral actually captures
Feed in a deliberate order or pattern rather than scattering food broadly, so you have a sense of total food going into the system
Adjust based on observation over several feeding sessions — what's consumed vs. what drifts away uneaten

Starting conservative and adjusting from there tends to work better than estimating an amount upfront, especially in a tank with multiple corals that may each respond differently to the same feeding session.

Quick Reference

Target feeding means placing food directly on a coral's extended polyps, not broadcasting it tank-wide
Match food size to polyp size — mysis, chopped meaty foods, and reef pellets/frozen foods are common choices
Feed when polyps are extended, with flow temporarily reduced
Use a turkey baster, pipette, syringe, or feeding stick to place food precisely
Polyps closing around food and tentacles drawing inward signal successful capture
Uneaten food affects water quality more than it harms the coral directly
Start with smaller portions and adjust based on what's actually consumed

Frequently Asked Questions

What does 'target feeding' mean, and how is it different from just feeding the tank?

Target feeding means placing food directly onto or very near a specific coral's extended polyps, rather than broadcasting food into the water column for the whole tank to access. This matters because, as covered in our overview of how corals eat, capturing prey is just one of several feeding pathways corals use — and a coral with limited mobility and a small capture radius may simply never encounter food that's broadcast elsewhere in the tank, especially in a larger system or one with strong flow. Target feeding addresses this directly by bringing food to the coral, using a tool like a turkey baster, pipette, syringe, or feeding stick to place food precisely. Broadcast feeding still has its place (for fish and many other tank inhabitants), but for specific corals you want to encourage to feed, target feeding is the more reliable approach.

What foods work well for target feeding corals, and how do I size them correctly?

Commonly used options include mysis shrimp (whole or chopped), other chopped meaty foods, and reef-specific pellet or frozen foods formulated for corals and filter feeders — our hammer coral feeding guide covers this in more detail for one common LPS genus, but the same general principles apply across species. The key consideration is matching food size to polyp size: a piece that's too large relative to the coral's polyps can be difficult to capture or process, similar to the oversized-food issue discussed for anemones, where a portion that's too big can lead to regurgitation rather than successful feeding. For corals with small polyps, this might mean finely chopped foods or smaller pellet/particulate products; for corals with larger polyps (like many hammer or torch corals), whole mysis or similarly sized pieces are often appropriate.

What's the actual technique for target feeding — timing, tools, and flow?

The general sequence: wait for polyps to be extended (timing varies by species — some corals extend more during low-light periods, though not universally), reduce flow temporarily in the area so food doesn't immediately drift away, and place food directly onto or very close to extended polyps using a turkey baster, pipette, syringe, or feeding stick/tongs depending on the food and the coral's size. After placing food, watch for capture — polyps closing around the food and tentacles drawing inward toward the coral's center are signs the coral has successfully captured what was offered. If food consistently drifts away without being captured, reducing flow further, feeding more directly onto the polyps, or adjusting timing (if the coral's polyps weren't fully extended) are the usual troubleshooting steps.

How do I avoid overfeeding when target feeding multiple corals?

The main risk with overfeeding isn't usually direct harm to the coral itself — it's uneaten food breaking down and affecting water quality, the same general concern covered in our hammer coral feeding guide. A practical approach is to start with smaller portions than you think you need, observe how much each coral actually captures over a few feeding sessions, and adjust amounts based on what's being consumed versus what's drifting away uneaten. For tanks with many corals being target-fed, it can help to feed in a deliberate order or pattern (rather than scattering food broadly) so you have a better sense of how much total food is going into the system, and to avoid feeding so much at once that uneaten food accumulates faster than your cleanup crew and filtration can handle it. As with most aquarium feeding questions, starting conservative and adjusting based on observation tends to work better than guessing at an amount upfront.

Sources & Further Reading

About the Author: Hektor Jorgo

Co-Founder & Marine Biologist

Hektor is a co-founder of Sea Life Planet and has kept reef and freshwater aquariums for over 15 years. He holds a background in marine biology and focuses on species care accuracy, water chemistry, and tank husbandry.