Updated August 2026
BRS Reef Chili is the coral food I would recommend first. I have used it for years, I feed it in my JBJ RF-45, and its fine suspended particles work for far more than the corals alone. My actual routine also includes daily Red Sea Reef Energy AB+ and, when I want to support filter feeders and copepods, live phytoplankton.
BRS Reef Chili Coral Food
Reef Chili is a well-balanced, finely powdered food originally created by the founders of Bulk Reef Supply. I use it because I can target-feed when I want to, or distribute it through the whole tank when the goal is to keep food available to corals, sponges, porcelain crabs, and other filter feeders.
Best for: One versatile powdered food for coral and filter-feeding animals.
My coral-feeding routine at a glance
Compare the best coral foods for reef tanks
These foods are not exact substitutes. Powdered foods, liquid nutrition, live phytoplankton, and freshly hatched brine shrimp behave differently in the aquarium.
| Food | Format | Best for | My experience |
|---|---|---|---|
| BRS Reef Chili | Fine powdered blend | Versatile whole-tank or target feeding | My current powdered coral food and number-one pick |
| PolypLab Reef-Roids | Powdered food | A proven alternative to Reef Chili | I have used it and consider it a hobby standard |
| Red Sea Reef Energy AB+ | Liquid nutrition | Consistent daily dosing | I currently dose it every day |
| Benepets Benereef | Powdered food | Another quality powdered option | I have used it successfully |
| OceanMagik Phytoplankton | Live phytoplankton | Filter feeders and copepod support | I like live phyto despite the recurring cost |
| Brine Shrimp Hatchery Bundle | Freshly hatched live food | Fish, filter feeders, and some corals | A fun occasional food source I enjoy hatching |
How I chose these coral foods
I have personally used every food in this guide. I am separating what I use today from what I have simply used successfully in the past, because that is more useful than pretending all six products have the same role.
BRS Reef Chili and daily Red Sea Reef Energy AB+.
Reef-Roids, Benereef, live phytoplankton, and brine-shrimp hatcheries.
I now broadcast-feed corals more often than I target-feed them.
Keep suitable food suspended long enough for sponges, porcelain crabs, and other filter feeders to capture it.
My six coral-food recommendations
1. BRS Reef Chili Coral Food
My experience: This is the powdered coral food I use in my JBJ RF-45, and I have used it for many years.
A versatile powdered food for the whole reef
Broadcast feeding more often than target feeding
You can mix Reef Chili with aquarium water in a cup and shake it thoroughly before adding it. Target feeding is an option, but broadcast feeding keeps fine particles in the water column where more corals and filter-feeding animals can reach them.
If I deliberately increase suspended food for sponges, porcelain crabs, or similar animals, I also plan for the additional nutrient load by adjusting filtration and watching the tank.
My verdict: If you want one powdered coral food from this list, this is the one I would buy.
2. PolypLab Reef-Roids
My experience: I have used Reef-Roids, although it is not the powdered food I currently use. It remains one of the best-known standards in the reef hobby.
A proven powdered-food alternative
You want to follow my current routine
Use it according to the manufacturer’s directions and introduce it conservatively. The important decision is not whether Reef-Roids or Reef Chili has the most enthusiastic label—it is whether your animals capture the food and your filtration can handle the amount you add.
My verdict: A completely reasonable alternative if you prefer Reef-Roids or already use it successfully.
3. Red Sea Reef Energy Plus AB+
My experience: I currently dose roughly 5–10 mL in my aquarium every day and let it circulate for a couple of hours. I have had good success with that routine.
A consistent liquid-feeding routine
Use the amount appropriate for your own aquarium
My personal dose describes my tank, not yours. Follow Red Sea’s current guidance and adjust based on aquarium volume, coral demand, nutrient levels, and how the system responds.
My verdict: The liquid coral nutrition product that is actually part of my everyday routine.
4. Benepets Benereef
My experience: I have used Benereef and consider it another good powdered option in the same general decision as Reef Chili and Reef-Roids.
Reef keepers who prefer the Benereef formula
I still personally use Reef Chili
Mix and feed it according to the current product directions. As with every concentrated coral food, start with restraint and watch both animal response and nutrient trends.
My verdict: Good food, but not different enough from Reef Chili to make me switch away from what already works for me.
5. AlgaeBarn OceanMagik Live Phytoplankton
My experience: I like dosing live phytoplankton. It costs more and requires another recurring purchase, but it is a valuable food source for filter feeders and helps support copepods.
Filter feeders and copepod support
Recurring cost and perishable live product
Live phytoplankton occupies a different role from a powdered coral food. It can become part of the small-food web in the aquarium, feeding organisms that are later consumed by other animals.
My verdict: Not the cheapest or easiest food on the list, but one of the most useful when filter feeders and copepods are part of the goal.
6. Brine Shrimp Hatchery and Eggs Bundle
My experience: I enjoy running brine-shrimp hatcheries. The fish love freshly hatched baby brine shrimp, and filter feeders and some corals can capture them as well.
A fresh live-food treat for the whole tank
Requires planning and hatching time
This is not the most convenient everyday coral food. It is a fun way to introduce a moving live food that can interest fish and still become available to smaller animals throughout the aquarium.
My verdict: More of an enjoyable feeding project than an essential first purchase—and that is exactly why I like it.
Coral food is also aquarium nutrient input
Broadcast feeding makes food available to more animals, but it also leaves more material for the filtration system to process. Start conservatively, watch how much is actually captured, and follow nitrate and phosphate trends. If you deliberately maintain more suspended food for filter feeders, increase mechanical filtration and maintenance thoughtfully rather than assuming the extra food disappears.
Two tools for target feeding coral
I no longer target-feed most of my corals very often, although I still target-feed anemones. When precision matters, these are the two tool styles I would use.
Most direct option
7. Dosing Syringes
A syringe gives you precise control, but you normally need to put your hand into the aquarium to get close enough. That is not a major problem for me; it is simply the trade-off.
Best long-reach option
8. Reef Engineer TargetFlow 4-in-1 Tool
This is a narrower, more precise version of a turkey baster. It lets you target-feed without putting your hand into the aquarium. You do not have to buy this exact brand, but it is the current long-reach tool I would choose.
Which coral food should you buy?
| Your priority | My pick | Why | Watch for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One versatile powdered food | BRS Reef Chili | My current food and number-one recommendation | Added nutrient load from broadcast feeding | Check BRS price |
| A proven powder alternative | Reef-Roids | Longstanding hobby standard | Do not overfeed concentrated powder | Check BRS price |
| Daily liquid nutrition | Reef Energy AB+ | Part of my current daily routine | Size the dose for your own aquarium | Check BRS price |
| Filter feeders and copepods | OceanMagik | Live phytoplankton supports a different feeding niche | Cost and live-product storage | Check BRS price |
| A live-food project | Brine Shrimp Bundle | Fun food for fish, filter feeders, and some corals | Hatching time and cleanup | Check BRS price |
Coral food FAQ
What is the best coral food for beginners?
BRS Reef Chili is my first recommendation because it is versatile, finely powdered, and the coral food I currently use. Mix it thoroughly and begin with a conservative amount.
Do corals need to be target-fed?
Not always. I now broadcast-feed most corals more often than I target-feed them. Target feeding is useful when you need precision, but whole-tank feeding can make suspended food available to more filter-feeding animals.
Is Reef-Roids better than Reef Chili?
Both are proven powdered foods. I have used both, but Reef Chili is what I personally use today and therefore the one I recommend first.
How much Reef Energy AB+ should I dose?
I dose roughly 5–10 mL daily in my own aquarium, but that is not a universal dose. Follow Red Sea’s current directions and adjust for your tank volume, livestock, nutrients, and response.
Why use live phytoplankton?
I use live phytoplankton as food for filter feeders and to support copepods. It fills a different role from powdered food, though it costs more and has live-product storage requirements.
Should I turn off filtration while feeding coral?
The answer depends on the food, the system, and what you are trying to feed. I may change flow or filtration long enough to keep food available, but I do not leave the aquarium without circulation. Follow the product directions and make changes that are safe for your setup.
Feed the animals without losing control of the water
Coral feeding works best when it fits the rest of the aquarium. Use the Saltwater Aquarium Livestock Guides to match care to the animal, the Filter Media Guide to understand carbon and phosphate-control options, and the Maintenance Guides to keep feeding and nutrient export in balance.
