Fuge Livestock: Not talking about just macro!

[Kinetic]

What kind of cool livestock do you have in your fuge? Stuff that needs lower light, but helps with nutrient levels? And I'm not talking about chaeto bricks. I'm thinking filter feeding corals / inverts?

What comes to mind for me are xenia and clams? How about that "maiden's hair" or the those "brush" macros? I want a fuge to be somewhat of a display in itself.

 

[Mr. Ugly]

Do one with all kinds of xenia and yellow polyps.

Absorbs nitrates and helps with detritus.

Harvest the excess and trade for store credit

 

[Kinetic]

yellow polyps too? I got ridiculous amounts of those too. they look neat, but go crazy.

 

[Mr. Ugly]

Dave(I think) said his did a good job of eating up particulates.

 

[-=Zepplock=-]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10082810#post10082810 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Mr. Ugly
Dave(I think) said his did a good job of eating up particulates.

yellow polyps actively catch bigger pieces.
But I doubt it does well with fine particles.

maybe big featherdusters?

 

[Kinetic]

true, my yellow polyps eat everything that touches them except shrimp / fish big enough to get away

 

[stubbsz]

Do Xenia actually reduce nitrates.... IIf so I should start populating my sump with them... I haven't got the heart to throw them out. They grow a lot faster than my Cheato does.

 

[Kinetic]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10084305#post10084305 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by stubbsz
Do Xenia actually reduce nitrates.... IIf so I should start populating my sump with them... I haven't got the heart to throw them out. They grow a lot faster than my Cheato does.

Mr. Ugly has mentioned they do use nitrates... though how much in comparison to chaeto and such, I have no idea. Definitely just stick them in your sump =) can't hurt i'm guessing.

 

[Sparkss]

I have seen xenia used to reduce nutrients, but they are less efficient/effective than Chaeto and other macro algaes, which is why they aren't used more often for that purpose. But they, like macros, still need light. If you are talking about a totally dark one, like a cryptic fuge, then sponges, tunicates, feather dusters, and other filter feeder (including aiptasia, which are phenomenal water polishers) are what you are looking for. Most of those animals listed for the cryptic fuge don't like, or flat out can't stand/survive, more than indirect light. Pods, starfish, shrimp, snails all don't require light either, but some benefit from the food that grows in the light.

Not sure if it was what you were looking for, but I HTH

 

[650-IS350]

Insn't it S.Tyree who dosn't use macro algae for a fuge but uses a couple of tanks filled with cryptic animals as nutrient export ?

 

[sfsuphysics]

Also keep in mind if you use corals and other animals to reduce nutrient levels it's not going to be a fuge anymore. Corals aren't picky about just eatting particulate matter if some bugs get in there they'll be munched on too.

That being said I have yellow polyps and xenia, I don't put any additional light over it but it does get quite a bit of ambient light.

 

[Elite]

This is a cool macroalgae

 

[mpoletti]

I keep a magrove down there and a few snails as well.

 

[bookfish]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10085289#post10085289 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Elite
This is a cool macroalgae

It definitely is! Remind me to get a piece when the new tank is up and running.

 

[Kinetic]

yeah it's pretty neat, couple that with a red angler in the fuge, that'd be sweet =)

 

[Elite]

When I finish setting up my display fuge, it will be the first thing to go in there ... I used to have a huge colony but I don't have much any more. When it grows out, I will hook you guys up.

 

[Sparkss]

It was all over the LFS about 6 - 9 months ago or so. It had pretty heavy husbandry requirements, IIRC. We lost our colony also due to insufficient lighting over our fuge. But since we have been pretty successful at growing red garcilleria (sp?) in our new setup I think that it might be time to hunt down another bit of that red grape macro

 

[Elite]

I have mine for a long time. You can see the date on the photo ..

Under MH this thing will grow crazy. If you have PC light, you should be able to keep it but it doesn't grow as fast.

 

[Mr. Ugly]

Didn't you put some of that into the DBTC?

 

[Mr. Ugly]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10084305#post10084305 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by stubbsz
Do Xenia actually reduce nitrates.... IIf so I should start populating my sump with them...

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10084525#post10084525 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sparkss
I have seen xenia used to reduce nutrients, but they are less efficient/effective than Chaeto and other macro algaes, which is why they aren't used more often for that purpose. But they, like macros, still need light. If you are talking about a totally dark one, like a cryptic fuge, then sponges, tunicates, feather dusters, and other filter feeder (including aiptasia, which are phenomenal water polishers) are what you are looking for. Most of those animals listed for the cryptic fuge don't like, or flat out can't stand/survive, more than indirect light. Pods, starfish, shrimp, snails all don't require light either, but some benefit from the food that grows in the light.

Yah, what Tom said