Pod transport

[Debbie64]

So, I've got a 90 gal tank, 145 lbs of rock, 90 of sand plus a fuge. The fuge is a 20 gal tank pump fed from my sump and gravity fed back to the sump right where the return takes the water back to the display.

I've got a beautiful dragonet who I've recently noticed is looking too thin. I still see some pods in the display. I see pods in the fuge, though not as many as I'm used to seeing. I've been doing some cleaning in the fuge - cyano outbreak - but there are still hordes of them in there. Plus they're swimming all over the sump and in the overflow.

I was always under the impression that the pods made their way back to the display on their own. Am I completely wrong about that? Other than buying some live pods to possibly reseed my tank and fuge, does anyone have any suggestions?

Merlin's poor tummy has me worried. Here he is right after I got him:

 

[Blown 346]

Most of the time the pods will make there way to the tank on their own. But some get sucked up unwillingly.

 

[Pandora]

Beautiful mandarin. I agree that the pods should make it back fine if you have an active fuge (and yours is a good size). If you are really worried about him getting enough to eat, another good fuge supplement that breeds really fast is mysis shrimp. Once I got a few, they reproduced like crazy, and mandarins love em. They also do not seem to significantly decrease the pod population, though they feed on similar stuff. Check with people in your area to see if you can get a few free to start a culture, that's how I got mine (you can also order them online live, but I wouldn't in winter).

 

[graveyardworm]

It would be alittle time consuming, but you could try moving them with a turkey baster from the fuge to the display. Cyano in the fuge indicates not enough flow, bumping up the flow with a PH or two would also help to get the pods out of the fuge and into the display.

 

[BenH98]

Check out this thread...

http://reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=61210

He "breeds" pods by using sponges in his fuge/sump.

 

[graveyardworm]

The sponge is a good idea also you could use cheato in the fuge every couple days shake it around in the display.

 

[wiley0717]

I use a handfull of 1/2" pvc pipes cut at 2" long to catch mine and it works exceptionally well. Cut some pipes and just drop them in your fuge, give it a couple of days and your traps are set. Use your fingures to close each end of the pipe at the same time to seal everything in and just dump into your display. Best done at night otherwise your bugs will be eaten by your fish before they can make it to the bottom.

 

[Debbie64]

All great ideas! Thank you all. Think I'm gonna try that sponge thing.