question about setup

[dadonoflaw]

i have a 125g with a 100g sump and 55g fuge. i was thinking that i could get the same benefit from certain inverts and i wanted to keep a mandarin in the fuge and keep a harlequin tusk and perhaps one other semi agressive fish in the main display. i hope this is a clear description. if not i can elaborate. thanks for all advice in advance.

 

[Tyrosinase]

Keeping a mandarin in your fuge defeats the purpose of a fuge, in my opinion. A fuge is supposed to be a haven for the little critters, such as pods, that would otherwise get eaten in the main tank.

 

[dadonoflaw]

but without the mandarin would keeping other inverts in the fuge make since if i wanted to keep things like shrimp and crabs while keeping a harlequin tusk or some larger wrasse. so the inverts can exist in the fuge without harrassment but i can still keep those kind of fish in the main display.

 

[Fat Man]

So what your saying is that the pod predators would be in the 55 gal refugium and not the main tank. This would mean you have 125 gal refugium for a 55 gal tank. Sounds good.

 

[dadonoflaw]

exact opposite the display tank is 125 and the fuge is 55g. some of the fish i want eat shrimp and crabs so i want to keep them in the fuge and the agressive fish in the display

 

[Tyrosinase]

If you add pod predators to a refugium then what you really have is two display tanks connected together. (Even if one is hidden away under the other one.) The only difference between the tanks is that one of them may have the lights on while the other tank has the lights off. In other words, the refugium would cease being a refugium if you added pod predators to it.

If you really want to keep pod predators, such as the madarin and shrimp, and still have a refugium, set up another tank. If you want, you could have this second tank and your 125 gal display tank share the same 55 gal refugium.

The most I would ever add to a refugium are snails.

 

[Fat Man]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7077602#post7077602 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tyrosinase
If you add pod predators to a refugium then what you really have is two display tanks connected together.

Thatââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s what I was getting at. Except that each of the two tanks serve both functions, display and refugium, simultaneously. The larger tank is the refugium for the pods to live in safely with little predation and a display for aggressive fish. The smaller tank provides a refuge from the aggressive fish for the small pod predators and displays these fish as well.

 

[dadonoflaw]

thats exactly what i meant fat man thank you. also i wanted to know if i could keep useful inverts in the peaceful/refugium tank and get the same benefits as if they were in the main display? if inverts have to be in the main display what animals can i get that wont be lunch for larger wrasses harlequin tusk and fish of that nature?