refug ???

[Towsley]

I currently running just cheato in my sump, I am thinking of turning it more into a refug adding some sand and a mangrove sprout. I currently have 1 sprout in the over flow up top and wanted to add another. The reason for adding the sand bed is to help with growing different algeas, more cocopds and other creatures, along with helping to remove more nitrites. I have a 6line wrasse and a manderan and I dont think they are getting enough critters to eat 6line a a fat pig and the manderian is skinny. Tank has been up for over a yr with about 70lbs of rock. If I add the sand it would only be about 2-3" deep.

Pro's vs. Con's please

thanks for your responces

 

[Acolin]

What no answer yet? Thought everybody here had an opinion on everything!

I believe, without factual evidence, that both a thin substrate, 2-3” inches should be good, and a mangrove will help with both algae and copepod growth. The 6-line wrasse will compete with the mandarin for food, they both need live, frozen and freeze-dried supplements, including Cyclopeeze. The mandarin should be thick around the shoulders. It will eat frozen, if introduced with live food. Since live brine does not die right away, it is a good food to flood the tank with, although I do try to feed it in front of the Mandarin.

 

[chimmike]

a few things:
-My fuge has a DSB approx. 7-8" deep. I have no cheato (last tank I tried cheato but it wouldn't grow. Not enough nitrates/nitrites). I have some rubble in the fuge and 4-5 mangroves, that's about it.

My display has tons of pods. If your mandarin is skinny, you need to go buy pods, because that sucker will eat 'em before they have a chance to reproduce. Maybe let a friend with a well established tank hold onto the mandarin for you for a while so that your tank can replenish the copepod load.

 

[mflamb]

Copepods need porous rock/rock rubble to increase in number.
For the purpose of copepods, rock is more important than sand.

 

[Towsley]

Ok so 2-3" of rubble rock on the bottom will be best, what about sump flow I sometime notice that the top of the water doesnt move or has a film should I get a power head or something for the sump then.

 

[rogergolf66]

Well I didn't read the responses but the 6 line will get much more food then the manderan. the manderin eats slow and the 6 line if very fast. i would say even if you added the refuge you will not win that part of the battle.

Roger

 

[mflamb]

Make a rock rubble pile instead of covering the bottom. Covering the bottom will just be a place for detritus to collect. You want water movement in the refugium to keep the film off the top. The film inhibits gas exchange and retains heat.

 

[Towsley]

rogergolf66 what would you suggest then to help with growing more pods.

 

[xxseawolf]

in my sump i have a 6" sandbed with two large pieces(10lbs. each) of liverock and a huge ball of chaeto. just before my return pump i have a bunch of small pieces of liverock between the baffles before the return pump. i have plenty of pods. i have a green mandarin, spotted mandarin, and a sixline and they are all fat and happy. good luck.

todd

 

[Towsley]

I see a bunch of pods on the cheato but hoe do they get into the tank

 

[mflamb]

They wander into the flow and into the return pump and up they go.

 

[xxseawolf]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14103446#post14103446 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mflamb
They wander into the flow and into the return pump and up they go.

kind of like the wizard of oz. the pods get caught in the tornado(return pump) and get blown all over .

todd

 

[mflamb]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14103969#post14103969 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by xxseawolf
kind of like the wizard of oz. the pods get caught in the tornado(return pump) and get blown all over .

todd

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[lacybiker2000]

Yeah, your Mandarin is starving. They are slow eaters but eat thousands of pods. So the tank would need a huge amount and be very well established. Or you can feed pods all the time.