Refugia: A stupid question

[GPB]

I have a question about refugiums. If the idea is to protect pods from predation by the display tank inhabitants, how do you use the refuguium to supply food for the tank.

The simple solution is catch the pods and put them in the display tank . How do you catch these tiny critters to put them into the display?

Am I missing something very basic here?

 

[EQCM2B]

They will find their way up through the return.

 

[dhoch]

There are a series of things (BTW since you in DC, you should go take a look at WAMAS http://www.wamas.org ) that can be done, or are done:

AS EQCM2B stated, many will find their way up through the return (it's really amazing).

Some people also have their refugium overflow into their tank (that way the critters don't have to compete with the return pump and take a ride of life).

Finally if you are really interested in it you can take either some macro out and put it in the display (a ton will make it this way), or you can use a sponge, put it in the refugium for a week or so and then up into the disply (a bunch of critters will be in that thing in no time... don't belive me... do and take it to a small vessel and rinse it out and see what comes out).

Dave

 

[Pandora]

GPB, I think what you're missing is the idea that you are just protecting them long enough so that they can have a self-sustaining population going. If the pod-eaters were allowed to go all out in every area, they would dessimate the entire population in a few days and not leave any reproducing animals behind. The ones that come out of the fuge are kind of "sustained release" and usually just a few young pods that get swept up every so often, leaving the majority of the population to grow in the fuge. It's like the equivilent of programs that sustain overhunted & overfished populations (not allowing fishing of female individuals, having breeding grounds protected, or limiting hunting licenses only to a season, etc.).

WAMAS member here too, though not as active as Dave... come join us!