Refugium and DSB critters

[jbrunken]

I've got my refugium (40 Breeder) loaded up with a 5" DSB, about 50 LBS of live rock and a bunch of Cheato. What I'd like to do next is work on getting my diversity and population of beneficial creatures up.

For example, I know lots of people have tons of micro stars and tube works in there sand. I don't have any of those, but I do have lots of stomatella snails and amphipods.

1) Does anyone in the CR area want to trade some live sand and/or macro algea?

2) Has anyone ever ordered one of those refugium fauna kits that several places sell?

-JB

 

[tibbs2]

I've ordered a microfauna kit from http://www.ipsf.com. I bought nerite snails, trochus snails, zebra hermits and spaghetti worms, pods, bristleworms, and some small type of clams that live in the sandbed.

The two biggest hermits killed the other hermits and the nerite snails. I think most of the sand clams died but everything else has propagated immensely.

I've also gotten some other cool stuff off of live rock. I have tons of mini brittle starfish, little keyhole limpet snails, chitons and little mysis shrimp as well.

If you ever get to des moines I'll give you a cup of sand and try and round up some critters for you.

Chris

 

[jtesdall]

I am going to order some GARF grunge this week for my new refugium. Has anyone else tried that? I hear it is good stuff. I can tell you how it is when I get it or they charge the same shipping for 1 - 20 lbs, we could share an order. Although you are in CR and I am in Boone/Des Moines.

 

[peircer]

I've got GARF grunge (Jason already asked for a cup of it). It's not as amazing as GARF makes it sound, but it's definitely way more diverse than regular live sand. I've got hundreds of little starfish and some of these things that live in tubes, they're like feather dusters without the feather duster part, just a long arm that comes out and grabs stuff and pulls it back into the tube.

 

[jtesdall]

Well, I just ordered 5 lbs. for my Refugium so we will see. Should be here Thursday. Pretty good deal I think. $5 a pound for the stuff they sell for refugiums and he threw in two pounds of the Grunge Plus which is crumbled live rock peices with criters in it.

 

[Jojoyojimbi]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9899949#post9899949 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by peircer
I've got GARF grunge (Jason already asked for a cup of it). It's not as amazing as GARF makes it sound, but it's definitely way more diverse than regular live sand. I've got hundreds of little starfish and some of these things that live in tubes, they're like feather dusters without the feather duster part, just a long arm that comes out and grabs stuff and pulls it back into the tube.

spagetti worms?

 

[peircer]

Could be, I don't know what those are.

 

[peircer]

I looked up spaghetti worms, they sound really similar, except the ones I have are clear, not red.

 

[musty baby]

Are there two tentacles per animal? I think I know what you're talking about and they're very common and basically do the same as a spaghetti worm does. FWIW my spaghetti worms are ticked yellow.

Do they still put the goofy neon shells and stuff into the grunge?

 

[peircer]

Yeah, that could be it. I was never sure if they had one or two tentacles. They're pretty neat.

There's were a lot of shells, but no neon ones. Mostly purple live rock fragments.

 

[iaJim]

Do you think the starfish that come in that stuff are reef safe? Check out garf's web site. They list what seems to be what's in their grunge as a starfish pest. I've been eliminating them. Hope I'm right.

 

[peircer]

Actually, I'm pretty sure they're reef safe, they're the same starfish that are in the microfauna kit from http://www.ipsf.com mention up above. I've only got a few mushrooms and a kenya tree coral, but they don't go anywhere near them, they're all in the rock or the substrate.

 

[iaJim]

Mine are on the glass and also on the live rock. They might also be in the sand, but I don't know that.

 

[calebjk]

hey jb, i don't know if i'll have exactly what you want, but i have a variety of plant life growing in my refugium and would be more than willing to hook you up for free.
on the subject of those macro stars, i got some LR from that lfs in Manchester and there were some macro stars in it. i haven't seen any of them since i put in the LR but they may be a good place to look.