Refugium Critter and Plant question???

[MarineGirl411]

Hi everyone,
I would like to know what critters and plants would be beneficial to keep in my refugium. I've heard Cheato (hope I spelled that right) and mangroves. This will also be a breeding Refugium for Copepods. What type of lighting do the plants require? I want to keep nitrates down and remove other nastys that come along. What would you recommend for lighting? I've seen some people use what looks to be a grow light from Home Depot. Would that work? What would you all suggest?

 

[sir_dudeguy]

ya i think its spelled chaeto but i'm not for sure. About half the people spell it (and pronounce it as) cheato, but i'm pretty sure thats not it.

But yes, that is very good to keep, because it will take up some nitrates, along w/provide the pods some space to live/breed in.

I've never grown mangroves before, so i really dont know what the benefits of it are (if any, other than lookng cool???)

But yes, you will grow copepods, but you will also likely grow amphipods and isopods. Theres not really any way to say "oh, i just wanna grow copepods" that i know of...unless you were to get a bottle of them or something...idk. But either way, amphipods are really good too. My sixline munches on them all day long.

As far as lightng for the chaeto, i dont know..i mean i kept mine under a regular house bulb and it grew like crazy...other people like going w/an actual 65K bulb and some even go w/the pc actinics too.

hth
mike

 

[MarineGirl411]

I can't remember what pod specifically is a parasite. It might be an isopod. I want to stay away from the parasitic pods. Which I'm sure you know. Actually there is a site I found online that sells Copepods by the bottle. Each bottle contains 1,000. I was thinking of dumping them in my refugium. Then maybe get another bottle and start some culture tanks. I just wasn't really sure the best way to set it up. My sump measures 24X18X16. How large should I make my refugium and return area? I hear to make the return area the largest. Please clarify for me if you could. Thank you all. =)

 

[sir_dudeguy]

well theres different types...isopod is just a general category i believe, and same with amphipods. Because i know that theres good isopods, but then theres one thats got big black eyes thats bad. Then theres redbugs...they're a type of amphipod, but different. But just isopods and amphipods and copepods in general are good..but there are the bad typse.

Also think of this tho...for that site that sells "1000 pods in a bottle"...i dont doubt that they're real pods or that they're good or anything...but who in their right minds is gonna count out a thousand pods? lol (one...two...three...dang it stop moving!!)

But yes, that would work. But basically for the fuge, just get a couple/few inches of sand (could be live or plain imo...could just throw a scoop of live sand over plain and it'll work fine) and then put some rock rubble in there, then your ball of chaeto....then throw in your bottle of pods.

 

[MarineGirl411]

yah I know I didn't know how they calculated that. If you ever want a mandarin write me I'll give you their website. There are a couple though. There is another site that gives you a culturing kit. I have to buy phytoplankton as well which has to go in the refrigerator! =/ That's a little poopy cause just for a small bottle total would be about 40.00. That's shipping included. Maybe more. Oye. We'll see. Maybe I'll abandon the Mandarin. Or maybe I'll pray for one that eats brine shrimp etc as well. I was planning on the live rock. So Chaeto exports nitrates well huh? Sounds good.
Don't others put snails and stuff in theirs? I don't know why, but I'd like to know. I've also heard refs are good for propogating corals. =)

 

[sir_dudeguy]

ya i've heard that people who have to buy pods for their manderins end up spending like 400-700 a year on food for it lol. That was just another turn off for me haha. But if one bottle gets it going strong enough, then go for it

I would not, however, put any snails in your fuge...the minute they find your chaeto (which, btw, yes it is good at eating up nitrates) it'll be gone in a week i'd imagine (depending on snail of course) And yes, fuges are good for coral prop if you dont have a prop tank.

 

[Ryanqk]

I find that astrea snails are ok in my fuge, they munch the slime algae and green stuff on the glass and sand and never touched my chaeto. As for 1,000 per bottle, i would guess that the count is based on density per ml and then calculated... Other than a couple astrea snails in my fuge i dont put anything else. And thats in 10 gl fuge....

 

[sir_dudeguy]

on the glass and sand

they'll go on the glass yes, but not the sand. They're a rock dwelling snail. I've got 60 of them in my tank and the only times they go on the sand is when they fall or if they're crossing to go to the rock. They havent eaten on thing on the sand tho.

cerith snails however, are really good w/the sand, but idk about w/the chaeto.

Good guess on the density tho that could be it now that i think about it.

 

[MarineGirl411]

well if I have to spend 800.00 per year a mandarin, I'm out. That's too much. Esp if I couldn't develop a good culture. Maybe I'll try, if it fails I have a great reef store near by that would greatly take him. Went to my local reef meeting tonight. It's really neat. The president showed me his ref, it's huge! Anyway, there are only small baffles on the right corner side then the rest is the refugium. No baffles seperating the return area. Seems to give a much larger area for rock, etc. It was very interesting. From what I understood your return had to be in a seperate chamber, his was not. He had a very large dsb as well. Maybe 6 inches or more. He uses a filter gaurd to keep sand out or snails. I thought it was an excellent idea. I might change my sump/refugium now. =) It's planned layout anyway.
ryan you're funny. I like your signature. That Oscar is going to get way too big for that 40! ;-) I'm sure you know that though. I've heard they are really neat fish to keep. They are very personable I hear. That is great. How's yours? Do you both keep dsb?

 

[SuperNerd]

It's "Chaetomorpha."
"Cheato" sounds like something you eat.

 

[MarineGirl411]

I thought it would be pronounced shhuehtoh. Thanks for the correction