pod question

[schoch79]

In response to something that sk8r said in another thread I want to start this thread on a somewhat debated issue. When you have a sump/refugium and are using the refugium to particularly grow pods will they make it back through the return pump to the display tank? The way sk8r made it sound was that this was the case but I seem to remember people here saying that the return pump's impeller would chop them up. I too am under the belief that they would not make it past the pump. Any other opinions?

[Shagsbeard]

Even if he full grown "pods" can't, but the micro-micro-scopic juvenile (larvae?) forms of the pods certainly do. These grow to maturity in the rocks of the display where they're harvested by what ever you have eating pods.

I personally believe they make it through with no problem what so ever.

[supervdl]

IMO they would make it into the tank - less likely than with a direct connection, but still get through.

[marduc]

If you have a thriving population enough will get through, perhaps some will get chopped, but as the impeller blade turns it is pushing a volume of water away from it, inside this volume of water will be all the planktonic critters, which will also get pushed away from the spinining impeller along with the water.

I have certainly observed a multitude of pods who are quite able to run the impeller gauntlet. Just one instance of such is my phosban reactor.. every time I change out the media and rinse/flush the reactor out there are always numerous amphipods in the chamber, these guys are giants on the pod size scale, and the only way they can possibly get into the phosban reactor is through a pump. If these guys are able to get through, then their much smaller counterparts should have even less of a problem.

[Toddrtrex]

marduc has a very good point about a phosban reactor. Just the other day I noticed quite a few mysid ( sp ) shrimp in there -- there is only one way to get in there, and that was through a MJ400.

[schoch79]

Thanks guys. I had no way to tell for myself, (never had a refugium), and with this the only way to know for sure is with personal experience. Well, thanks for your personal experience guys.

[supervdl]

Yeah, they are all over my phosban reactors. Very good point - I did not think about this one!!