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Unread 05/13/2018, 10:19 AM   #1
shamoo
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Micro pods and refugium set up help

Hello all..

Had my tank up and running for 5 months now, everything is going swmmingly . i'm now in the process of upgrading my sump to include a refugium which will have chaeto algae. i want this to serve 2 purpose's. 1 keep the water levels down and secondly become a breeding ground for copepods.
While researching it i read about Apocyclops which feed on waste.
In the refugium do people put in different types of micro pods and if so which ones? can you see the micro pods? How do you know if you have enough of them to keep the fish happy that required them?
The skimmer in the sump will be after the refugium, does the skimmer kill the copepods or have no effect on them?
thanks


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4x Chromis, 2x Banngai Cardinal, 2x Clown, Yellow watchman Goby, Royal Grammer, 2x Peacock Wrasse, One spot Foxface
5' 150g DT, 25g sump, 110lbs LR + refugium
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Unread 05/13/2018, 12:44 PM   #2
RioReefr
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skimmer in the sump will be after the refugium

I have also been doing my research on building a refugium for the same purpose(s) as yourself.
Everything I have read states you should strive to filter out as much as the "bad" water before it enters the refugium....such as filter sock, then protein skimmer, then a baffle where the water flows in the refugium. The "pods" will eventually flow into the main tank or you can harvest them and put them directly into the main tank.

I just recently bought a package containing copepods, amphipods, rotifers, chaeto and phytoplankton. The amphipods are big -- look like tiny shrimp, the copepods are super tiny and really only visible with yellow light.

My understanding is "pods" of any type take a good 15 days or so until they start reproducing.

I see you are in England, but there is a site called AlgaeBarn that has a lot of good articles that should answer most of your questions.

Personally, I am looking to design a refugium such as attached.


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File Type: jpg refugex.jpg (44.7 KB, 21 views)
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Unread 05/13/2018, 03:20 PM   #3
Subsea
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Quote:
Originally Posted by shamoo View Post
Hello all..

Had my tank up and running for 5 months now, everything is going swmmingly . i'm now in the process of upgrading my sump to include a refugium which will have chaeto algae. i want this to serve 2 purpose's. 1 keep the water levels down and secondly become a breeding ground for copepods.
While researching it i read about Apocyclops which feed on waste.
In the refugium do people put in different types of micro pods and if so which ones? can you see the micro pods? How do you know if you have enough of them to keep the fish happy that required them?
The skimmer in the sump will be after the refugium, does the skimmer kill the copepods or have no effect on them?
thanks
Your skimmer will definitely remove zooplankton from water column. Your pods will grow to their food supply. I don’t recomend a sock on water into refugium. It removes food for the pods. On that point, for long term health of your reef tank, protein skimmers skew bacteria populations, which, IMO, contribute to “old tank syndrome”.


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Unread 05/13/2018, 03:22 PM   #4
Subsea
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RioReefr View Post
skimmer in the sump will be after the refugium

I have also been doing my research on building a refugium for the same purpose(s) as yourself.
Everything I have read states you should strive to filter out as much as the "bad" water before it enters the refugium....such as filter sock, then protein skimmer, then a baffle where the water flows in the refugium. The "pods" will eventually flow into the main tank or you can harvest them and put them directly into the main tank.

I just recently bought a package containing copepods, amphipods, rotifers, chaeto and phytoplankton. The amphipods are big -- look like tiny shrimp, the copepods are super tiny and really only visible with yellow light.

My understanding is "pods" of any type take a good 15 days or so until they start reproducing.

I see you are in England, but there is a site called AlgaeBarn that has a lot of good articles that should answer most of your questions.

Personally, I am looking to design a refugium such as attached.

My 30G EcoSystem mud/macro refugium looks like that. Mine has been running for 25 years.


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Current Tank Info: 10,000G. Greenhouse Macro Growout
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Unread 05/14/2018, 02:13 AM   #5
shamoo
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I have no filter socks in the sump; I was lead to believe like Subsea suggested that the Chaeto need the bacteria to feed off.
If i do run the skimmer after the refugium, the pods will be fine? Apart from zooplankton then.

thank RioReefr i'll check that site out.


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4x Chromis, 2x Banngai Cardinal, 2x Clown, Yellow watchman Goby, Royal Grammer, 2x Peacock Wrasse, One spot Foxface
5' 150g DT, 25g sump, 110lbs LR + refugium
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Unread 05/14/2018, 04:47 AM   #6
Subsea
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Skimmer after refugium will remove pods & larvae (zooplankton) from the water.


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Laissez les bons temps rouler,
Patrick Castille

Current Tank Info: 10,000G. Greenhouse Macro Growout
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Unread 05/16/2018, 01:23 PM   #7
shamoo
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On the lines of refugium, will the light work as it should if i put a acrylic sheet over the sump? Reason for this is, if the light slipped off the stand for some reason this would prevent the light falling into the sump. I want safety measures in place, electricity and water do not go well together. but if this prevents growth then i'll come up with an alternative solution

thanks


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4x Chromis, 2x Banngai Cardinal, 2x Clown, Yellow watchman Goby, Royal Grammer, 2x Peacock Wrasse, One spot Foxface
5' 150g DT, 25g sump, 110lbs LR + refugium
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Unread 05/19/2018, 02:10 PM   #8
shamoo
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Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: England
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anyone?


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4x Chromis, 2x Banngai Cardinal, 2x Clown, Yellow watchman Goby, Royal Grammer, 2x Peacock Wrasse, One spot Foxface
5' 150g DT, 25g sump, 110lbs LR + refugium
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