Reef Central Online Community - View Single Post - Amphipod Culture in Refugium for eventual Seahorse use

asd0123 · 06/16/2014, 10:50 PM

Okay, I'm not really new to the hobby entirely, but I am new to a marine tank, so I thought I'd throw this here. I've done extensive research on refugiums, but I just can't seem to be sure enough for myself. My ultimate goal is to get seahorses. Now, before anyone freaks out, I do NOT plan on getting them right away. I know the risks and difficulties which they entail (I never understood this word, you'd think enTALE would be more appropriate, but I digress). I plan on first getting 6 firefish, then corals (non stinging, low light ones sun coral, clove polyp, zoas, blastomussa, giant green polyp duncan, toadstool mushroom leather, trumpet coral, and candy cane coral), and some inverts (sexy shrimp, feather duster, and blue sea star). Once I get all of these (like I said LONG way from seahorses) I want a male mandarin and 2 females. Finally I'd like to plop in 2 pairs of H. erectus (tiger strain).
Now, I know it would not be enough to completely support mandarins or seahorses, and I'd need captive breds to eat frozen foods as their main diet. My question, however, is; Would a refugium setup with live rock, an inch or so of live sand and a starter kit for refugiums (live aquaria has one with amphipods, copepods, cheatomorpha, gracillaria, and ulva lettuce) make a sustainable population? I know they need to be supplemented also with some ground up flake/pellet food as well.
This is my plan. I have an old 55 gallon and two 10 gallons. Use the overflow in the 55 to pump water into the sump where a pump will push water into the refugium. The refugium will be positioned slightly higher than the show tank and I'll use a gravity system to safely pump water back in, so no one gets hurt.
Will this be a setup that will allow a sustainable amphipod/copepod population to grow, and some to be safely dumped into the show tank for fun snacks?

Thanks!!

P.S. I included all the corals, fish inverts, and refugium supplies in case I've got things wrong (again, newbie-ish). Please feel free to rip my plan apart (be gentle) because I'd rather not have it at all than endanger some poor creature's life. Also if some species do counteract each other pleases specify, I kind of have it ranked which I'd prefer, and I'd rather eliminate less desirables first.

06/16/2014, 10:50 PM	#1
asd0123 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 4	Amphipod Culture in Refugium for eventual Seahorse use Okay, I'm not really new to the hobby entirely, but I am new to a marine tank, so I thought I'd throw this here. I've done extensive research on refugiums, but I just can't seem to be sure enough for myself. My ultimate goal is to get seahorses. Now, before anyone freaks out, I do NOT plan on getting them right away. I know the risks and difficulties which they entail (I never understood this word, you'd think enTALE would be more appropriate, but I digress). I plan on first getting 6 firefish, then corals (non stinging, low light ones sun coral, clove polyp, zoas, blastomussa, giant green polyp duncan, toadstool mushroom leather, trumpet coral, and candy cane coral), and some inverts (sexy shrimp, feather duster, and blue sea star). Once I get all of these (like I said LONG way from seahorses) I want a male mandarin and 2 females. Finally I'd like to plop in 2 pairs of H. erectus (tiger strain). Now, I know it would not be enough to completely support mandarins or seahorses, and I'd need captive breds to eat frozen foods as their main diet. My question, however, is; Would a refugium setup with live rock, an inch or so of live sand and a starter kit for refugiums (live aquaria has one with amphipods, copepods, cheatomorpha, gracillaria, and ulva lettuce) make a sustainable population? I know they need to be supplemented also with some ground up flake/pellet food as well. This is my plan. I have an old 55 gallon and two 10 gallons. Use the overflow in the 55 to pump water into the sump where a pump will push water into the refugium. The refugium will be positioned slightly higher than the show tank and I'll use a gravity system to safely pump water back in, so no one gets hurt. Will this be a setup that will allow a sustainable amphipod/copepod population to grow, and some to be safely dumped into the show tank for fun snacks? Thanks!! P.S. I included all the corals, fish inverts, and refugium supplies in case I've got things wrong (again, newbie-ish). Please feel free to rip my plan apart (be gentle) because I'd rather not have it at all than endanger some poor creature's life. Also if some species do counteract each other pleases specify, I kind of have it ranked which I'd prefer, and I'd rather eliminate less desirables first.