Can I remove my refugium and still have copepods

[Miami Reef]

I made this cheap easy refugium with a colander bowl in my sump with cheato. I have a dragonet mandarin goby and he’s doing very well. I got sample water from my refugium and I can see a lot of copepods with a mgnifying glass, which is good...

But having a light in my sump is causing a lot of hair algae. The cheato isn’t really removing nitrates/phosphates, because it’s too small, but it’s really good for my copepods.

question, my tank is 300 gallons, and I have a lot of live rock with crevices that the fish cannot enter. Do you think that will suffice for copepods for my dragonet mandarin?

my main reason for wanting to shut it down is because I cannot afford the algae growing all over my pumps. It will grow in return pipes/tubes and will cause a lot of headache in the future. I made up my mind and I don’t want a refugium anymore.

Will hanging a shower scrunchy without light give the same affect as having cheato? Please advise me!

 

[codytbuckner]

My guess is a healthy pod population would do just fine in the main display. You can always supplement pods as needed.

 

[Reesj]

I made this cheap easy refugium with a colander bowl in my sump with cheato. I have a dragonet mandarin goby and he’s doing very well. I got sample water from my refugium and I can see a lot of copepods with a mgnifying glass, which is good...

But having a light in my sump is causing a lot of hair algae. The cheato isn’t really removing nitrates/phosphates, because it’s too small, but it’s really good for my copepods.

question, my tank is 300 gallons, and I have a lot of live rock with crevices that the fish cannot enter. Do you think that will suffice for copepods for my dragonet mandarin?

my main reason for wanting to shut it down is because I cannot afford the algae growing all over my pumps. It will grow in return pipes/tubes and will cause a lot of headache in the future. I made up my mind and I don’t want a refugium anymore.

Will hanging a shower scrunchy without light give the same affect as having cheato? Please advise me!

300 gallons with live rocks whould be plenty to keep a single dragonet.
But from my research so far there is a small thing which is, How many other fish in your tank consume copepods? Things like small wrases also live off them. 300 gallons though should be alright if your have quite a few others grazers of pods.

 

[Miami Reef]

Here’s my stock list right now

dragonet mandarin
5 Banggai cardinals
3 tangs
1foxface
5 damsels
Midas blenny
2 clownfish
Coral beauty
Firefish
1 lyretail anthias (5 more coming this Saturday)
2 clown gobies coming this sat As well.

will I be ok?

 

[Reesj]

Here’s my stock list right now

dragonet mandarin
5 Banggai cardinals
3 tangs
1foxface
5 damsels
Midas blenny
2 clownfish
Coral beauty
Firefish
1 lyretail anthias (5 more coming this Saturday)
2 clown gobies coming this sat As well.

will I be ok?

Looks fine to me. I would though for better measures add some once few months time.