Refugium setup....can pods get through blue sponge

[DrEggroll]

Trying to get my fuge set up I have chaeto and a tunze ultra chic 8831 submersible light. I have a few 4mm adult pods sitting on top of the sponge. I am wanting to populate my tank with pods. Do I need to adjust the sponge so that they will make it up my return pump? Some chaeto has separated and the sponge has keep it from going into my tank, should I cut some small little paths in the sponge so the pods can make it to the DT? Do I need a mixture of different pod sizes? My chaeto isn’t spinning, how necessary is it? It seems like it has grown a decent size in 3 days. My lights are on 12 hours separate from my DT lights.

 

[DrEggroll]

Also would you rather use some fuge mud or aqua pure balls/dry rock for the pods. I will dose with phyto once I get some more from my LFS to try and get the population to boom

 

[DrEggroll]

Bump

 

[Wolf89]

I would probably ditch the sponge altogether, as it may be nice now, but without dilgent replacement and cleanings, it will become a detritus farm and a nitrate factory.

 

[DrEggroll]

How do I keep the chaeto from getting into the return pump then?

 

[JediCruz]

I also have a new fuge setup with a bunch pods multiplying in that section and Chaeto but there is a sponge filter separating the chamber with the return pump. I don’t have an answer to your question but I wanted to chime in the say that I also wonder the same.

 

[Wolf89]

How do I keep the chaeto from getting into the return pump then?

the baffles should be more than enough, but you could always use eggcrate.

 

[DrEggroll]

the baffles should be more than enough, but you could always use eggcrate.

That’s great. Going to get some tomorrow. I will probably have two different sections so I could clean the top one when chaeto breaks away. It’s not spinning so breaks when I turn it

 

[DrEggroll]

the baffles should be more than enough, but you could always use eggcrate.

One more noob questions. Will the pods make it through the return pump alive? Or would I need to somehow collect them in the fuge and bring up

 

[Bryknicks]

I would probably ditch the sponge altogether, as it may be nice now, but without dilgent replacement and cleanings, it will become a detritus farm and a nitrate factory.

100% agree with this. Remove the sponge as it will become clogged over time. It is also very thick and most pods would not make it through. The weir on that section of the sump should be good enough to block ang chaeto from making it through the system.

One more noob questions. Will the pods make it through the return pump alive? Or would I need to somehow collect them in the fuge and bring up

Yes pods will make it through the return pump alive. Some will perish but enough will make it.

 

[lafarrow]

One more noob questions. Will the pods make it through the return pump alive? Or would I need to somehow collect them in the fuge and bring up

I have no doubt that you will see enough pods survive the harrowing trip. Tough critters.

 

[reefdoink]

As far as pods getting though, the baby spawns of the adults can through all kinds of stuff and make it to the display. Once the babies make to the display they will grow and populate the display. Another suggestion to replace the sponge is maybe get some ceramic bio-filter-media plates or balls in some media bags.