Refugium

PrevieAriz · Jan 27, 2020

So, am considering one of these to grow some copepods so I can get a Red Mandarin Goby. I see some online that come (so they claim) with everything you need. They hang either on the back of your tank or in the tank. Some just look like the breeding or sick isolation plastic boxes.

1) Should I get into this?
2) what is the best way? Make my own? Buy one?
3) what are the best ones to buy?

Thanks!

Spare time · Jan 27, 2020

Fiji cube is my favorite brand. How big is your tank?

PrevieAriz · Jan 27, 2020

I have a 75 gallon and a small nano 13.5 gallons. I wanted to add the RMG to the nano tank because all I have in there now is pair of clownfish and 2 snails plus my corals. My 75 gallon has 3 anemones, 2 clowns, 6 cardinals, a lawnmower blenny, an arc-eye hawkfish, 4 firefish gobies, 2 cleaner snails, 1 small coral (my Hawkfish is attached to it so I decided to leave the one coral), snails, and 2 hermit crabs. I have a fluval filter for a 200 gallon tank, an in-tank skimmer, and a heater. Parameters unchanged for months (has been up since 10/2019). No water changes as of yet. Nano tank has a filter and skimmer and parameters also remain unchanged. Has been up for maybe 1 1/2 months now.

steallife904 · Jan 27, 2020

don't think you could keep the pod population high enough in a 13.5 for a mandarin even with a hang on refugium. It would help but you would probably need to add new copepods at least every other month. I have a established 150 gal reef and still add new copepods about every 3 or 4 months to keep my mandarin happy. I also have wrasse that probably eat some as well. But in a 13.5 he will wipe them out in days. They literally walk around eating all day.

PrevieAriz · Jan 27, 2020

Ah, okay. So maybe the 75 gallon for him then.

steallife904 · Jan 27, 2020

would defiantly be the better option!!! Make sure you already have a good pod population and it will be fine! Doesn't hurt to add more from time to time as well

NS Mike D · Jan 27, 2020

CPR had a 5 gallon HOB fuge that is also is perfect size for a 24" standard cheap reef LED light. The light is needed to grow cheato.

I prefer Reef Nutrition Tigger Pods. Their bottles are crammed with active pods and 2 LFS near me carry them so I can save on shipping. I recall Tiggers are slight bigger have more nutritious than tisbe pods as for why I settled on them for my mandarin.

In addition to the 5 gal CPR HOB, I added a DIY 10 gal sump to my system because the HOB did not skim the surface and not a good option to house addition equipment like an ATO, back up heater, filter socks etc.

Consider a sump if you have other needs. I still keep the CPR as the pod fuge.

I have a 29 gal DT so the mandarin can wipe out the DT of pods in a day. He/She does pick at the frozen brine and mysis to feed daily (I shut do the pumps during feed for 20 min to give the mandarin a chance to eat). It loves Reef Nutrition ROE (eggs) as these will settle into the nooks and crannies until the mandarin comes upon them and their size is perfect for its little mouth. (I've seen it have difficulty eating and eventually spit out mysis.

All that said I still recharge the fuge every 6 months. In fact, I dosed a bottle of Reef Nutrition Tiggers yesterday.

Algae barn has good pods and a subscription program .

PrevieAriz · Jan 27, 2020

Hm, okay, sounds a bit more involved than I thought from my research but, then, things usually are! They make it sound so simple and then when you start, it's a whole lot more! But, that's okay, I like a challenge!

Spare time · Jan 27, 2020

PrevieAriz said:
I have a 75 gallon and a small nano 13.5 gallons. I wanted to add the RMG to the nano tank because all I have in there now is pair of clownfish and 2 snails plus my corals. My 75 gallon has 3 anemones, 2 clowns, 6 cardinals, a lawnmower blenny, an arc-eye hawkfish, 4 firefish gobies, 2 cleaner snails, 1 small coral (my Hawkfish is attached to it so I decided to leave the one coral), snails, and 2 hermit crabs. I have a fluval filter for a 200 gallon tank, an in-tank skimmer, and a heater. Parameters unchanged for months (has been up since 10/2019). No water changes as of yet. Nano tank has a filter and skimmer and parameters also remain unchanged. Has been up for maybe 1 1/2 months now.

I wouldn't do it in that tank. It already has a rear chamber for them to grow without being predated upon but its just too small compared to the appetite of dragonettes.