What do I really want to put in my fuge?

[Mini4x]

Got the glass cut, and tank is getting drilled today, so..

I have about 20lb or sand from my 25g (about a year old) never seen too many pods or things in it though, probably add another 15-20 lbs.
Probably some cheato, seems liek everyone has some to give away..
Some rock rubble in the 'inlet' area..
My skimmer (DUH)
But what 'other' things do you guys feel are important down there?

 

[crzy4reefs]

i put hermits down there but i just have various macro and chateo down there, rock rubble and live sand..........

 

[aweeks95]

some snails too...i have some cheato if you want it...let me know

ANDY

 

[ReeferMedic]

All this "down there" talk can really bring your mind into the gutter!

 

[starrfish]

You're bad Don! I put peppermint shrimp in my fuge because they breed like crazy and provide good food for the rest of the tank.

 

[marco67]

"My skimmer (DUH)"

Actually NOT!
Your skimmer will pull out many of the beneficial organisms ie: pods, peps , peps babies and even plankton to some extent. Now if you are talking about a combination sump / refugium and you sit the skimmer in a separate compartment (first in line so as to get "raw" water) then that's a different story.
Also give some design thought when using rubble rock, it's great for a pod pile and having lots of surface area but it's also great for collecting detritus. So be aware of where you take your feed water source and consider some sort of settling chamber or periodic cleaning.

 

[ReeferMedic]

You're bad Don! I put peppermint shrimp in my fuge because they breed like crazy and provide good food for the rest of the tank.

Sorry, couldn't help myself......

 

[Mini4x]

"My skimmer (DUH)"

Actually NOT!
Your skimmer will pull out many of the beneficial organisms ie: pods, peps , peps babies and even plankton to some extent. Now if you are talking about a combination sump / refugium and you sit the skimmer in a separate compartment (first in line so as to get "raw" water) then that's a different story.
Also give some design thought when using rubble rock, it's great for a pod pile and having lots of surface area but it's also great for collecting detritus. So be aware of where you take your feed water source and consider some sort of settling chamber or periodic cleaning.

Yes the fuge is chambered from the sump.. "raw" tank water will go to the skimmer, fuge will be fed "clean" water from the return pump.

 

[Mini4x]

I got mad skilzzzz wit paint!

 

[marco67]

You need to seperate the skimmer and the return pump.(what you show there will return a S load of bubbles to your display) No need for a seperation between the skimmer and the overflow chamber, also consider the path of flow through the fuge as drawn it would only be marginaly useful.
are your baffels in already? or is this just "proposed" placement?
Consider relocating 2nd set of baffels and return pump to the far left.

Oh and I'm sure your drawing is not to scale but I'd shorten those baffels. They only need to be tall enough to direct the water. Too Tall has Two major draw backs...1) you'd need to run thew water level so high that the sump would overflow during a "drain down " event... 2) excess evaporation (vacation) or a small leak would cause all flow to stop.

 

[theLIQUIDzoo]

I put peppermint shrimp in my fuge because they breed like crazy and provide good food for the rest of the tank.

do they ever make it past eggs?

 

[Mini4x]

the skimmer is "fed" from the raw tank water (far right), it's not "in" the return chamber. The skimmer return is in the same chamber.. maybe I need a little different setup..

oh yeah, "not to scale"..

Far left is fuge area..

 

[Mini4x]

Mean more like this?

 

[starrfish]

do they ever make it past eggs?

I think so - I see tons of little shrimp-looking things swimming around my fuge. And they even seem to be multiplying in my display.

 

[Mini4x]

I think so - I see tons of little shrimp-looking things swimming around my fuge. And they even seem to be multiplying in my display.

Are they peps though..

could be mysids? or even cocepods?

Get your microscope out and let use know.