Refugium or Not?

[paddyob]

I have seen a few posts lately by reefers stating they don't think a fuge is good for POD production.

I personally use a CPR HOB Fuge on a 20g Mandarin only tank. It is definately working for me and my little girl is fat and always eating. She has been in there since May. If she was not eating... She would be dead.

It is set so the pump is at the beginning and therefore any pods breeding in the fuge just end up making their way through the 1.5" pipe drain back into the tank.

To fuge or not to fuge? That is the question.

[reefwars]

i think a fuge is a necessary part of a reeftank sure its not needed and who knows how many pods actually make it out but i know my fuge is jammed packed with them its like a flea circus down there but after the lights go out theres not even close to that amount in my display now granted there are fish and pod eating wrasses in there so thats the reason i dont see them.

i think even if you dont use a fuge for pod production i like the fact its like a mini rain forest down there im growing cheato,mangroves and halimeda not to mention i find coraline grown better in my fuge.its home to all my hugeeeee unwanted bristle worms and crabs.

overall i wouldnt want a tank without one and anyone who comes to my house seems just as fascinated with my fuge as they do with the display lol

[gobytron]

who says that fuges dont help with pod production?
would like to see the links to that info.

I can guarantee from personal experience that fuges offer not just pod production but nitrate and phosphate reduction in addition to plankton.

I have a med cpr aquafuge on my large system (around 120 gallons total or so) and a small cpr aquafuge on my 12 gallon display nano.

I would imagine that if you add a fuge and dont see any additional pod population you eiter have it set up wrong or arent looking close enough.

[fishytime]

things are getting taken out of context..... I said that I felt that a fuge in a sump will do little to feed a mandarin dragonet in a display.......because A) the pods in the sump first have to find the return pump and then B) have to survive the blender ride up to the display......I never said that refugiums dont breed pods

[gobytron]

Thanks for the clarification.
I still disagree.

You'll lose some pods for sure, but I'd still bank on a noticeable increase in population as so many amphipods/copods and their larvae is so tiny that no pump would kill it all before it made it into your display.

otherwise, my experience with mandarins would be a lot different than it has been.

Can't deny you wouldnt see as many as you would if you wre to just plumb your HOB directly into the display.

[paddyob]

Originally Posted by fishytime

things are getting taken out of context..... I said that I felt that a fuge in a sump will do little to feed a mandarin dragonet in a display.......because A) the pods in the sump first have to find the return pump and then B) have to survive the blender ride up to the display......I never said that refugiums dont breed pods

This is not based in your opinion alone. Others have said similar. I just wanted to gather more info.

My 70 is so jammed with pods it's nuts. I have a cryptic fuge in my sump for this tank.

[evaneatspie555]

are pods beneficial even if u dont have fish who feed on them and if u dont have any since i havents seen one in 2 years on my tank is there a way to introduce some ?

[FitoPharmer]

Originally Posted by evaneatspie555

are pods beneficial even if u dont have fish who feed on them and if u dont have any since i havents seen one in 2 years on my tank is there a way to introduce some ?

Pods can help complete the reefs nitrogen cycle in sufficient numbers without feeding any fish. If you have certain types of fish they will eat every humanly visible pod in your tank. When I first introduced a 6 line wrasse to my tank I watched him for the first few days pick every pod off the front glass. They may not be listed like a mandarin because they will eat almost anything, but that will not stop them from having pod snacks. If you have bought coral from someone or LR from an established tank you have pods. They normally can be found in the corners near or on the silicone.