Cryptic Sump to grow Pods

[EchoPear]

Hey knowledgeable community, newbie question about growing some pods in a hang on refugium.

Wanting a mandarin at some point in my 33 long (footprint of a 55 but a foot tall). Thinking I will need a hang on refugium like the aquaready HOB-R or similar. Problem is I seem to chronically be low on nitrates even when I had fish (in fallow now) and don’t really want to try and support macro with a light in there. If I just filled a hang on fuge with some sand and rubble and left it unlit as a little cryptic fuge, will that still grow pods to feed a mandarin? Can’t seem to find an answer if having macro in there drastically increases pod populations

Thanks

 

[jonelder68]

It will be a safe space for pods to populate without hungry attackers. But I don’t think a HOB would produce enough. You would still have to dose/feed pods to the tank.

 

[Skywater]

Hey knowledgeable community, newbie question about growing some pods in a hang on refugium.

Wanting a mandarin at some point in my 33 long (footprint of a 55 but a foot tall). Thinking I will need a hang on refugium like the aquaready HOB-R or similar. Problem is I seem to chronically be low on nitrates even when I had fish (in fallow now) and don’t really want to try and support macro with a light in there. If I just filled a hang on fuge with some sand and rubble and left it unlit as a little cryptic fuge, will that still grow pods to feed a mandarin? Can’t seem to find an answer if having macro in there drastically increases pod populations

Thanks

I like the "Surf2" algae scrubber by Santa Monica....got one in the back corner of my display tank. Grows thick algae. Has amphipods living in the fast growing algae. Floats and is air driven. Amphipods will occasionally drop out of the exit ports and become food for my Tiger gobies and masked gobies. For a mandarin I would also culture in an addional setup. Would consider a second Surf2 just for the culture tank.