Pods through return pump

plumbdogmillionaire

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I’m making an external gravity fed refugium for my AIO reef tank and I can’t decide if I should run the return drain to the display or return pump chamber. I don’t want to run it to the display because I don’t think it would look best aesthetically, and it would make it annoying to take the tank lid on/off. My actual question is, would enough pods be killed by the return pump that it wouldn’t be worth it to run the drain into that chamber?

I know most tanks have an in-sump refugugium chamber down below which obviously means pods going through the return pump. But having the option of not doing that is making me unsure.
 
My actual question is, would enough pods be killed by the return pump that it wouldn’t be worth it to run the drain into that chamber?
No, send em’ through the pump!

— I’ve had a 1” long juvenile mosquitofish survive unscathed after being sent back up to the display via the return pump in my freshwater system!

— an uncle of mine had his orchard’s aquaponic irrigation pond overrun by invasive carp after the fry were pumped in from the adjacent communal irrigation trenches! (They subsequently killed off the catfish, smallmouth bass, and crawfish the pond was initially stocked with…)
 
Surface tension is their friend. Most all of them will travel through like Agustas Gloop, unharmed and fat and happy at the other side.

Well I am not sure if Agustas was happy, but you get the point.
 
My actual question is, would enough pods be killed by the return pump that it wouldn’t be worth it to run the drain into that chamber?
No, send em’ through the pump!

— I’ve had a 1” long juvenile mosquitofish survive unscathed after being sent back up to the display via the return pump in my freshwater system!

— an uncle of mine had his orchard’s aquaponic irrigation pond overrun by invasive carp after the fry were pumped in from the adjacent communal irrigation trenches! (They subsequently killed off the catfish, smallmouth bass, and crawfish the pond was initially stocked with…)
Thank you
 

WHICH PART OF YOUR SETUP IS HARDEST TO REACH OR REMOVE FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE?

  • Glass behind or beside the tank

    Votes: 6 30.0%
  • Powerheads or wavemakers

    Votes: 2 10.0%
  • Sump or rear filtration chambers

    Votes: 2 10.0%
  • Skimmer or other filtration equipment

    Votes: 1 5.0%
  • Overflow or plumbing

    Votes: 6 30.0%
  • Lights or lids

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Mine is pretty easy to access!

    Votes: 2 10.0%
  • Other—tell us what I missed

    Votes: 1 5.0%
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