Refugium critters

Swampfoxforeman · Jan 3, 2018

What living things do y’all have in your refugiums? I’m setting mine up next next month. I’m looking at cheato, red mangroves, copepods, and bristle warms as of right now.

Tahoe61 · Jan 4, 2018

Bump for Refugiums.

Mombo · Jan 4, 2018

Great thread as I am also looking into this right now. For the Mangroves you'll def have a sand bottom in your fuge but I am also wondering for those without a substrate do these critters need and sand bottom or can they be in a bare bottom.

Ive read people putting hermits in the fuge/sump as well....as an attempt to add something to this thread haha.

Medic755 · Jan 4, 2018

I was thinking about adding a couple hermits to the fuge. I am building a 150 using the triton method so no socks. I also want ULM so I was considering a couple hermits or an emerald crab in the fuge to clean up detritus. Maybe even a starfish would be good to clean up whatever settles out there.

Medic755 · Jan 4, 2018

I wouldn't want bristle worms. I have the sneaking feeling they'd escape.

Tristren · Jan 4, 2018

We have a mithrax crab that was moved down when he showed up as a hitchhiker in the DT. He seems happy (when we see him).

I'd like to add a couple of other things too.

Cheers, Tony

MaiReef · Jan 4, 2018

I have peppermint shrimp in mine to combat the aiptasia. When they get it all, I will put them in my display. I have mini serpeant stars and chiton as well as bristle worms and asterina. I watch my fuge for 15-20 minutes for fun. Mini tank of fun in there.

Swampfoxforeman · Jan 4, 2018

The question is what are you going use your refugium for? Mine is going to be for nutrition export. So less for the copepods breeding ground. The local shop has captive raised mandarins that is guaranteed to eat flake and pellet foods. I was thinking of putting one of these in there

Swampfoxforeman · Jan 4, 2018

Doing a little research this is a list I have compiled of things to have in your refugium.
gray, pink or orange beneficial fireworms
Hairworms, Amphipods, Mysids, copepods,
Chaeto, Red Mangroves, Ulva -can be fed to fish, Red and Green Gracilaria -can be fed to fish, Codium - can be fed to fish. What y’all think?

KMench · Jan 4, 2018

I have copepods, amphipods, asterina stars, chaeto, calperula, and red gracilaria in my sump. Seems cool enough, generates some fish food when I shake out the macro in the tank before tossing it. Oh and there’s a piece of live rock and some sand in there.

Tristren · Jan 4, 2018

Swampfoxforeman said:
Doing a little research this is a list I have compiled of things to have in your refugium.
gray, pink or orange beneficial fireworms
Hairworms, Amphipods, Mysids, copepods,
Chaeto, Red Mangroves, Ulva -can be fed to fish, Red and Green Gracilaria -can be fed to fish, Codium - can be fed to fish. What y’all think?

I think that if you add some nice live rock to your fuge you will get plenty of interesting stuff.
I think that the list looks good, but I'm still new to this myself!

Tony

Swampfoxforeman · Jan 4, 2018

I agree live sand n rock also

lbacha · Jan 4, 2018

I have sand, live rock and lots of rubble, a couple nassarius snails to eat detritus, a big trocus snail for algae, lots of copepods, amphipods and bristle worms. A nice ball of cheato, a bunch of pulsing Xenia, palys, zoas and different shrooms.

Mombo · Jan 4, 2018

Can Bristle worms and Brittle Stars be in a bare bottom sump or do they require sand?

lbacha · Jan 4, 2018

My bristleworms live in my ball of cheato so I'm sure bare bottom doesn't matter

KMench · Jan 4, 2018

They can be in a bare bottom. Put some live rock in and they'll be set.

Swampfoxforeman · Jan 4, 2018

One reason for bristleworm is they are great scavengers and clean rocks and sand really well. When I set my refugium up when it and my sump come in from lifereef next month I will add live rock rubble and live sand.

Mombo · Jan 4, 2018

My one worry with sand and rubble is that its going to make a detritus trap which is why I was thinking about going bare bottom. Adding a few medium rocks doesnt sound too bad....I guess the worms and other stuff is supposed to take care of the Detritus....