Fish in refugium?

[DREUTZ]

I wanted to add a 1 or 2 small fish to my future refugium. I know it will increase the bioload, but I wanted to make it a little more interesting in there when I open up the stand and the lights are off on the display. I was planning on a damsel, but read that they hunt pods. The fuge section will be about 20 gallons.

Are there any small non pod eating fish or fish that will not really put a dent in any pod population that I could add in there?

I was searching for the answer and some people said that all fish hunt pods to a degree so they wouldn't put any in their fuge, but I wanted to get some more input.

 

[xxxAngeloxxx]

I wouldnt put a fish in the sump in the first place. If i were you i would just let the tank do its stuff. Or just get some cheato from one who has pod and put it in the sump. Thats what i did for my sump and waited a few weeks.


Additected To MR =D Lol

 

[masterswimmer]

Any predator in a refugium changes the refugium to something very interesting.......a fish tank :smash:

The word refugium is derived from refuge.....a safe haven. Any predatory critter in a fuge negates the properties of a refugium.

All fish are predatory, whether they are carnivorous or herbivorous, they eat something.

Bottom line, no fish, not even one.....otherwise you have another fish tank.

Russ

 

[DREUTZ]

Thanks, thats kinda what I started thinking, just wanted to double check.

 

[btldreef]

It's not "recommended", if you can call it that, but for what it's worth, I've kept my Yasha Goby/Pistol shrimp pair in the refugium for quite a while now and it's been fine. They would just get lost in the larger tank, so I threw them in there when I wanted to take down their nano tank. I know quite a few people that keep their breeding pair of clownfish in the refugium as well without any ill effects. It absolutely can be done.

 

[kenconnect]

Any predator in a refugium changes the refugium to something very interesting.......a fish tank :smash:

The word refugium is derived from refuge.....a safe haven. Any predatory critter in a fuge negates the properties of a refugium.

All fish are predatory, whether they are carnivorous or herbivorous, they eat something.

Bottom line, no fish, not even one.....otherwise you have another fish tank.

Russ

I was looking to put 1 or 2 sea horses in mine.. But now I'm 2nd guessing it..

 

[lfsmarineguy]

Unless you have a much larger fuge I wouldn't add seahorses to it since they will spend all day eating your pods and negate some of the reason why you probably set the fuge up in the first place. A fuge type tank is ideal for horses though, so if you're ok with the downside than go for it.

You can add small fish to your fuge usually a small goby is good since they can help keep the top layers of sand from building up detritus with their normal digging behaviors. I would make it a point to feed them since it will help prevent them from really tearing into your pod population. Just enough that they eat it all, you don't want extra food all over the place.

 

[masterswimmer]

My point is not to say you can't add fish or a predator to a fuge. My point is that when you do add a fish to a fuge, it is no longer as effective a refugium....it is then a fish tank. Probably a successful one, but nevertheless, it is not as effective a refugium any longer.

Russ

 

[beerfish]

It depends on what type of refugium you want. If you're keeping a species that you can't keep in your display tank, then you're providing refuge for that animal. Here's a piece I wrote on different types of refugiums:

http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/general-discussion/77857-refugium-primer.html

 

[loneracer05]

How about a frog fish or angler....they poop alot but I don't think they would put much of a dent in your pod population...I could be wrong though

 

[lfsmarineguy]

Frogfish get to a size where they could feasibly swallow a football... how big is your refugium?

 

[DREUTZ]

It depends on what type of refugium you want. If you're keeping a species that you can't keep in your display tank, then you're providing refuge for that animal. Here's a piece I wrote on different types of refugiums:

http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/general-discussion/77857-refugium-primer.html

Thanks for the link. I posted a question in that thread about the sanded.

I am planning to not put any fish in there, but down the road if I am dieing to get one it will probably be a small goby. Thanks for all the input.

 

[DREUTZ]

Frogfish get to a size where they could feasibly swallow a football... how big is your refugium?

fuge will be half of a 45 gallon cube sump of which a water level has not been determined so 15-20 gallons or so I guess.

The frogfish look cool, but i think it might be too small for one.

 

[beerfish]

Thanks for the link. I posted a question in that thread about the sanded.

I am planning to not put any fish in there, but down the road if I am dieing to get one it will probably be a small goby. Thanks for all the input.

Answered in the thread.

 

[DREUTZ]

Answered in the thread.

Thanks!

I was reading a couple of threads on Nanoreef today about people saying "F" it and putting mantis shrimp in their fuges because they were saying some species of mantis are highly unlikely to be able to break the glass. (mainly the small "spear" type ones and not the "smasher" type ones)

Would something like that or other large crabs be a devastator of a pod population?