Copepods in sump?

Newtybar · Dec 7, 2015

This is awesome! You are going to cost your parents a lot of money in this hobby hahah!

Honestly though, this hobby teaches a long of things...most of all PATIENCE.

Baby Ray · Dec 7, 2015

DeniseAndy said:
It is great you are starting this hobby so young. Keep up the good work and ask lots of questions. This will be life long for you and you can get some amazingly long lived fish to show off. Hope Christmas goes just how you want it to.

Thanks, so much.
One last question

My tank has been up and running for about 3 or 4 months now. What is the best way to add a refugium to the tank that is already up and running? Will I have to drain the water or is there another easier way?
Thx

Baby Ray · Dec 7, 2015

Newtybar said:
This is awesome! You are going to cost your parents a lot of money in this hobby hahah!

Honestly though, this hobby teaches a long of things...most of all PATIENCE.

Thanks, I wanted to get into the hobby as soon as possible….. it took awhile to convince my mom

My parents made me pay for about 75% of all the filtration and other necessities. They also make me pay for all of my livestock!!!! Luckily, i ref little kids soccer games and you actually get paid a lot. My aunt also owns a hardware store so during the summer she pays me to work there.

DeniseAndy · Dec 8, 2015

In a 20g sump, you should be able to incorporate a refugium right into it. You would not have to drain the main tank, but if you want to actually silicon in baffles, you would have to removed the sump and drain it to put baffles in and let them dry. Other way to add a refugium is find a plastic container that will fit nicely into your sump. Large enough to have some walls around it and able to fill with some sand or rock. Put this container of sand and/or rock in the sump between the protein skimmer and the return section.

Way 1) Make sure the container is fully submerged so water can go in and out and around it. Way 2) make sure the container is taller than the water level and cut holes in one side to let water in and then holes on the other side slightly lower than the first side so water flows one directions through the container.

This is a easy, cheap way to get one going. For cleaning it, you can just take it out and get rid of the detritus (nasty waste) that collects in the bottom.

Hope that makes sense.

Baby Ray · Dec 8, 2015

DeniseAndy said:
In a 20g sump, you should be able to incorporate a refugium right into it. You would not have to drain the main tank, but if you want to actually silicon in baffles, you would have to removed the sump and drain it to put baffles in and let them dry. Other way to add a refugium is find a plastic container that will fit nicely into your sump. Large enough to have some walls around it and able to fill with some sand or rock. Put this container of sand and/or rock in the sump between the protein skimmer and the return section.

Way 1) Make sure the container is fully submerged so water can go in and out and around it. Way 2) make sure the container is taller than the water level and cut holes in one side to let water in and then holes on the other side slightly lower than the first side so water flows one directions through the container.

This is a easy, cheap way to get one going. For cleaning it, you can just take it out and get rid of the detritus (nasty waste) that collects in the bottom.

Hope that makes sense.

Thanks, do you put the container upside down or right side up, and what should it be made of?

DeniseAndy · Dec 9, 2015

Right side up. and place the rock an sand in bottom. Can add algae too with a light over it. Lots of plastics are okay. If you can find a container that is food safe/potable water safe, it is probably fine. If you can find acrylic better.

Baby Ray · Dec 9, 2015

Thanks so much!!!!! You can't believe how much you have helped me. I can't wait to get a nice copepod population in my tank

StrawberryShortcake · Dec 9, 2015

Chaeto in refugium! Hope you get a good population going on.

ReefConcept · Dec 10, 2015

StrawberryShortcake said:
Chaeto in refugium! Hope you get a good population going on.

+1

Baby Ray · Dec 10, 2015

thanks

DeniseAndy · Dec 10, 2015

Hope to see some pictures soon.

You are very welcome. Keep asking questions.

Where abouts are you located? State is fine. Just curious if you have heard of frag swaps and what they are for. You might get lots of information just talking to other reef keepers. Do you have a local club?

Baby Ray · Dec 11, 2015

I live in Virginia. I have heard of frag swaps but I have no idea what they are. My local fish store had one before I got my tank but he hasn't had any yet. What exactly are they?

DeniseAndy · Dec 11, 2015

Lets see. I am not sure in Virginia what the clubs are like. Google reef clubs and you may find one in your area. Or use this site to find some in the club section. These are usually just a group of reef keepers that work together to get good prices on things (powerbuys) and talk to each other about things that no one else understands.

They are also a good source of help when needed.

A frag swap is when a bunch of vendors selling coral, inverts, fish (any livestock) get together to sell to hobbyists. These are run by the local clubs. They happen at different times in different places. I am pretty sure there is a nice thread here on where they are and such. Let me find it.....

DeniseAndy · Dec 11, 2015

Yep. Here is 2016. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/2016-frag-swap-dates-and-locations-in-order-and-updated.218689/

I went to these when first starting just to talk and listen to other reef keepers. Sometimes they have speakers and such too. Also, the vendors are a good source when they have time. It is a good way to see what is out there and get an idea of what you like. Then you can ask what it is and research before buying.

Baby Ray · Dec 13, 2015

DeniseAndy said:
It is great you are starting this hobby so young. Keep up the good work and ask lots of questions. This will be life long for you and you can get some amazingly long lived fish to show off. Hope Christmas goes just how you want it to.

Hey, my dad and I have decided to make a small acrylic box with holes drilled in it. He said that we would have put in the bigger version but we don't want to have to drain the sump. I have another question for you. I went to my LFS and he said you had to keep the cheato moving at all times. Is that true? He also mention a thing called an "algae scrubber" or something like that. Have you ever heard of those, and do they work better?
Thanks again

DeniseAndy · Dec 13, 2015

You are paying attention and researching. Love it. Sorry I am a mom of an almost 13 yr old, so I will sound momish. Cheoto does like a bit of a circular rotation. However I have seen many without that growing fine. You will however need light to grow it. This should be run on an opposite cycle of the lights in your display. This helps stabilize pH.

Algae scrubbers are an old idea that have been modernized in different ways. These are wonderful if done properly. I use an up flow algae version. There are also waterfall versions and runway versions. I always recommend them and use on all my systems. You can make them fairly easily and if not, there are some great ones out there brilliantly done. Search here for algae scrubbers. Should get lots of info.

Baby Ray · Dec 13, 2015

Thanks. I have a light that hangs over my sump and I keep it on at all times. I did a little research on the algae scrubbers this morning and they look pretty cool. Some of the newer ones are kind of expensive though (at least for me). Could a copepod population be sustained in an algae scrubber or would you need a completely different space for them? I would think you would need a different space because you clean an algae scrubber a lot so the pod population would also be cleaned out of the tank.

Baby Ray · Dec 13, 2015

DeniseAndy said:
You are paying attention and researching. Love it. Sorry I am a mom of an almost 13 yr old, so I will sound momish. Cheoto does like a bit of a circular rotation. However I have seen many without that growing fine. You will however need light to grow it. This should be run on an opposite cycle of the lights in your display. This helps stabilize pH.

Algae scrubbers are an old idea that have been modernized in different ways. These are wonderful if done properly. I use an up flow algae version. There are also waterfall versions and runway versions. I always recommend them and use on all my systems. You can make them fairly easily and if not, there are some great ones out there brilliantly done. Search here for algae scrubbers. Should get lots of info.

I did some more research and I found this algae scrubber that sits underwater.

http://www.santa-monica.cc/DROP14-d...-surfaces--14-cubes-feeding-per-day_p_71.html

Is this a good deal and good quality?

DeniseAndy · Dec 13, 2015

Those are some of the ones I would say are modern and good. I have a style like the HOG 1 version. Santa Monica Filtration makes them. I made mine from old microwave dishes (black ones meals come in) and some stitching plastic fabric. I have a DIY on our site: http://forums.care4reefs.com/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=403

They can get pricey for the larger ones, but I think the HOG one is $100. Still pricey compared to homemade, but probably better at growing algae and not having to be replaced as often.

Copepods live in them nicely. Just when you clean them, you shake the algae (rinse) in some saltwater to get the majority of the pods out before throwing away.