How to get live pods from turf scrubber to DT

Jyetman · 05/10/2017, 01:31 PM

Do they migrate or do I have to physically catch and release them to DT? I had my scrubber running for over five years and recently added a mandarin dragnet (second attempt) who is now getting thinner. I thought having a algae scrubber would maintain their foods? What am I doing wrong here?

sde1500 · 05/10/2017, 01:42 PM

I'm sure they'd move around on their own. Might not hurt to maybe swish the algae around in the DT after you harvest it, rinse the pods out, if you can do it without releasing too much of the algae.

Mishri · 05/10/2017, 03:40 PM

you wont get a lot of pods from your algae in the sump to your DT.. not enough to keep it fed IMO.. You would know you have enough pods in your DT to keep a mandarin fed if you see them crawling all over the place when you feed. That's how my 40 gallon tank is.. it's a pod factory.. i can stick my hand in the algae and my hand comes out covered in pods. which i can then transfer to the display... and you'd need to do this a few times a day to keep a mandarin fed.

Better to have pods growing in your display tank, an area where fish can't get to they'll eat all sorts of stuff, including flake food.. mine go nuts when I feed flake food. kind of funny seeing these tiny pods chasing flakes around the tank (no fish in it).

mcgyvr · 05/10/2017, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jyetman

I thought having a algae scrubber would maintain their foods? What am I doing wrong here?

You believed that an algae scrubber would maintain the food level...

While it can certainly help (depending on the specifics of the ATS) its not an easy button..

Jyetman · 05/10/2017, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mishri

you wont get a lot of pods from your algae in the sump to your DT.. not enough to keep it fed IMO.. You would know you have enough pods in your DT to keep a mandarin fed if you see them crawling all over the place when you feed. That's how my 40 gallon tank is.. it's a pod factory.. i can stick my hand in the algae and my hand comes out covered in pods. which i can then transfer to the display... and you'd need to do this a few times a day to keep a mandarin fed.

Better to have pods growing in your display tank, an area where fish can't get to they'll eat all sorts of stuff, including flake food.. mine go nuts when I feed flake food. kind of funny seeing these tiny pods chasing flakes around the tank (no fish in it).

So how do I populate the pods in my scrubber don't seem to have many? Do i put flake food on the screen?

05/10/2017, 01:31 PM	#1
Jyetman Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,712	How to get live pods from turf scrubber to DT Do they migrate or do I have to physically catch and release them to DT? I had my scrubber running for over five years and recently added a mandarin dragnet (second attempt) who is now getting thinner. I thought having a algae scrubber would maintain their foods? What am I doing wrong here?

05/10/2017, 01:42 PM	#2
sde1500 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Glocester, RI Posts: 3,336	I'm sure they'd move around on their own. Might not hurt to maybe swish the algae around in the DT after you harvest it, rinse the pods out, if you can do it without releasing too much of the algae. __________________ My build thread: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2548422 Current Tank Info: 65 gallon mixed reef, Eshopps sump and HOB overflow, RO-110int skimmer, Reefbreeder 32" photons V1.

05/10/2017, 03:40 PM	#3
Mishri Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Great Falls, MT Posts: 1,404	you wont get a lot of pods from your algae in the sump to your DT.. not enough to keep it fed IMO.. You would know you have enough pods in your DT to keep a mandarin fed if you see them crawling all over the place when you feed. That's how my 40 gallon tank is.. it's a pod factory.. i can stick my hand in the algae and my hand comes out covered in pods. which i can then transfer to the display... and you'd need to do this a few times a day to keep a mandarin fed. Better to have pods growing in your display tank, an area where fish can't get to they'll eat all sorts of stuff, including flake food.. mine go nuts when I feed flake food. kind of funny seeing these tiny pods chasing flakes around the tank (no fish in it). __________________ 300 gallon 8ft long, 2x xf250 gyre, reef octopus 250-int - work in progress Aquarist since 1986