Question about pods in sump

ctniners · 03/04/2012, 08:39 AM

Hello....I am debating on removing the filter sock from the drain from the display tank to the sump....I need some inputs...this is not just about the usual filter sock debate....

My system consist on a 40 gal breeder..with about 40 lbs or of rock..maybe a little more...the idea was to have a tank with more space for corals to grow and a better water circulation...the goal is to set it up as a SPS tank....here is a pic of the display

Now, because of the small amount of rocks in the display I had to make up by putting a lot of rock in the sump....so what I did is got another 40 gal breeder and filled it up with over 200 lbs of rock....so my question is this,

I am not too worry about pods getting trapped in filter socks...my main issue is the pods living in the sump....pods need the left overs, need the fish waste...otherwise they do not survive correct?......so in my case...would you just the let the water flow freely into the sump?.....

By the way, if you wonder about the refuge, I do have one but its only a 10 gal tank with cheato and I dont think is enough to feed my mandarin...(it is a small drip going to the sump...but again...those from the refuge that make it to the sump and stay in the sump will need to survive)..so I want the pods living in the sump to make their way to the display eventually....

Thanks guys...sorry for making this very long....

Vice333 · 03/04/2012, 10:45 AM

I use a filter sock about 60 percent of the time. I "filter" the water for a few days, and then take it off. Cleans a lot out, and still allows the pods to tranfer around.

ctniners · 03/04/2012, 11:13 AM

Yeah thats one option...I guess i can use it mainly if I am going to be moving rocks or sand or even during water changes....

You see my issue is not loosing pods from the display getting stuck in the sock, my issue is keeping the pods in the sump alive....if the sock grabs everything then what will they have to eat to sustain themselves?

philosophile · 03/04/2012, 11:27 AM

The pods mostly eat algae and diatoms, that mandarins most like. So its likely that not using the sock won't improve any pod population, in the feeding sense. A light will be helpful though. But with the sock, he pods can't recirculate. If they get trapped in the sock, they're not being eaten. So I would take the sock off, add a light, and consider dosing glass water (I'm doing that now to try to increase pod populations).

ctniners · 03/04/2012, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by philosophile

The pods mostly eat algae and diatoms, that mandarins most like........ and consider dosing glass water (I'm doing that now to try to increase pod populations).

So pods live of algea..didnt know that...ok.....good to know

What do you mean by dosing glass water....i never heard of that...do you have a link so I can get more info??

Thanks a lot for the help

cloak · 03/04/2012, 05:08 PM

Pods and a mandarin go hand in hand, kind of like cigarettes and beer. (sorry) If you don't have one of those fish in your tank, forget about the pods. They don't do much as far as keeping a tank clened is concerned, there just there.

JMO.

ctniners · 03/04/2012, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cloak

Pods and a mandarin go hand in hand, kind of like cigarettes and beer. (sorry) If you don't have one of those fish in your tank, forget about the pods. They don't do much as far as keeping a tank clened is concerned, there just there.

JMO.

Yes, thats pretty much my issue, if I wasnt taking care of a mandarin I really woudnt worry about how to keep as many pods alive as possible

philosophile · 03/05/2012, 02:57 PM

Glass water is sodium Silicate. Its the silicate part thats important, since silicates are usually pretty low in most aquariums. Actually most people try to keep it low, precisely to keep diatom populations in check, since diatoms need silicate to grow. Without it, they don't grow, and they make reefers happy, since its a little unsightly.

But pods, particularly Tisbe Bimminimsis really like diatoms, and explode in population when they're are around. Tisbe pods are great for mandarins, one of their staple diets. So if you want a mandarin, dose silicates, to feed diatoms, which Tisbe pods eat and grow to feed your mandarin.

here's the link to Randy's article on Sodium Silicate: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/1/aafeature1

I've been dosing 1 drop of Sodium Silicate (water glass) to my ~85g system. I put in the first drop this week, and I plan on doing it 1 drop a week, at first to see how things go. But in Randy's article I think he puts much more than a drop a week, with no ill effects.

Buzz1329 · 03/05/2012, 04:45 PM

So you have 200 # of live rock in a 40 gallon tank. In which case how do you fit the water in? 1 = Tip the cigar, rim shot, and I'm here all week ladies and gentleworms, enjoy the veal! And 40 # in your 40 gal DT (which looks great BTW). Plus you have a 10 gallon fuge? I'm even more confused than normal. And confusion is my middle name. 1!

03/04/2012, 08:39 AM	#1
ctniners Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: CT Posts: 938	Question about pods in sump Hello....I am debating on removing the filter sock from the drain from the display tank to the sump....I need some inputs...this is not just about the usual filter sock debate.... My system consist on a 40 gal breeder..with about 40 lbs or of rock..maybe a little more...the idea was to have a tank with more space for corals to grow and a better water circulation...the goal is to set it up as a SPS tank....here is a pic of the display Now, because of the small amount of rocks in the display I had to make up by putting a lot of rock in the sump....so what I did is got another 40 gal breeder and filled it up with over 200 lbs of rock....so my question is this, I am not too worry about pods getting trapped in filter socks...my main issue is the pods living in the sump....pods need the left overs, need the fish waste...otherwise they do not survive correct?......so in my case...would you just the let the water flow freely into the sump?..... By the way, if you wonder about the refuge, I do have one but its only a 10 gal tank with cheato and I dont think is enough to feed my mandarin...(it is a small drip going to the sump...but again...those from the refuge that make it to the sump and stay in the sump will need to survive)..so I want the pods living in the sump to make their way to the display eventually.... Thanks guys...sorry for making this very long....

03/04/2012, 11:27 AM	#4
philosophile Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 1,149	The pods mostly eat algae and diatoms, that mandarins most like. So its likely that not using the sock won't improve any pod population, in the feeding sense. A light will be helpful though. But with the sock, he pods can't recirculate. If they get trapped in the sock, they're not being eaten. So I would take the sock off, add a light, and consider dosing glass water (I'm doing that now to try to increase pod populations). __________________ 90 gallon mixed reef XPS1000SSS skimmer, 2 radions gen 1, tunze osmolator w/ kalk dispenser, 70 lbs pukani, mp40w x2; 1 tomini, 1 clown 2 mandarins. Vinegar dosing, and micro bubble scrubbing.

03/05/2012, 02:57 PM	#8
philosophile Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 1,149	Glass water is sodium Silicate. Its the silicate part thats important, since silicates are usually pretty low in most aquariums. Actually most people try to keep it low, precisely to keep diatom populations in check, since diatoms need silicate to grow. Without it, they don't grow, and they make reefers happy, since its a little unsightly. But pods, particularly Tisbe Bimminimsis really like diatoms, and explode in population when they're are around. Tisbe pods are great for mandarins, one of their staple diets. So if you want a mandarin, dose silicates, to feed diatoms, which Tisbe pods eat and grow to feed your mandarin. here's the link to Randy's article on Sodium Silicate: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/1/aafeature1 I've been dosing 1 drop of Sodium Silicate (water glass) to my ~85g system. I put in the first drop this week, and I plan on doing it 1 drop a week, at first to see how things go. But in Randy's article I think he puts much more than a drop a week, with no ill effects. __________________ 90 gallon mixed reef XPS1000SSS skimmer, 2 radions gen 1, tunze osmolator w/ kalk dispenser, 70 lbs pukani, mp40w x2; 1 tomini, 1 clown 2 mandarins. Vinegar dosing, and micro bubble scrubbing.

03/05/2012, 04:45 PM	#9
Buzz1329 Premium Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Staten Island Posts: 2,414	So you have 200 # of live rock in a 40 gallon tank. In which case how do you fit the water in? 1 = Tip the cigar, rim shot, and I'm here all week ladies and gentleworms, enjoy the veal! And 40 # in your 40 gal DT (which looks great BTW). Plus you have a 10 gallon fuge? I'm even more confused than normal. And confusion is my middle name. 1! __________________ Current tank info: 180 mixed reef

03/04/2012, 10:45 AM	#2
Vice333 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Lansdale, PA Posts: 128	I use a filter sock about 60 percent of the time. I "filter" the water for a few days, and then take it off. Cleans a lot out, and still allows the pods to tranfer around.

03/04/2012, 11:13 AM	#3
ctniners Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: CT Posts: 938	Yeah thats one option...I guess i can use it mainly if I am going to be moving rocks or sand or even during water changes.... You see my issue is not loosing pods from the display getting stuck in the sock, my issue is keeping the pods in the sump alive....if the sock grabs everything then what will they have to eat to sustain themselves?

03/04/2012, 05:08 PM	#6
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	Pods and a mandarin go hand in hand, kind of like cigarettes and beer. (sorry) If you don't have one of those fish in your tank, forget about the pods. They don't do much as far as keeping a tank clened is concerned, there just there. JMO.