What do you have in your refuge?

sean04 · 11/17/2006, 03:30 PM

Hi,

I just wanted to start a thread so us newbies can see what type of things generally go into a refuge....

So...what do you keep in your refuge?

oldsaltman · 11/17/2006, 03:33 PM

Sand, rocks, cheato, pods, hermits, snails and some small pepperment shrimp. Oh yea I have some water too...

bpd964 · 11/17/2006, 05:13 PM

I just have cheato and my heater and just a tiny bit of sand and rock rubble..

green814 · 11/17/2006, 08:49 PM

SAO57,
What is the advantage of hermits, snails and some small pepperment shrimp in the fuge? & what is cheato?
Thank you
Chris

Phyxius · 11/17/2006, 08:54 PM

Have sand, rubble, some cheato and other plants and lots of pods. One tank has a banned emerald crab in its fuge. Used to keep asst snails in there until one climbed the baffle and got lodged in my skimmer pump

I have since blocked off access with plastic screening and no problems since. There may still be a few hermits also although I have not seen them in awhile

archieb2 · 11/17/2006, 08:58 PM

Hermits and snails help to prevent algae in the fuge. Chaeto is a type of algae that is grown in the fuge for nutrient export. It absorbs some of the nutrients and then some of it is removed from the fuge and disposed of. It also gives a place for all of the pods, worms, and anything else that you have living in there to live and feed. Hope this helps.

loves saltwater · 11/17/2006, 09:28 PM

Live sand,Live rock,Cheato, Pods, Several other critters that were hitch hiker on the LR

timrandlerv10 · 11/17/2006, 09:55 PM

here's a stupid question:
where do we get pods to get the party started? so far the only hitch hikers my LR had were aptasia...

chrisstie · 11/17/2006, 10:20 PM

Usually they will come with LR and are very tiny and very hard to see! They need time and sometimes a little bit of.. phytoplankton? to munch on.

You can boost your pod population by buying them in a bottle.. but i don't have a link handy but im sure some other helpful folks here do - only just setting up my 55 so i'll probably end up doing that at some point too ;p

Phyxius · 11/17/2006, 10:20 PM

timrandlerv10,
You can get it from some live rock rubble, live sand from established system, cheato from a established refuge, or the like. See if any locals are willing to donate any of these to you. If you were close I could give you a nice ball of cheato with pods, dusters and the like in it..I had a few to start and at night now it looks like there is a party going on in there. Same way in my other tanks

demonsp · 11/17/2006, 10:23 PM

2inch base mineral mud , 1 inch crushed coral , 2 crabs , feather dusters some live rock and cheato.

tanker · 11/18/2006, 12:12 AM

A little sand (about 1/4 inch), lots of LR, and some caulerpa.
Live creatures--just an urchin.

Fiddler · 11/18/2006, 01:15 AM

i like the urchin idea, do most kinds eat most algea?

Bri Guy · 11/18/2006, 04:56 AM

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...hreadid=960845

I answered to one like this awhile ago, lots of answers in this one.

tanker · 11/18/2006, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Fiddler
i like the urchin idea, do most kinds eat most algea?

They are suppose to eat algae. My urchins keeps the coraline in refugy under control. My refugy is almost (there is always some)completely coraline free.

11/17/2006, 03:30 PM	#1
sean04 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 262	What do you have in your refuge? Hi, I just wanted to start a thread so us newbies can see what type of things generally go into a refuge.... So...what do you keep in your refuge?

11/17/2006, 03:33 PM	#2
oldsaltman Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Ga Posts: 1,333	Sand, rocks, cheato, pods, hermits, snails and some small pepperment shrimp. Oh yea I have some water too... __________________ "No honey I can't just send it back. It's all wet and they won't take it back now!" Current Tank Info: 90g inwall with a 30g sump

11/17/2006, 08:54 PM	#5
Phyxius Moving About Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: RTP NC Posts: 2,405	Have sand, rubble, some cheato and other plants and lots of pods. One tank has a banned emerald crab in its fuge. Used to keep asst snails in there until one climbed the baffle and got lodged in my skimmer pump I have since blocked off access with plastic screening and no problems since. There may still be a few hermits also although I have not seen them in awhile __________________ -Mike I never drink water because of the disgusting things that fish do in it. W. C. Fields Current Tank Info: JUST SOLD AND TOOK DOWN ALL 11/10---210g AGA, 80g sump, Tunze Streams. Tunze ATO,RK Elite Controller, RKII,Dart, GEO Calcium& Nielsen Kalk Reactors,GEO media reactor, Kaleini Rock, 3-250 watt 14k EVC , VHO..... 34g Solana and 60g cube

11/17/2006, 09:28 PM	#7
loves saltwater Premium Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Katy,Tx Posts: 945	Live sand,Live rock,Cheato, Pods, Several other critters that were hitch hiker on the LR __________________ Does anyone have the number to Reef Keepers Anonymous! AM- 0 Rite- 0 Rate- 0 Phos- 0 PH- 8.0 SG- 1.026 Cal- 420 KH- 8.0 dKH Alk- 2.51 meg/L Mag- 1350 Temp-78-80 Current Tank Info: 125RR/30 gal DIY sump-fuge/100 lbs of LR/PM Bullet Skimmer/1000GPH Closed loop/T5 4X54 Watt HO

11/17/2006, 10:20 PM	#9
chrisstie Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 4,727	Usually they will come with LR and are very tiny and very hard to see! They need time and sometimes a little bit of.. phytoplankton? to munch on. You can boost your pod population by buying them in a bottle.. but i don't have a link handy but im sure some other helpful folks here do - only just setting up my 55 so i'll probably end up doing that at some point too ;p __________________ You lookin' at my wrasse? Current Tank Info: I find it odd that there are children starving in this country and yet we euthanize millions of stray dogs and cats every year and then incinerate the bodies. Not only that, but we make it illegal to butcher the meat. -MarkS

11/17/2006, 05:13 PM	#3
bpd964 Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Bridgeport, CT Posts: 2,237	I just have cheato and my heater and just a tiny bit of sand and rock rubble..

11/17/2006, 08:49 PM	#4
green814 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Swartz Creek, Mi Posts: 144	SAO57, What is the advantage of hermits, snails and some small pepperment shrimp in the fuge? & what is cheato? Thank you Chris

11/17/2006, 08:58 PM	#6
archieb2 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Wyanet,IL Posts: 35	Hermits and snails help to prevent algae in the fuge. Chaeto is a type of algae that is grown in the fuge for nutrient export. It absorbs some of the nutrients and then some of it is removed from the fuge and disposed of. It also gives a place for all of the pods, worms, and anything else that you have living in there to live and feed. Hope this helps.

11/17/2006, 09:55 PM	#8
timrandlerv10 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 1,409	here's a stupid question: where do we get pods to get the party started? so far the only hitch hikers my LR had were aptasia...

11/17/2006, 10:23 PM	#11
demonsp Moved On Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: el paso tx Posts: 7,634	2inch base mineral mud , 1 inch crushed coral , 2 crabs , feather dusters some live rock and cheato.

11/18/2006, 12:12 AM	#12
tanker Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: sf bay area Posts: 3,522	A little sand (about 1/4 inch), lots of LR, and some caulerpa. Live creatures--just an urchin.

11/18/2006, 01:15 AM	#13
Fiddler Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: western hemisphere, northern hemisphere, east coast, just south of mason-dixon Posts: 225	i like the urchin idea, do most kinds eat most algea? __________________ on the seventh day the lord reasted, but before that he did, he squated over england and what came out of him... was ireland - Bill the Butcher - Gangs of New York Current Tank Info: 75 in construction.... construction at a stand still...

11/18/2006, 04:56 AM	#14
Bri Guy Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Appleton, Wisconsin Posts: 2,995	http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...hreadid=960845 I answered to one like this awhile ago, lots of answers in this one. __________________ For my birthday i got a humidifier and a de-humidifier... I put them in the same room and let them fight it out. (Steven Wright) Current Tank Info: 40BR w/ 250w 14K Phoenix + 192w PC, 10g fuge w/ 55w PC, 10g sump, Eheim 1250 return w/ SCWD, ASM Mini G skimmer, Gravity fed ATO, Kalk doser, 1/10 HP chiller, 1 Vortec + 3MJs, all on an AC Jr. - Born on date 8-06 Pics in gallery! + 55g FOWLR w/ macro