Need a show creature (fish/invert) for my display refugium

scrapman

scrapman

Member
I have a 20 gal long refugium under my 90 gal. I keep the small tank almost as clean as the large one because both are visible. Both are essentially DTs!
I tried a emerald crab in the 20 gal. Never saw it: probably dead. I have two large rocks and a lot of controlled algae with pods in the 20 gal.
Can you suggest one or several fish/invert for the 20 gal that will be VISIBLE.
There are too many ghostly-never-to-be-seen-again creatures in our hobby world IMO. I personaly don't find them fun or interesting.
Thanks
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by scrapman http:///t/390727/need-a-show-creature-fish-invert-for-my-display-refugium#post_3461727
I have a 20 gal long refugium under my 90 gal. I keep the small tank almost as clean as the large one because both are visible. Both are essentially DTs!
I tried a emerald crab in the 20 gal. Never saw it: probably dead. I have two large rocks and a lot of controlled algae with pods in the 20 gal.
Can you suggest one or several fish/invert for the 20 gal that will be VISIBLE.
There are too many ghostly-never-to-be-seen-again creatures in our hobby world IMO. I personaly don't find them fun or interesting.
Thanks
Well here is your problem...a refugium is designed to be fishless. It is supposed to be a safe haven for the tiny things to make a home and breed. Any critter you put in there is going to go against the whole purpose of having the fuge in the first place. Even the algae eaters eat what the pods need to stay alive.
Decorate the fuge with good looking macros and leave it at that. The macros will do their job of removing phosphates and nitrates from the system as you harvest the extra growth out, and it won't eat your tiny guys.
Now if they are both display tanks, and you don't want a refugium, you can add any small fish or invert that is suitable for a 20g
 
deton8it

deton8it

Member
+1 Flower
I was thinking the same thing. A refugium is just that, a refugium. A refuge aquarium. It makes me laugh when I see videos on youtube of people's fuges and they have an anemone and a clown in there. That defeats the purpose. If you want to see a lot of activity set it up as a live rock/ Macro algae tank and there will always be something going on. It might be small life but it is busy. I have caught everyone in my family (at least once) lying on the floor staring into my fuge watching what is going on. That's my $.02.
John
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
It does depend on what the purpose of your refugium is. Are you growing Algae? Pods? DSB for Nitrate removel? a combination of uses (most likely)?
A large Serpent star, a Blue Lobster, Mantis Shrimp. Could be compatible depending on what the purpose of your refugium is.
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
I have a pair of Black Ice Clownfish in an anemone in my refugium as well as a little Yasha Goby/Pistol shrimp combo. Granted, I have a 55G display refugium, but yeah. The pistol shrimp really usually isn't ideal, but mine isn't really a sand stirrer and he'd get lost in my 180. The goby/shrimp were very shy in the beginning, but now, they don't dart when they see me. The goby knows I'm the "Food God" now.
Obviously, if you're using your fuge mainly for pods, you're going to want to keep away from pod eaters as much as possible, especially wrasses.
When I was growing a punch of caulerpa prolifera in my 20G refugium, I kept a pair of Matted Filefish. While not the most exciting fish, it was cool to watch them change colors to blend in with the sea grasses/macros in the tank.
I've kept little pipefish in my fuge. But again, they're pod eaters, so that can be an issue.
I considered a mantis shrimp, but I harvest often and didn't want to search for the darn thing every time I needed to put my hand in the tank.
If my clowns and shrimp/goby weren't in my fuge at the moment, my octopus would be in there. I'm seriously considering moving the clowns and shrimp and goby to a different tank so that I can put my octopus in the 55 fuge. That would be an ultimate display refugium IMO.
 
xandrew245x

xandrew245x

Member
I set up a display fuge, other than the macro and live rock thats in it, I plan on putting a feather duster in, and maybe a brittle start fish
 
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