Pods/refugium HELP!

[dustintx]

So,I have some hitchhikers,not enough to populate in do time,so I plan on buying some...from where,not sure yet.
I'd like to grow them in my refugium,but I wonder if my overflow from my 20 gallon to my 10 gallon and back up through my pump is too much force to keep most within my refugium.
Asside from my overflow/sump filtration,all I have is a very small HOB filter....basic of basic as they come.
I'm flowing between 250 and I'd say 350gpg thru my sump.
I just don't want all the pods getting sucked into my DS.
Should I slow down my flow or will majority of pods be able to stay within the sump?
Suggestions???

 

[lmforbis]

If you have macro algae rubble rock etc they provide a place for the pods to live and reproduce. You will be able to maintain a decent population in the sump. Some will flow into the tank but that is good. They are part of the cleanup crew as well as a food source for your fish. What is your ultimate goal as far as pods go?

 

[dustintx]

I'd like to have a constant population so I never have to buy pods again. Now if I get a mandarin I know they eat pods nob stop and my refugium/tank is not ready at the moment. My macro algae has yet to take off,does seem to be growing though. I heard certain pods breed better as well,just not sure which pods to buy yet. Maybe adding chaeto also as I've heard nothing but bad about grape caulerpa.

 

[lmforbis]

Your tank is way too small to support a mandarin.
You won’t be able to keep enough of a population of pods to sustain it. Minimum of a 75 gallon with a sump to keep a mandarin.

 

[dustintx]

Ok. I still want pods though. Other fish eat them as well correct? Less finicky fish?

 

[2quills]

If u can get a mandarin that's already trained to eat frozen food you may be ok.

The pump won't suck out all of the pods. So no worries there.

 

[dustintx]

If u can get a mandarin that's already trained to eat frozen food you may be ok.

The pump won't suck out all of the pods. So no worries there.

That's good to know,but I wont get my hopes up.
Maybe I should look into less finicky fish that enjoy pods as well as regular frozen foods.
Any ideas?

 

[lmforbis]

I think most fish will nibble on pods if they find them.

 

[dustintx]

I enjoy the refugium almost as much as the display. I found a bristle worm down there yesterday. Half red half black.
I'm thinking that I should take my Grape Caulerpa back and get chaeto though. Other than that,everything is going well.

Is my setup too small for a Yellow Tang?

 

[silverado61]

Tangs are built for speed and need at least a 6ft long tank. With a 20g your pretty limited on what fish will thrive.

 

[lmforbis]

Agreed. There are no tangs appropriate for a 20 gallon.

 

[dustintx]

Well let me ask you this. Is there other fiah that will eat macro algae as a treat from my sump that will do well in my tank?
You guys are killing me,lmao

 

[silverado61]

To put it a better way, Putting a tang in a 20g is like you living the rest of your natural life in a small walk in closet.

 

[silverado61]

A clown is about the only one that comes to mind and then only certain clowns at that.

 

[2quills]

U could look into maybe getting a blenny. I'm kind of partial to bi-colored blennies myself.

 

[dustintx]

U could look into maybe getting a blenny. I'm kind of partial to bi-colored blennies myself.

They like caulerpa? If so that would be sweet. I'll look into it.

 

[silverado61]

I forgot about Gobies. I had a Diamond watchman Gobie myself. Loved that little guy.

 

[lmforbis]

Sand sifters like diamond gobies don’t do well in small tanks without a fairly mature deep sand bed, even then in 20 gallons it would be iffy long term. They eat the critters in the sand bed and like mandarins they will starve if they dont have enough available.
Watchman gobies are another story they’d be great in a small tank.

 

[silverado61]

Sand sifters like diamond gobies don’t do well in small tanks without a fairly mature deep sand bed, even then in 20 gallons it would be iffy long term. They eat the critters in the sand bed and like mandarins they will starve if they dont have enough available.
Watchman gobies are another story they’d be great in a small tank.

My diamond ate great off what I fed the tank aside from sifting the sand bed.
That being said, I my 72g did have a 3-4" sand bed. I prefer the thicker beds myself. I like watching snails and other creatures dig their way through feeding.