Refugium

[piccasotrigger]

Im starting a fuge for my new 75 gal. What will be the best things to keep in it to keep nitrates low? will cleaner clams live in a mixture of fuge mud and live sand? Also what will be the best plants that dont need an extreme amount of light and are LEGAL in california? Lastly if i kept a mantis shrimp in the fuge would it take away the filteration aspect of the fuge and make it like another tank. thanks for any response
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[al mc]

I am a big fan of Chaeto in a fuge. I do not know CA law so I hope it is OK to keep. Not as big a fan of cleaner clams. Mantis.....I do not see a problem with keeping one in the fuge related to excess nitrogen products from it.......Just realize you will have to clean/weed the macroalgae in the fuge periodically and they are not known as 'thumb crushers' because they are afraid of a human hand in their vicinity.

 

[niskyvaulter]

yeah, I wouldn't put a mantis shrimp in b/c you'll be sticking your hand into a big ball of algae periodically and you wont know where he is. btw a mantis shrimp hits with the force of a .22 caliber bullet

 

[florida joe]

Would you mind telling me why you are mixing mud with sand also some info on your refug size location and you main goal

 

[piccasotrigger]

I bought the carib sea refugium mud and it says add "cap"1/2in to 1in live sand, what does that mean a capfull of 1in ?. Is this unneccesary? Also i bought fiji mud 2 weeks ago i put it in my sump but then started having big problems and had to stop the filter, the mud is still in there but has been in stagnet water for 1 week should i add it to the knew sump or just chuck it?

 

[azfishgal]

I would just do a deep sand bed and forget the mud. I'm also a big fan of Cheato.

Mantis Shrimp? No!