Safe area for DSB critters?

hairtrigger

hairtrigger

Active Member
Ok, I have a great shipment of DSB detrivores and critters arriving tomorrow. This includes pods, worms, snails, bugs, etc.
The reason I got them is because the DSB in my display simply doesn't have enough such life to be effective. So, basically there aren't enough detrivores living in it.
My question is:
Since I need to build up my critter population, where should I put them when they arrive?
In the display?
In my sump? (Which is a 55 gallon tank, with a DSB. Caulerpa is also arriving in shipment to make it a fuge.)
The reason I wonder whether I should put the new critters in my sump is because I am curious if my fish will eat them in the display. I dont want the critters to be eaten before they have a chance to breed and populate my DSB.
Here's the fish I have in my tank:
1 Flame Angel
2 Bar Gobies
1 Convict Goby
1 Yellow Tang
1 Blue Hippo Tang
2 False Percula Clownfish
1 Purple Pseudochromis
So, do you think the critters should go in the display or DSB when they arrive?
Thanks.
:cool:
 
a&m aggie 04'

a&m aggie 04'

Active Member
If you're worried about them getting eaten put them in the fuge, let them reproduce. Then take some of that sand and put it in your main tank.
 
birdy

birdy

Active Member
I would put them in the fuge, this way they can reproduce and they will make thier way into the main tank, My fuge is gravity fed back to the display so I don't worry about the pods getting to the main display, but I have heard of people that put some pieces of LR in the fuge for a couple weeks then move it to the display to transfer pods, they just rotate the pieces every few weeks.
 
leigh

leigh

Active Member
Definitely put it in the fuge--don't worry about them getting back and forth from the fuge to the main tank--they will. When I set up my invert tank it was all on 'dead' sand and base rock--within days i had creepy crawlies all over the place that had found their way in from the reef and were enjoying the invert only environment. within weeks i saw a jump in the pod population in the reef as well which i can only assume is proof that pods made it through the full plumbing without any problems.
 
leigh

leigh

Active Member
Kip, I know this sounds freaky, but somehow or other I even got worms into my invert tank from the reef! (Maybe they hitched a ride in a hermit's shell or something)...but you're right, I certainly wouldn't bet on a worm making it through a pump!
 
hairtrigger

hairtrigger

Active Member
Ha, kip, that convict goby is a nightmare when he starts sifting sand. One of the things Im doing today is removing all my LR I had under my DSB, and putting it on top. Ive heard by putting it on the bottom it cuts down on the DSBs effectiveness. But also, this way the little bugger goby won't have rocks to dig down to. He'll only crawl under what's on top. Ideally. He actually isn't too bad once he finds a home.
Thanks y'all. I think it's going to be a fuge introduction for the critters then. Let me ask you though:
Since my fuge is a 55 gallon tank that's also my sump (with equipment in it) do you think some of the critters will make it up still? Because my return is a large magdrive pump. There's always the overflow hose too I guess. But how do they make it into the display? Through the pump and overflow hose? Bizarre. :cool:
 
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