CUC in fuge?

ZapataInc

ZapataInc

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Do you keep a clean up crew in your fuge? Why or why not?

The reason I ask is bc there is some GHA growing down in my fuge area. It's no where else. So I was thinking of putting maybe some cuc down there.
 
I don’t intentionally keep any Clean Up Crew in my fuge. That said, my snails breed so often that I have babies of all 3 species in the fuge all the time.

GHA is no joke, I’d be interested to hear what other people do.
 
I've got an errant snail or two along with a few blue leg hermits that annoy me for one reason or another. In my head I think "they'll eat detritus and potential stir things up a but" but I really don't think it makes too much of a difference. With GHA, I'd try throwing in a hermit or two and see if they take care of it. If you use a filter sock, keep in mind that you'll have to throw a smidge of food in there once in a while just to keep them from starving (assuming they knock down the GHA). I know I sound like a broken record but in my experience, blue leg hermits are the most effective critters in my tank when it comes to GHA.
 
Yes, a few crabs, a shrimp or two and a few snails.
Mostly to consume any uneaten foods that spill over with the overflow. I'm going to try to not run any socks.
I'll feed the inhabitants on occasion, especially when the tank is new.
The new sump has a refugium compartment. I'll have a light on it with some macro-algae and aragonite rubble on the floor.
Plus, there will be a completely separate reverse cycle algae refugium with a few snails.
 
When I first saw Aiptasia in my display I tried Peppermint shrimps. Somehow after a couple days several of them made it to the sump. I just left them there. Snails also always get down to the sump too. Unless it looks like there's a lot of snails down there or I see a cerith I leave them be too. Hermits are good in the sump for uneaten food. I don't run socks...
 
Also, in a healthy refugium you should eventually have a population of various pods ( iso-, amphi- & copepods) plus bristle worms.
These are all excellent at cleaning up wastes, hence the reason they become established there, as long as they are undisturbed/not preyed upon.
 
aestheticlibra said:
I keep a serpent star in my fuge. He seems happy in there.
Click to expand...
I like this idea I've had my eye on a Red knob Sea star but were told they are not reef safe. I wonder if it would happy happy in my fuge.

Edit: My Fuge isn't big enough :(
 
Many starfish are excellent scavengers. I usually keep a couple in my displays just for that reason.
 
Yeah i have some Cheato down there and its growing like crazy but i guess its not enough because of the GHA. So i was thinking about moving one trochus snail down there for right now.
 
My refugium is skips the filter area in my new system as a T off the main drain. With all my other systems, I have always had copopods, brittle stars, urchin, hermits and shrimp. Biodiversity is my end goal and my family loves all the fuge critters. :)
 
For the 3rd display in my new system, I'm planning to build a display refugium.
It would have a couple of gorgonians, several species of macro algae such as gracillaria, ogo, dragon's tongue, shaving brush, mermaids fan, etc.
Perhaps a couple of seahorses, pipe fish, starfish and a mandarin.
...
There might even be a pair of jawfish with a deep sand bed, which I've wanted ever since I first saw them as a kid ;)
 
ichthyoid said:
For the 3rd display in my new system, I'm planning to build a display refugium.
It would have a couple of gorgonians, several species of macro algae such as gracillaria, ogo, dragon's tongue, shaving brush, mermaids fan, etc.
Perhaps a couple of seahorses, pipe fish, starfish and a mandarin.
...
There might even be a pair of jawfish with a deep sand bed, which I've wanted ever since I first saw them as a kid ;)
Click to expand...

Sounds awesome... but that’s not much of a ‘refugium’ given that no micro-inverts will be able to take refuge in an area full with predators specialized in hunting them. Nonetheless, a peaceful planted marine tank is a beautiful thing! Can’t wait to see it.
 
ichthyoid said:
With 2 other refugia in the system that shouldn't be a problem.
Also, there will be a lot of habitat, by way of all the macro algae I plan to have in there.
I'm thinking about using a Fiji 32-

https://www.fijicube.com/collection...external-overflow-rimless-nano-tank-fiji-cube
Click to expand...

Haha... I was just joking by pointing out that refugium might be the wrong term after all those awesome additions.

But whatever you call it; I’m still excited and can’t wait to see it! Two thumbs up
 
I have 3 emerald crabs, a strawberry crab?, 6 blue leg hermits, and a 3-4 snails in my sump in the refugium area and the GHA is still out growing them. The red crab has tripled in size within a month.
 
I just put in one trochus in my fuge and its already putting in work. All of the GHA is on the walls for the fuge because I have the light shining through the side of the sump. Ill check to see how it looks tomorrow morning.
 
I like to keep hermits and shrimp in there just to have another little area to look at. I run a sand bed with a little live rock, cheato, and GHA.

Dylan
 
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