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Showing results for tags 'refugium'.
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Dear Aquarists, About 8 months ago I started an experiment. To give some background-info, for my university studies I was tasked to alleviate environmental pressure of human food chains by means of innovation of producing food. In my younger years I wanted to become a marine biologist so I ended up going in the direction of aquaculture. The system I designed is based on taking existing ecosystems and replicating them in a closed environment with only native species. Sounds like… a biotope aquarium! However the food web must be largely integrated so minimal input is needed. The native part is hard since I live in the Netherlands. So I tried a South/Central american hybrid system where plants would take care of a chunk of the biological filtration and a small HOB filter for mechanical. The bioload consists of 3 A. Cacatuoides, 6 Corydoras trillineatus, formerly a bunch of Neocaridina (when the apistos grew up they decimated the population instead of controlling it, schocker…) and some endler hybrids. Later on I added one ancistrus for algae control. Needless to say this experiment failed long term, although with young apistos in a 180 litre/50 gallon it was very promising. I am planning on making a version 2.0 and need some advise. I purchased a Red Sea Reefer 425XL including the sump. I plan on making a large refugium in the sump for the shrimp to populate. Furthermore it includes high quantity of mechanical filtration and about 12 litres (3 gallons) of k1 fluidised bed for biological. Option of adding in ceramic rings and other media. I wanted to ask of you who have ideas/experience; what stocking would you suggest. I thought about adding in another micro-predator than A. Cacatuoides. Something that would control shrimp population but not decimate it. Candidates include, but are not limited to; sparkling gourami’s, a badi of some sort, other smaller dwarf cichlids, short finned bettas. The system is 425 litres (110 gallons) tank being 330 (approx. 90 gallons) and sump 90 litres (approx 20 gallons). Pictures of tank below, still have to replace the glass of the display tank and last set of baffles in sump. The fish from the first tank are doing well! Most of them are rehomed and the rest will be soon. (See attached the mighty shrimp killers) Apologies for the lengthy post. Your help and thinking is much appreciated. Kind regards, Daan -
Ok, So I am planning setting up two large ( 300ish gallons) tanks, one Will have ten fancy goldfish in it. The other will have bitchers and oscars in it. I have always had very heavily planted tanks and have always used them to extend my water change schedule but with these fish being.....well....not the best at being happy tank mates with plants. So I have been researching doing over the tank refugiums but...I cant find anything really pertaining to fresh water. Finding information like flowrate, using miracle mud or enriched substrate? regular gravel with tabs? best water column feeding plants i'm thinking pathos out of the water, duckweed, and maybe some hornwort maybe some marimo moss balls. Populate it with some ramshorn snails or cherry shrimp to help up biodiversity and if they fall into the tank hey its a nice crunchy treat for the big fish. my questions are: Flow rate? what is going to give the best nitrate absorption but also keep water moving. Should I use a seperate tank besides a sump? a completely separate slower moving system? Substrate? gravel? miracle mud? Water column feeders> pathos>hornwort? Cherry Shrimp>snails>freshwater copepods? I would love any feedback, like am I completely mad? am I wasting time money and brain power? Best regards- Ben Malik
