Can an Intank Refugium be successful?

[unclemarkiesreef]

I would like to create a intank refugium for the zooplankton (amphipods etc)in my tank. I saw a writeup by someone (can't remember who) which described eggcrate material bound together like a box. It was to be inserted into the aquarium to give the plankton a place to hide and multiple. I am wondering if anyone has had success with this or heard anything about it?

I would also like to paint it gray so that It does not stand out in the tank. I heard that a vinyl paint is non-toxic but I am not sure if this is true?

thanks,
Mark

 

[bgdiving]

I'm sure it would be benificial especially if you filled it with either caulurpa or shells/rocks/rubble. My daughter has a plastic shower caddy that looks like it might work along the same lines and I'm thinking of trying one for my sumpless 170 so I can grow a little bit of macro algae in this tank out of reach of the tangs and angles while at the same time giving the pod population a refuge from the banggai cardinal, six line wrasses and the dottyback. The banggai hunts all night so the pods really get pounded unlike some tanks where they can come out and roam at night.

 

[naesco]

Anemonebuff
What is a 'critter cage'?

 

[Anonymous]

I started my intank refugium about two months ago. I used a small(8x4x5)critter cage. I drilled six holes on all four sides and positioned it under my filter return. I have about a half inch of CC and HD sand mix on the bottom. I then added a small rock with caulerpa and halimeda,plus some coral rubble.

The critter tank is almost completely pink now. The algae grows over the edges into the tank where it is trimmed naturally by the fishes. Even during daylight the PODS run around free. Bristleworms run amuck. The only drawback is that you can see it. In the future I will move it to an external refuge with a reverse daylight concept.

The water has improved a lot compared to just running my skimmer(CPR BakPak2). There is practically no hair algae or diatoms growing in the tank.

GL

Dan

 

[BReefCase]

UncleMarkie -- If you haven't seen it, I have a post floating around here somewhere on how to build my 'Pod Piles, which offer a low-profile way of doing an in-tank refugium with all-natural materials.

The 'Pod Pile works as well as the egg-crate approach, but more attractive and with a lot less hassle. Plus, you (hopefully at least) don't find a whole lot of plastic egg-crate boxes sitting on the bottom when you dive on a natural reef.

 

[Anonymous]

They are small plastic(clear) containers that house small fish,lizards,or other small critters. Hagen and PennPlax both make them. They are cheap,so they are delicate to drilling. You will know it is them by the real bright colored,vented covers.