To clean or not to clean sump?

jenajet · 08-13-2006, 05:34 PM

So my 30 gallon sump has a refugium in it. Yes I want to keep it. So there is alot of yucky stuff from where the rock and macro algae were taken out(I have it in a tub with air and light until I get it plumbed.) So should I add some salt water and vaccum what I can out? There are alot of pods and critters left in it that I would like to keep. What do you guys think I should do? Thought about going ahead and taking the sand out too so I can get the coraline and buildup of the tank. Suggestions other than ditching the refugium cause I actually like it and has a lot of pods for my scooter(who I finally got eating frozen mysis btw!)
Thanks

Spanky · 08-13-2006, 05:39 PM

Jena, it really depends on what your goals are for the tank as a whole.
Scooter likes pods, pods like dirt. If you don't mind keeping you tank on the dirty side, and sounds like you have to for Scooter.

jenajet · 08-13-2006, 09:24 PM

Well decided to clean. Nothing but sand in it so I used saltwater to fill then siphoned real good.

ChrisPrusha · 08-13-2006, 10:42 PM

Congrats on scooter eating pods...that's no small feat!

jenajet · 08-13-2006, 10:50 PM

you mean mysis right? Yep loves them.

ChrisPrusha · 08-13-2006, 10:59 PM

Yes, mysis!

jenajet · 08-13-2006, 11:03 PM

How I did it, I have a small rocks in pod farm and when I put the rock in the display tank I squirt the mysis on the rock too. He would grab them while going for the pods and the rest is history. Now I can just feed him with the rest of the fish but he still gets his pods.

Geoff · 08-14-2006, 09:40 AM

do you take the pods out of the refugium and then put them in the display or do you catch the dragonette and put them in the refugium to feed?

have you tried to see how many pods actually to into a display from a refugium? put a net over the outlet for 24hours and then count the number of pods that are in the net. i am betting it is a lot less than you think.

G~