Tube Fuge

[mdcorcoran]

I recently watched a video podcast from TalkingReef.com on the DIY Tube Fuge (episode 88) and I was thinking about using my Two Little Fishies phosban reactor as a tube fuge with my maxijet 900.

If I introduced a bottle of TiggePods, do you think they would be able to survive in the tube-fuge (filled with rubble rock/macro algae rather than phosphate media)?

ideas? comments? think tanking?

[Geoff]

i will need to see the episode. not sure what good it would do. just something else to feed and clean. i can quickly see it becoming a phosphate factory though.

G~

[mdcorcoran]

Hey Geoff,
I can see why this would become a phosphate factory- the same reason why I run my biowheel empty and remove any 'biological' media from skimmers and filters, right?

My question is how would this type of fuge become a phosphate factory, while other refugiums don't?
I'm really just looking for a place where I can establish a copepod population, since I have none in my main tank.

[tdwyatt]

Originally Posted by mdcorcoran

My question is how would this type of fuge become a phosphate factory, while other refugiums don't?
I'm really just looking for a place where I can establish a copepod population, since I have none in my main tank.

Who says other types of refugia don't become phosphate sources?

The pods thenselves are animals composed of proteins: good, high grade protein. They eat, poop, die, and become detrital materials just like any other protein source in the tank, although they are MUCH better than flake food, as they do not decompose (until they die) to release their constituent nutrients. The microalgae or phytopankton they consume contain phosphates, and this phosphate either is excreted as solid/liquid waste or becomes biomass for the microcrustacean in question. The copepod is in turn eaten and becomes either biomass or waste as well. This makes the tube-fuge just another means of moving the phosphates through the food chain (much like any other refugia or compartmentalized food area, like sand beds...)

I am not saying that there are not circumstances where you may want a tube-fuge regardless of the fact that it produces protein that may decompose to phosphate waste, as it may be in your best interest to have such a device if you have creatures that depend on copepods, etc for food (dragonettes, for example). It may be good for tanks that are BB husbandry-driven as well if you have corals that can feed on creatures produced by the tube-fuge that may be appropriately sized for any number o9f creaturese that would feed on them (some LPS or anemones for example), as it would be much better to have live packagese of protein than dead protein foods floating in the water column. It will come down to how well do you balance nitrogen ane phosphate import vs export for these substances, and should you consider using some targeted export for phosphates in the biotope you're attempting to emulate?

[mdcorcoran]

thanks for the info tom. I was thinking of adding cheato and calurpa, hoping it would suck up the waste nutrients, then i could just manually remove it as it fills.

[Geoff]

now that is assuming algae does not leach phosphates either.

G~

[thekid55]

i watched the whole video. First that guy talks way to MUCH second not the best concept but wat ever works.

[mdcorcoran]

yeah, i don't think i'm gonna do it anymore.

[thekid55]

good videos though