deitrivores for sump/refugium

[becca]

hi, all!-

i just installed my first sump this weekend and everything is great, i love it! (why oh why didn't i do it earlier?)

i didn't anticipate how much food was going to go down the overflow and end up in the sump though, and so i'm curious what everyone uses as deitrivores that won't decimate all the infauna i'm trying to cultivate down there. i took a bunch of bristleworm, 10 nassarius snails, a big brittle star and 10 tiny hermits from the main tank and put them in there, but i'm worried it's not enough. any thoughts on more critters i should add?

thanks, becca:)

[ToeCutter]

you didn't mention how big the main tank or sump is...

Still, a population of bristleworms and nassarius snails/hermits can eat a keep up with a lot of food. You might want to get a detrivore kit from IPSF or IA to get some amphipods, copepods, mini brittlestars if you're so inclined.

One thing though - Don't keep hermits and nassarius snails together. Hermits are notorius for killing nas. snails.

[becca]

oh yeah, sorry-

main display is 75 gallons with sand bed, remote 80 gallon sump filled halfway, with 80 lbs of aragonite sand. thanks for the tip about the hermits/nassarius! i did put some little shells in for them but do you think i should seperate them anyway? (maybe put hermits back in the display and all the nassarius in the refugium? i have 20 of the snails in all) i was also wondering if there were any small fish recommended that won't eat all the pods, etc...

thanks:)

[becca]

bump

[ToeCutter]

Yes, I would seperate them. From what I've heard, hermits will always kill nassarius, unlike most other snails which they'll usually only kill for their shells, or if they are especially hungry.

[becca]

thanks, ToeCutter-

removed hermits from the refugium back into the main tank, then caught all the nassarius i could find, put them in the sump. (got 16 of them, so 4 more to find)

anyone have any other ideas?

thanks, becca:)