Anyone have fish in refugium?

davidryder · #1 03/30/2007, 11:16 AM

Just curious, I have a display refugium and I would like to put 1 fish in it... but wasn't sure if there were any feasible subjects.

Worldwithin · #2 03/30/2007, 11:21 AM

You can put fish into a fuge, but then it pretty much eliminates the whole "refuge" aspect. The purpose of a fuge is to provide a predator free environment for critters to flourish. Fish are predators to the critters in a fuge.

Pico Keeper · #3 03/30/2007, 11:23 AM

What he said!

A fuge with fish is no longer a fuge.

davidryder · #4 03/30/2007, 11:27 AM

I understand the purpose of a fuge... I'm curious if there are any suitable fish that do not prey on pods or macro.

Worldwithin · #5 03/30/2007, 11:30 AM

For a tank that size, you are looking at a small fish. Most, if not all, fish that would happily live in a tank that small will de-fuge your fuge. They will most likely eat all your algae or pick at your pods.

Travis L. Stevens · #6 03/30/2007, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Worldwithin
You can put fish into a fuge, but then it pretty much eliminates the whole "refuge" aspect. The purpose of a fuge is to provide a predator free environment for critters to flourish. Fish are predators to the critters in a fuge.

Agreed

Zestay · #7 03/30/2007, 11:51 AM

bi - color blenny. scooter blenny , something along those lines maybe a mandrin

Worldwithin · #8 03/30/2007, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Zestay
bi - color blenny. scooter blenny , something along those lines maybe a mandrin

The primary foods for these critters are small pods and micro bugs. All the things a fuge is designed to provide a safe housing place for.

davidryder · #9 03/30/2007, 11:55 AM

Thanks for the comments.. check this out:

Flame hawkfish diet: The Neocirrhites armatus is a carnivore and likes to eat meaty treats (like feeder shrimp).

Spotted cardinal/Flame cardinal diet: The Sphaeramia nematoptera is a carnivore and likes to eat variety of meaty treats (bloodworms, feeder shrimp, marine flesh).

Royal gramma diet: The Gramma loreto is a carnivore and likes to eat variety of foods, especially meaty treats (fish & crustaceans).
Level of Care: The Royal Gramma is a low maintenance fish.

Engineer goby diet: The Pholidichthys leucotaenia is a carnivore and likes to eat fresh or frozen seafood, Mysis Shrimp, and mysid shrimp. It should be fed at least twice per day..

Clown goby diet: he Gobiodon species is a carnivore and likes to eat brine & mysid shrimp and other meaty treats.

I know there is a plethora of fish that won't bother the macro... but among all the carnivores, I don't know which ones, if there is one, that won't eat amphipods.

BTW, a mandarin will crush the entire pod population.

xbambamx · #10 03/30/2007, 12:07 PM

i wouldnt recommend putting a royal gramma nor a flame hawkfish in the fuge lol

MayoBoy · #11 03/30/2007, 12:13 PM

I have some Mollys, hermits and snails in mine. Still a ton of pods, worms, etc. (it's a 20 high)

davidryder · #12 03/30/2007, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by xbambamx
i wouldnt recommend putting a royal gramma nor a flame hawkfish in the fuge lol

That doesn't help me. I'm kind of hoping that someone with some experience can offer something more than "no fish in fuge". No offense, but I don't need to be educated... I'm just looking for relatively small fish that don't prey on amphipods, not fish that aren't a good candidate.

arcab4 · #13 03/30/2007, 12:34 PM

how about a clownfish?

handapanda · #14 03/30/2007, 12:37 PM

I had a Hawiian Blue Spotted Puffer in mine for a while.

MTB · #15 03/30/2007, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by arcab4
how about a clownfish?

Sounds good. I never observed mine picking at the rocks or sand. Then again I only had mine for 6months.

arcab4 · #16 03/30/2007, 01:04 PM

i put an anemone in there also and it never leaves it. so i would think it would be a good candidate as it requires very little swimming space and i don't think i've ever seen my clownfish hunt for pods.

erendon · #17 03/30/2007, 01:11 PM

I have had two Painted Anglers (Male and Female) for about a year now. I toss in a couple of salwater feeder fish ince a week. They are doing well.

bigfruits · #18 03/30/2007, 03:29 PM

im planning a very large refugium on my next tank. it will have a divder with a peacock mantis shrimp on one side and an angler on the other.

alan214 · #19 03/30/2007, 04:16 PM

I know you don't want to hear this but I think it needs to be said. Refugium's by definition (REFUGE) are not supposed to have fish in them. The intent is to give fuge's inhabitants a place where they can thrive without the fear of becoming a meal.

I have pod's and Mysid's in both my display and fuge and there is a marked difference in their numbers and behavior between the two tanks. They are more fearless in the fuge and can be seen right out in the open even when the lights are on. Not nearly as much so in the display tank.

You may find a fish whose primary diet may not include pods but I just don't believe that they will ignore them completely. The end result is a less than nominal/efficient fuge, IMO.

plyle02 · #20 03/30/2007, 04:55 PM

Agreed with above statements, the idea is to create a population of inhabitants protected from predators. If done right, you can gain supplemental feedings to your fish in your display... My clowns camp out by the return in my display, especially when hungry. It's tempting to want to put a fish or predatory invert, but long term contradicts the idea of having a fuge in the first place.....My thoughts.....

alan214 · #21 03/30/2007, 05:01 PM

I think we just invented the Fuge Police.

Waxxiemann · #22 03/30/2007, 05:08 PM

I have this one Green Chromis in my 20 gallon fuge cause he kept going over the overflow and into the fuge every time I put him back in the display, so there he will stay.

fishyvet · #23 03/30/2007, 05:21 PM

I have a 55g show fuge which has 2 pipe fish, a radiant wrasse, and some sand sifting shrimp. My fuge has pods for my pipes but my primary purpose in having it is to grow macro to export nutrients. So long as there are enough pods for the pipes (which there are more than enough) I could care less about supplementing the main tank.

bigfruits · #24 03/30/2007, 05:32 PM

a friend of mine has a 3 inch angler in his fuge and it is full of pods. they dont seemed bothered by him at all. i posted about the mantis in the mantis forum and it might not be such a good idea. turns out they will eat the larger pods....
guess ill have to set up a dedicated tank for it.

Toddrtrex · #25 03/30/2007, 05:46 PM

Just my two cents. I had to put a 3 stripe damsel in mine for a bit (was picking on my new baby blue face angel) I used to be able to see pods and mysids swimming/crawling about. Within a day of the fish being in there I could no longer see them.