Refugium.

[Reefs]

I want to set up a refugium, I am wondering what kind of zooplankton/ or small inverts to use that can breed fast and provide some food to the display tank?

[Coral Hind]

Once you set it up and fill it with some live rock rubble and macro algae the tiny pods that hitchiker on them will multiply and populate the space.

 

If you want something larger you could add several cleaner shrimp that will release baby shrimp around once a month.

[Reefs]

Once you set it up and fill it with some live rock rubble and macro algae the tiny pods that hitchiker on them will multiply and populate the space.

 

If you want something larger you could add several cleaner shrimp that will release baby shrimp around once a month.

Yes I meant to say larger zooplankton, in fact I do have 2 cleaner shrimp in the display tank but my refugium is just a 10 gallon.

is there a way to tell the male from female cleaner shrimp?

[Coral Hind]

Lysmata shrimp are hermaphrodites so if you have two or more and once they are mature they will spawn. They lay eggs into their swimmerets right after molting which are then fertilized by the other partner or by stored sperm. It is perfectly normal that all of the cleaner shrimp in a tank can carrying eggs at the same time. I once had six of them in my tank and they seemed to molt at different times so every few days there were baby shrimp being released into the tank.

[Reefs]

That is good to know, Thanks.

[Novi]

I added a bottle of those tigger pods to my fuge and in a months time I bet I had a billion in there. They would just then get cycled out to the DT and the fish would hammer them.

[Reefs]

I added a bottle of those tigger pods to my fuge and in a months time I bet I had a billion in there. They would just then get cycled out to the DT and the fish would hammer them.

I will look into that, I hope to find them at the LFS.

[LanglandJoshua]

From what I have heard Rotifers are the most nutritous of the refugium growable food sources. But it can be pretty expensive to start up. Take a look at my forum post for setting up a rotifer breding tank/bucket. If your on a budget you might not wanna get into rotifers. But if you have the space and $ it might be a good idea.

 

 

[encideought]

will fire shrimp mate the same way as cleaner shrimp if you put 2 or more in the same tank? it seems like they should but has anyone seen it happen?