Fuge critters and the "turbine of death"

[Keith A.]

I was talking to someone at an LFS about sumps and refugiums. He made a comment about any critters that are in the refugium would be killed in the return pump (a.k.a. Turbine of death) if/when they go into the tank. Do the critters go into the tank or do they stay in the fuge? If they do go into the tank, would the survive the return pump? Just wondering if anyone has heard of this.

Thanks,
Keith

 

[Sniperhank]

What kind of critters are we talking? If it's like pods and such they'll be fine. If a small fish finds it way in there on the other hand...

 

[Keith A.]

Copepods and other things that would be considered beneficial for the tank.

 

[Hinds04]

my mag came with a guard that only pods can get through. Plus sumps are usually in section and nothing really should be the return section except the pump.

 

[Keith A.]

I agree that the only thing in the return section should be the pump. I was talking about anything going from the fuge section to the return section in the sump. So the pods would be able to survive going through the return pump and into the tank?

 

[Hinds04]

Some will and some wont.

 

[Tmyboy]

Enough pods will make it through to populate the tank. (if you don't have anything feeding off them while they're trying to populate)

I never seen any pods in my tank until I got some cheato from someone off craigs list with a 125 6yr old reef. The cheato had a BUNCH of pods and tiny snails in it. Really good stuff. That was about 2 months ago i think and now......there's pods everywhere in my tank.

on the rocks, substrate........they're everywhere since I don't have any fish that mainly feed off them. My clown has figured it out and spends a decent amount of time near the substrate eating them.

Point is......enough will make it through.

 

[Sniperhank]

Just having some filter floss or sponge in your sump will be enough for them to live in. They will set up shop in the carbon floss in a filter as well. I have some free ones coming my way in my shipment from reefs2go and will be tossing them into my sump so they can populate the floss there and make their way to my hob filter later on.

 

[bighabeeb]

Do pods and whatnot require lights etc? I'm considering setting up a little fuge area down in my sump...but this is the first time I've actively considered it

 

[Sniperhank]

If they can thrive in the filter floss in a filter i'd say no.

 

[Tmyboy]

Do pods and whatnot require lights etc? I'm considering setting up a little fuge area down in my sump...but this is the first time I've actively considered it

no they dont.

 

[bighabeeb]

So what all do they need? Just dump a sponge down there, or is there some other kind of requirement to it?