Starter fuge?

[ellisz]

Hi all,

After my wet/dry sprang a leak, I had to move all my QT'd fish to the display tank. They had been in there 5+ weeks so all was ok but now I have a 29 gal cycled with sand and CC substrate that has nothing but 3 hitchhiker crabs and snails in it. I am currently running a HOB filter since I dumped the wet/dry.

Any way, I am going to be setting up a fuge for my display when I move it to my basement and was wondering if I could go ahead and start adding macros, rubble, pods etc. to this tank? It has a normal NO light and is just taking up space at the moment. I will be using some rubbermaid containers for my sump and fuge when I do it but I would like to get started if I could. I have a mandarin in my display right now and I will need some pods at some point

Thanks

 

[SquishyFish]

It wont hurt to go ahead and start it. The macro will need more than NO flourescent lights. Try HD grow lights. Other than that....go for it.

 

[ellisz]

Well this is actually a "special" bulb from the LFS for salt/reef tank.

Can I leave my crabbies in there?

 

[SquishyFish]

Well...let me make sure I understand exactly what your doing. Your going to move exsisting sand (best for fuge) and water into a tank that will eventually be the fuge right? Then yes..toss'em in.

 

[ellisz]

The 29 gal is set up with cc from my old 7ry old tank and some aragonite sand. I cycled it with LR and then used it as a QT tank for some fish for my display and also to throw big crabs and bad snails into. The substrate is only about 2" deep.

I am not opposed to adding sand or doing whatever I need to do to help start my fuge. I just want to do something with this tank since it is fishless right now and it is cycled. I need a fuge but I am not ready to set up my master fuge plan that you helped me with until I finish my basement.

If I move it all into the fuge setup or not, does not really matter. The fate of this tank is unclear right now. I just want to get some pods going really. Some tang food would be cool too.

Drywall goes up Monday so it won't be too much longer

 

[SquishyFish]

Cool...sounds like your on the right track. The only red flag that I see is the cc. Its really too coarse for infauna and can slow their reproduction. Pods wouldnt have quite as much trouble with it, but any sand dwelling guys definately would.

 

[ellisz]

I could add a bag of sand on top to help out. I can then sccop it out when I start the fuge. It should only be 2 months at the most before I can start moving my 75 gal. I would like to get any kind of jump on the fuge that I could.

Thanks