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Butterfly and pod cultivation setup
- Thread starter dppitone
- Start date
I'm building a light setup for the 55g fuge this weekend. It'll have two of the par30s. Also three 6 watt red/blue par20s. And four 15w 10k/420nm par20s. Here's the frame. 150watts total by spec, but actually more like 110watts the way the LEDs run.
I'll post again at the end of the weekend when I have it up over the tank and lit.
I'll post again at the end of the weekend when I have it up over the tank and lit.
Yeah, I think that's about right. We'll probably stack the top two tanks to save footprint space.
We're thinking of having the pump only run water from the sump to cultivation #1 at the top periodically, to move pods down to the transfer tank and to refresh the water to the sump and skimmer. Maybe once each day for a short period. I don't know yet it may take a bit of fiddling and experimenting.
We're thinking of having the pump only run water from the sump to cultivation #1 at the top periodically, to move pods down to the transfer tank and to refresh the water to the sump and skimmer. Maybe once each day for a short period. I don't know yet it may take a bit of fiddling and experimenting.
In kind of lost so correct me if I'm wrong. In the 2 top tanks you will be culturing pods? Right? Then they will be pumped to the 55 which will essentially a large refugium which is connected to the butterfly tank and at last the sump then back to the 2 culture tanks. Aren't the 2 tanks up top gonna just be refugium a too.
Yeah that's right the top two cultivation tanks will be refugiums for pods as well, but they won't be circulating with the rest of the system except for brief periods. Like once a day for a half hour or so, to turn the water over and to move some of the pods to the 55gallon. The 55g is the pod transfer tank - it will be in line with the system full time and will spill pods into the display tank slowly but continually as they move through the water column. At least both these points is the plan going in - we're devising it as we go Dance
All the tanks will be growing caulerpas as well, and we're going to see if we can maintain feeding of our four tangs from the macros in the system. Trying to make the feeding system self sustaining, just for fun.
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Jim, I think they all eat pods, but the short mouth ones like the racoons are the one's that eat at corals as well. The long mouth ones, like the copper-banded and the yellow longnose, and a couple others, eat primarily copepods and amphipods and reportedly don't nip at corals. We have a coral-banded now and it doesn't bother corals. He spends all day looking in rock crevices for pods. So those types/varieties are what we're looking at.
Interesting idea. I think the two pod culture tanks might be overdoing it. You might be able to eliminate one of them and get the same effect and make it easier to maintain (unless your having 2 simply for the extra volume). I do have some concerns about having those cultivation tanks with minimal water turnover. You may need to keep some serious macros and/or install some mechanical filtration for them. My concern is more for when you transfer them to the "display/pod transfer" tank... which is connected to your main system. While the pods would be fantastic to add to the system, I'm not so sure that dirtier water is something you want to introduce into it.
I have a copper banded butterfly and it does eat pods, although it also devours live blackworms like it's ice cream on a hot summer day! So, if this system doesn't work out, you might want to consider breeding blackworms as a backup plan (or an additional food source that is great for all fish really.)
I've been wanting to setup a worm breeding station for a couple years now, but I just don't have the space to do it. The wife loves the fish tank, but she's not a big fan of worms.
I have a copper banded butterfly and it does eat pods, although it also devours live blackworms like it's ice cream on a hot summer day! So, if this system doesn't work out, you might want to consider breeding blackworms as a backup plan (or an additional food source that is great for all fish really.)
I've been wanting to setup a worm breeding station for a couple years now, but I just don't have the space to do it. The wife loves the fish tank, but she's not a big fan of worms.
I've been wanting to setup a worm breeding station for a couple years now, but I just don't have the space to do it. The wife loves the fish tank, but she's not a big fan of worms.
So what kind of worms were you thinking, and can I trouble you a link to info about cultivating them?
I love all those butterfly fish! Especially good to see the Caribbean longnose, rarely see those. IME The copperband mostly loves worms. Live blackworms are pretty inexpensive and if you have a little space you can make a rig to keep them living longterm (search RC) though I usually just keep them in the fridge. The regular yellow longnose is a pig and mine have eaten everything including dry food. A true beginner butterfly! The one I really swoon over (and you would definitely need those pods!) is the "big longnose" or "true longnose" Forcipiger longirostris. It's rarely seen, even on DD, and is in demand. A much more difficult fish (and cooler) than its little cousin. I would say the copperband is still my favorite aquarium fish. I have been holding off buying one during my tank's recovery due to the inevitable water quality issues from feeding so much PE Mysis!
My yellow longnose eats just about anything. Favorite dry food is Instant Ocean chips. I dispense them from an automatic feeder.
When I had a copperband, the ONLY thing it are was black worms. I started building a system to grow them, but lost the copperband before finishing it. I still have the desktop fountain pump and the plastic for a trough.
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When I had a copperband, the ONLY thing it are was black worms. I started building a system to grow them, but lost the copperband before finishing it. I still have the desktop fountain pump and the plastic for a trough.
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Doug, are you interested in selling that stuff? If I actually had the parts, it might force me to get a breeding station setup! Let me know via PM if you are.
Dave, I would recommend to just do a google search on "Breeding black worms". You will find plenty of instructions on how to set it up. Paul B, a longtime member here, described how he made his, but when I just looked it up to link it for you, some of the pics are missing now. There is still at least one that will give you a good visual of it though...
http://www.njreefers.org/showthread.php?71204-Keeping-blackworms-alive&highlight=blackworm