I've been doing a heck of a lot of research for the past few days and I really want a dragonet. In fact, I would be perfectly happy with one as my only fish in the tank... maybe a clown or a cardinal fish or something else.
So, I've got to be able to feed the dragonet and that the main point behind my planned mods to the tank. I'll start with a 24g Nano Cube. I'm planning for a 2-3 in sandbed in the tank. I'll use live rock rubble as part of my filter space in the back and have lots of live rock... planning for 30-45 pounds.
I've designed an in-tank refugium that will be about 1.3 gallons. I'm going to attach it to the back wall of the tank about 3-4 inches above the sand bed and it will extend to the top of the tank. I'll be using light acrylic. It will be approximately 9 inches tall 6-7 wide and 5 inches deep.
The bottom 4-5 inches will be solid acrylic, the rest will be drilled with appropriately sized holes for water flow and to allow copepods and amphipods to escape into the main part of the tank. I'll have a 3 inch sand bed and some live rock rubble as well as some macro algae, presumably chaeto. The top will be open to allow for trimming the algae. I'll probably add some smallish snails in it as well.
Underneath the refugium, it will be dark. I'm planning on making that a secondary pod pile using more acrylic plate (drilled) and filled with liverock rubble.
I'm not sure how the pump in the back of the tank moves water into the display area. If there is a hose or tube, then I plan on putting a 'T' on that and diverting some of the flow into the refugium and the pod pile. If it's something else, then a micro-powerhead should do the trick.
Additional equipment will be at least one Koralia nano powerhead in the display tank and a heater in the sump area.
I'll seed the fuge and pod pile and let them run for a while before adding the dragonet. Hopefully, this will provide enough food, but research suggests that the fish can be fed supplements like mytis shrimp and such.
Thoughts?
So, I've got to be able to feed the dragonet and that the main point behind my planned mods to the tank. I'll start with a 24g Nano Cube. I'm planning for a 2-3 in sandbed in the tank. I'll use live rock rubble as part of my filter space in the back and have lots of live rock... planning for 30-45 pounds.
I've designed an in-tank refugium that will be about 1.3 gallons. I'm going to attach it to the back wall of the tank about 3-4 inches above the sand bed and it will extend to the top of the tank. I'll be using light acrylic. It will be approximately 9 inches tall 6-7 wide and 5 inches deep.
The bottom 4-5 inches will be solid acrylic, the rest will be drilled with appropriately sized holes for water flow and to allow copepods and amphipods to escape into the main part of the tank. I'll have a 3 inch sand bed and some live rock rubble as well as some macro algae, presumably chaeto. The top will be open to allow for trimming the algae. I'll probably add some smallish snails in it as well.
Underneath the refugium, it will be dark. I'm planning on making that a secondary pod pile using more acrylic plate (drilled) and filled with liverock rubble.
I'm not sure how the pump in the back of the tank moves water into the display area. If there is a hose or tube, then I plan on putting a 'T' on that and diverting some of the flow into the refugium and the pod pile. If it's something else, then a micro-powerhead should do the trick.
Additional equipment will be at least one Koralia nano powerhead in the display tank and a heater in the sump area.
I'll seed the fuge and pod pile and let them run for a while before adding the dragonet. Hopefully, this will provide enough food, but research suggests that the fish can be fed supplements like mytis shrimp and such.
Thoughts?
