Peppermints in a refugium with tridacna clam and/or flame scallop?

[JoJosReef]

Getting some peppermints to take care of the DT, but likely moving them to the sump of the new tank afterwards, which will be a refugium with possibly a tridacna or hippopus clam and/or a flame scallop. Any experience in peppermints bothering one or the other? I'm expecting/hoping that there will be plenty of particulate flow-through, as I'm running skimmerless and filter-less (no socks, floss or rollers).

ALSO, anyone know if peppermints will eat baby RFAs? @Ron Reefman ? @jkcoral ?

Thanks!

 

[Subsea]

I have had Peppermint Shrimp with flame scallops, sea apples, anemones and clams. They are opportunistic and will steal food from anemones at times.

I like them because they control Aptasia and will spawn in your tank.

 

[Doctorgori]

I like them because they control Aptasia and will spawn in your tank.

Every chance I catch a Aptasia thread I try to remind folks to check the overflow box, plumbing and sump…I keep a crew in there for just that reason
Good luck with the flame scallop, not sarcasm but good will and if you get past 1yr , please post what you did
BTW I also keep mollies to keep GHA off the macros (mixed results)

 

[JoJosReef]

Every chance I catch a Aptasia thread I try to remind folks to check the overflow box, plumbing and sump…I keep a crew in there for just that reason
Good luck with the flame scallop, not sarcasm but good will and if you get past 1yr , please post what you did
BTW I also keep mollies to keep GHA off the macros (mixed results)

Not 100% yet on the scallop but might give it a try. Plan is to run the tank real dirty. No socks, roller mats, filter floss, and no skimmer. So maybe it will work!

 

[Subsea]

Every chance I catch a Aptasia thread I try to remind folks to check the overflow box, plumbing and sump…I keep a crew in there for just that reason
Good luck with the flame scallop, not sarcasm but good will and if you get past 1yr , please post what you did
BTW I also keep mollies to keep GHA off the macros (mixed results)

California is still sleeping, so I will comment. I also am propagating mollies in monoculture macro tanks along with amphipods.

@JoJosReef
It’s likely that Peppermint Shrimp will eat baby RFA.

 

[JoJosReef]

California is still sleeping, so I will comment. I also am propagating mollies in monoculture macro tanks along with amphipods.

@JoJosReef
It’s likely that Peppermint Shrimp will eat baby RFA.

That is my big fear. Of course, a CBB might as well, no? I have a CBB coming in late Nov/early Dec, if all goes well. I wonder if a mushroom basket would save the babies. Hard to imagine getting them off of their rocks, though...

 

[Subsea]

Not 100% yet on the scallop but might give it a try. Plan is to run the tank real dirty. No socks, roller mats, filter floss, and no skimmer. So maybe it will work!

Scallops are very sensitive to water quality. Aside from their beauty, I use them as bioindicators for water quality

 

[JoJosReef]

Scallops are very sensitive to water quality. Aside from their beauty, I use them as bioindicators for water quality

You mean specifically nitrates/phosphates or lots of parameters like Alk and trace elements (and/or unmeasured like DOCs, toxins, general polution...)?

I'm running about 60mL/day All For Reef and, while I don't test often, I've historically been taxed with keeping NO3 above zero and PO4 hovering in the 0.06-0.1 range. Almost no GHA (except for now growing on my new macros, grrr) and a decent amount of Valonia but not overwhelming (yet).

Feeding Avast reef jerkey and Reef Nutition foods (PhytoFeast, OysterFeast, RotiFeast, PacPods, + TDO pellets) 4x/day.

I have a massive number of sponges growing in the "sump" area of my AIO, which I'll use to seed the new sump in the upgrade, and some interesting sponges growing in the DT. With all that and the corals growing like mad (aiptasia as well...), I figured I'd give the scallop a shot.

 

[Subsea]

That is my big fear. Of course, a CBB might as well, no? I have a CBB coming in late Nov/early Dec, if all goes well. I wonder if a mushroom basket would save the babies. Hard to imagine getting them off of their rocks, though...

Coral Banded Butterfly fish are very similar to opportunistic shrimp. Depending on individual personalities, “It’s hit or miss”. I would not put an expensive CBB in a refugium.

I run high nutrient systems that are skimmerless & filterless, except for cryptic refugium and reverse flow undergravel filter.

 

[JoJosReef]

Coral Banded Butterfly fish are very similar to opportunistic shrimp. Depending on individual personalities, “It’s hit or miss”. I would not put an expensive CBB in a refugium.

I run high nutrient systems that are skimmerless & filterless, except for cryptic refugium and reverse flow undergravel filter.

That's what I'm going for! Half cryptic refugium, half macroalgae. CBB is for the DT, not the sump

Pepps will likely be in the sump, but was hoping to put a clam and a scallop there, too, so just wondering their risk levels with peppermints cohabitating that space.

 

[Subsea]

“You mean specifically nitrates/phosphates or lots of parameters like Alk and trace elements (and/or unmeasured like DOCs, toxins, general polution...)”

Unmeasured DOC.

“I have a massive number of sponges growing in the "sump" area of my AIO, which I'll use to seed the new sump in the upgrade, and some interesting sponges growing in the DT. With all that and the corals growing like mad (aiptasia as well...), I figured I'd give the scallop a shot.”

Go for the Gusto!

 

[Subsea]

“Pepps will likely be in the sump, but was hoping to put a clam and a scallop there, too, so just wondering their risk levels with peppermints cohabitating that space.”

Unless scallop or clam is dying, peppermints will not bother them.

 

[JoJosReef]

Thanks @Subsea and others for all the feedback!

 

[Subsea]

“Feeding Avast reef jerkey and Reef Nutition foods (PhytoFeast, OysterFeast, RotiFeast, PacPods, + TDO pellets) 4x/day.”

With that feeding schedule you will have a healthy microbial loop in your system. I am a Laissez faire reefer and I dose ammonia every day and concentrated liquid kelp every other day.

 

[Doctorgori]

If I had to pick a clam for the sump it would be either a derasa or squamosa, just IME these are hardier for me than the others

 

[JoJosReef]

“Feeding Avast reef jerkey and Reef Nutition foods (PhytoFeast, OysterFeast, RotiFeast, PacPods, + TDO pellets) 4x/day.”

With that feeding schedule you will have a healthy microbial loop in your system. I am a Laissez faire reefer and I dose ammonia every day and concentrated liquid kelp every other day.

You mean this type of plant fertilizer?

I bought some chaetogro and put a bit in the tank, but this is quite a bit more economical...

 

[Troylee]

I’ll just say good luck finding and catching peppermints after their job is done..if they even do it! It’s hit or miss lol.. I have 7 in my tank and I’ve only seen them at night with a flashlight..

 

[JoJosReef]

If I had to pick a clam for the sump it would be either a derasa or squamosa, just IME these are hardier for me than the others

likely a Biota squamosina or a hippopus. I'm not going to try a maxima or a crocea in the sump. Want it on the sand bed.

PAR won't be a problem:

that's a 30 degree reflector siliconed to a Kessil a160we. The challenge will be more having macros that tolerate enough light to keep the clam... A padina would be a great addition if I could ever find one!

 

[Doctorgori]

I had that interlocking crate stuff for a lil while…
Irritating that they made it out of a buoyant plastic,
btw
I had that Kessil but the purple (reef) one..still grew macros like mad anyway

 

[JoJosReef]

I had that interlocking crate stuff for a lil while…
Irritating that they made it out of a buoyant plastic,
btw
I had that Kessil but the purple (reef) one..still grew macros like mad anyway

I also find that annoying. Here I was only using it to estimate where the rocks will be in relation to the sand/mud substrate. The running refugium won't need any egg crate.