Pods / Algae / Food

Hi are there any guides out there on pods, algae and food? I see lots of stuff on livestock, coral, etc but not much on how to / what to do for pods and algae and food in general.

Thanks!

 

That's a whole HUGE can o' worms there...it would help to know what you're planning to feed (fish, coral, inverts, etc).

 

all of the above?

frankly I'm trying to plan it all out now. my ideal is mostly reef coral w/ a few inverts (clam, anemone, shrimp, sea cucumber, urchin) and just a few easy fish (clown, angelfish, puffer etc). oh and a handful of cleanup crew type (snails, hermits) to start things off.

my goal is as simple and natural as possible but still be kick ass to watch, of course! but not sure how pods and algae figure into all this...

 

What size tank are you planning? Tekk us about the system you have planned. However, I can already see a couple of issues with your proposed stocking list:

Puffers will pick at inverts, so that leaves you without a "standard" clean-up crew (snails, shrimp, echinoderms, etc.). Puffers will also pick at corals and clams.

Angelfishes will not only pick at corals, but clams as well.

Not that this will bother you, but clownfish get mean (they're damsels, after all), esp. if you have a pair that has staked out a territory. They will even bite the hand that feeds them after awhile. Just a heads-up there...

Pods will generally show up on their own as the tank matures, as will various types of algae. A quality live phytoplankton product will definitely boost pod production (stay away from Nannochloropsis, as it has a very thick cell wall which makes it indigestible to most critters), as will a refugium or DT with live macroalgae in it.

Simple is great...I tend to keep things pretty simple whenever possible.

 

thanks for the advice!

90 gal tank is cycling, have a megaflow 3 sump, aquaC ev 120 skimmer, about 90 lbs of rock (base that is becoming live) and livesand. RO/DI water. have some MH lights that I got from a friend, but am probably gonna get 2 AI Hydras.

I'm ok w/ no puffer but was really wanting an angelfish + coral/clam... guess I can go with something else...

I'm all for getting macroalgae that are cool, but I guess need fish that won't eat it!