Setting Up Fuge For Mandarin Dragonet

[nikkifro8994]

I want to add a mandarin to my 29 gallon tank. Right now I have a black perc clown, 3 firefish, 1 red hermit crab, and 8 turbo snails. I'm adding 2-3 small corals at the end of March. I won't be adding a mandarin for an absolute minimum of 6 months. He'll probably be my Christmas present to myself. This will give me plenty of time to get a large population of pods that he can't diminish. I also plan on adding a bottle of pods once every month or two.

On my display tank I have an aquaclear 50, an aquaclear 20, and an aquaclear 30 that was modified into an HOB Fuge with some chaeto for the 10 gallon that I upgraded from. I also have a Red Sea airlift skimmer rated for 60 gallons. There's about 25+ pounds of live rock and another 8 or so of base rock.

I have an empty 5 gallon and an empty 10 gallon tank that I could use as the Refugium. Which would be better? Also, I know the basics of a Fuge. I'll add LR rubble and chaeto for the pods to live in. My only issue is that I have no idea how to plumb it into my 29 gallon display. People start talking about return pumps and overhead and I get lost. Can you explain this in very basic language? I can place the Fuge either below the display or next to it.

Also, my filters and skimmer will stay in the display. The only equipment in the Fuge will be a heater, a light, and whatever pumps and such I'll need to plumb it into the display.

 

[nikkifro8994]

Could I just set it up separately with it's own filter and heater and then net pods out every day or two? I know that I won't get the benefits of the chaeto pulling out nitrates. I have some chaeto already in a DIY Fuge with a modified aquaclear 30 filter which is supposed to help pull out the nitrates. My numbers have been significantly lower since adding it to the 10 gallon that I upgraded from.

With a completely separate system, all I'll need to buy is chaeto and more salt water and pods, obviously. I already have a heater and light with a timer and I can put the aquaclear 20 on the 10 gallon. It's only on the 29 to help seed the new aquaclear 50.

Would a completely separate setup work if I'm only cultivating pods? I'd feed that tank just like the display but reduce it to one or two cubes a week instead of one a day. Pods need to eat too! And then net out pods every day or two to feed the mandarin when I get him.

I might be able to set it up so that the surface of the Fuge tank is level with the surface of the display and connect it with a siphon or something. Cheaper and easier than setting up pumps. And also no risk of overflow.