Fuge substrate - what do you use?

[djian]

I am thinking of changing my substrate from sand to mudd. Just wondering what you use and if your pod collection is alive and well.

 

[wetWolger]

well I personally have a BB fuge with live rock. But I have heared very good things about crude from premium aquatics. I have a couple lbs left in my old fuge. Not sure if it is any better or any worse than anything else. If you want you can come take a look at it, or even take a sample home. Here is a link to what I am talking about:
http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merc...D&Product_Code=L-CRUDE&Category_Code=Livesand

 

[Clown-N-Around]

I have mud but haven't been running it long enough to form a comparative conclustion.

 

[djian]

Christina, I remember that smell of your mud when you were cleaning out your sump - I was thinking of switching to mud for the pods, dont know!

 

[wetWolger]

if you want pods...I would do what I did. Go BB and put in live rock rubble. Mud does not give much space for pods to live other than worms and stuff. But if you want coepods or something I would be looking at using that extra inches of space you would put mud and use live rock rubble.

 

[Clown-N-Around]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7025066#post7025066 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by djian
Christina, I remember that smell of your mud when you were cleaning out your sump - I was thinking of switching to mud for the pods, dont know!

:lol: That's what happens when your sump hasn't been running on the tank for a few weeks and has just a small powerhead and heater: a lot of die-off.

 

[ktani]

Ian,

I use aragonite (southdown or whatever) for several reasons. One and crucial reason is a DSB in the fuge along with the buffering capacity of the aragonite. You will also find over time the bed will decrease as the sand dissolves.

I have used mud, and puka in the past as well, but find this is a simple solution that seems to work fine for me.

Kip

 

[djian]

Kip, yeah use aragonite currently and before I switched sumps I had a major cyano problem in the sump. Lack of flow is my thoughts on that. But I dont see a pod population at all, and one day I would like to get a dragonet.

 

[roguemonk]

It's hard to see a 'pod population. Try turning off all the lights, and pumps (if you can) for a few minutes. Then shine a flashlight in. If you see specs of dust moving purposefully in the water, you've got 'pods.

Unless you've got predators eating them, I have a hard time believing you don't have a population. You can't stop them from growing in a sufficient mass of live rock (the more surface area the better--thus the suggestion of rubble).

Brad