Mircale Mud
- Thread starter Seajay7
- Start date
I have been researching this a little and everything I have read on it is good stuff. I have not seen it any cheaper. In my research I have found that filters sold by ecosystems with miracle mud can support a healthy reef without the need of a protein skimmer. there is time released supplements in this mud that benifit the aquarium. this mud has to be replaced every couple of years when those supplements run out.
thedigitalimager
New member
I don't use it myself, but Mike Paletta has and reports some of his findings in an which you can find using the link below.
http://ww.ecosystemaquarium.com/html/revisited_fall98.html
http://ww.ecosystemaquarium.com/html/revisited_fall98.html
thedigitalimager
New member
Check out florida pets! I just got a few pounds and couldn't be happier.
http://floridapets.tripod.com/livesand.htm
http://floridapets.tripod.com/livesand.htm
that is interesting. I would like to here an update on how his tank is doing now. I have seen alot of info on short term success with this system. although I have seen vary little long term (5+ years) info on how it performs. although he dose say in where he can be contacted (aqarium systems) I could not find any contact info for him. I wander if he has any more recent articals out on the success of this system? if anybody finds some post them for us please. thanks
I use it and found it actually does something. I skipped the mud change for three years and noticed that the algae in the sump stopped growing as fast and my xenia wasnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t out of control like it was a couple years earlier, I was ripping it out and selling it. I was now down to a few little spots that wouldnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t spread out. I changed half the mud little over a month ago and now my sump is over grown with algae and the xenia has started multiplying and looking thicker. All that changed was the mud. So what ever is helping the xenia is probably affecting the other corals in a good way. I have the ecosystem sump with 40 lbs of mud, set up without a skimmer. The tank has run like this for five years.
thanks that is good info. I wander if that Kent Marine Biosediment works the same? it sure is cheaper. also Gobie do you run the lights on the ecosystem sump 24/7 like the manufacturer recomends. Kent marine says never to do this. I was just curious if it is ok to do this for the long term. also one of the things I was considering doing is feeding my fish the coulerpa that grows in this filter as if is trimmed back. kent marine says not to do this with their system. has any one tried this. I don't see how is can be so bad as these fish feed on this naturally in the wild unless these plants will be absorbing stuff that is not so good for the fish. something in the mud perhaps. this has got me reconsidering that option.
You can feed some of the algae to the fish. Removing it and selling it or throwing it out, removes waste that was assimilated into the plant. It is good for your fish to eat, but if you feed it all back to the fish they will put this waste back into the system. I keep the refugium lights on 24/7 so it will produce oxygen day and night. Plants use oxygen and produce co2 when the lights are out, also some calerpa will release a substance at night that can yellow your water. This is why itââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s a good idea to run your lights 24/7. I use Calerpa Srtularioides in my refugium.
therealw00
Coral Gardener
I have had a "ecosystem" tank setup for about 6 years now...wow I can't believe it was that long ago...and it did great for a very long time without a skimmer and the macroalgae and xenia was uncontrollable however that has gone away over the past 3 or so years and I now have hair algae all over my tank and the plants don't grow so well. I added a skimmer about a year and a half ago and I am not sure if I should replace the mud with sand to make a normal refugium or replace the mud. I think getting rid of the old mud will remedy my algae problems, coraline still grows great and the corals are doing fine.
That is exactly what happened to me when I skipped the mud change for three years the xenia stopped spreading and the algae in the sump almost stopped growing. I changed half the mud and the xenia is growing like mad and the sump is over grown with algae. You have to change half of your mud. You will be amazed at the difference a month after the change.
bergzy
New member
therealw00
Coral Gardener
I see, I never changed the mud like recommended, when I get around to it I will change the mud out for sand and add some traces.
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if you are dead set on switching to sand I would say try that kent biosediment. it is much cheaper and looks like it might have much of the same trace elements such as iron ect that help the algae grow. I myself was considering a mix of both when I get the system to save on some bucks. I would be interested to see some results on systems with that biosediment. therealw00 if you try it let us know how it works.
therealw00
Coral Gardener
the marine biosediment is pretty cheap maybe I will try that out, and if anything it is not too much more expensive than plain aragonite
