Mud Refugiums

[babcock]

What do you all (ladies and gents) think of mud refugiums with 24/7 lighting and caulerpa macroalgae? Have heard its the way to go? I have a uniquarium (integrated wet/dry) Thinking about removing media and putting in mud with caulerpa and lights, what are your thoughts? Space is minimal , 4 in.wide x 24 in. long x 36 in. high. I welcome your thoughts!!!!!

 

[bureau13]

I'm not a big fan of caulerpa. If it gets ****ed at you for some reason, it disintegrates and spills all those nutrients back into the water column in an attempt to reproduce. I prefer chaeto, it seem safer. Also, when I moved to chaeto, I light it on a reverse cycle (i.e. lights on when the main tank lights are off). I think the 24/7 thing was an attempt to keep the caulerpa from going off, but it apparently didn't work for me.

jds

 

[old salty]

I use one. Other than the new tank algae, I haven't had any issues with it in the main tank. I think that a refuge, whether it has a mud bed or not, assists the skimmer in processing excess nutrients from the tank.

 

[Steven Pro]

I have the real Miracle Mud and it seems overpriced to me. It works just fine. i just don't think it is worth the money.

As for the macroalgae, I would get chaetomorpha. It is much more stable and just as fast a grower.

 

[Eron]

I started a thread almost like this one earlier this morning and had stated that i also had used cheato and miracle mud, i haven't seen any difference between the miracle mud and when i just had straigt DSB, but my I have very low nitrate levels and it could be a combination of the DSB and Cheato, has anybody else used the Miracle Mud

 

[bureau13]

For what its worth, my 55 gal used an Ecosystems sump and I used their Miracle Mud. For the 240, I can't fit the appropriately-sized Ecosystems sump in my stand, so I had one custom-made. Its more or less configured the same way, but I bought some Carib-Sea Refugium Mud for substantially less money. We'll see if my fish all immediately grow a third eye I may "seed" it with some of the Miracle Mud from the old tank, I'm not sure yet.

jds

 

[aquaticpetdepot]

I,ve used one and I found that it works best with a protien skimmer along with it.I like it and think that you will to. good luck

 

[bureau13]

....and stupid me, I have my tank up and running and most of my livestock switched to the new tank...and I haven't put the mud in. Now, how on earth am I going to do that without having a "mud dust haze" circulating through my tank. I have no idea what I was thinking....

jds