sump substrate advice needed

[greatgman001]

hi all.
my question is this,
in the very near future i will be setting up my 90 g glass tank again
and my question is about sump substrates
i was going to go with an ecosystem miricle mud setup
the reason for this is ease of maint.
i know about the mud releasing essential nutrients over time
but what about ph? will it buffer the water?
i know too that a sump of fine oolitic sand will buffer but no nutrients are released

so is a split sump setup worth a shot?
(mud and sand separate)
has ne1 done this?
also ne1 with experience with an ecosystem setup can u chime in on this and tell me (us) your opinions /experience with this setup?
thanks a bunch

 

[greatgman001]

ne1? please

 

[T Man]

Hello Gman, my sump has live rock rubble, dead coral in the entrance. Ten pounds Miricle Mud with eight Mangroves in the middle and my skimmer and Bio balls in the exit section.
I don't rely on my sump contents to carry the systems nutrients. Although it helps maintain a more stable balance for the displays inhabitants, I still keep a good eye on my water quality.
The only noticable difference that I can see with the mud is, the Mangroves are shooting out of the sump faster that I have ever seen them grow before! Check out my sump in my gallery. TinMan