Does anyone use a mud bottom in their fuge?

[Ligershark]

i am setting up my refugium and was reading about the benefits of mud, i know alot of people use sand, but is there anyone on here who uses mud bottom. Any feedback as to why you do or dont use it would be appreciated. thanks

 

[DaveK]

I did at one time, but it was a small fuge, and I didn't see any real difference. I don't think it was because of the mud. It was simply that the fuge was too small.

If you are going to add one, make sure it's of a reasonable size.

 

[monsterfishkeeper]

I prefer crushed coral

 

[Carlo]

I think it depends on what you are going to grow in the fuge. If you are simply going to have cheato then I'd skip a substrate altogether and make it easy to siphon the bottom.

If you are going to grow something that needs to root itself then it's another store and the mud bottom is worth doing (maybe).

What's your intenetion with the fuge?

Carlo

 

[AnDom1]

Hi..For what it's worth, I have a small (very small) fuge as part of my 9 gal Nano and I use Fiji Gold Mud and grow a little Chaeto once in a while adding some pods. The tank seems to be doing well with a couple of small fairy wrasses, a small blenny
and a few zoos, mushrooms and blasto and torch frags.

The only drawback is that this Nano system doesn't allow for surface skimming and after a week or so I notice a bit of the mud mixed in with a slight film at the top which I correct when changing water.

Dom

 

[harryk]

If you are going to use mud in your fuge, you will have to replace it. I think the whole point of using it is for the minerals and nutrients in it and once it's depleteted it's basically done. I believe it does state on the package that it does need to be replaced every few months or so.

Harry

 

[Ligershark]

i would like to use it to grow mangroves and other plants, also for growing pods. i would like to put a couple peppermint shrimp in there and make it its own little ecosystem. i have a 12 inch dual satellite with 2x18watt daylight bulbs to grow plants. i wouldnt mind having to buy more mud, but if i have to do a complete change of it every month or so then i would not want to use it. then i would have to uproot everything that was growing in it anyway. i also purchased ferrion by brightwell aquatics, (on thatpetplace website). it says it is for growing marine plants in refugiums. the fuge has an 8 gallon capacity, and my sump model is based off of adhi refugiums. would it be possible to achieve the same result with live sand? im not sure why but ive become fixated on growing mangroves ever since i saw them at the georgia aquarium and then again in a refugium (mud bottom)

 

[mladencovic]

i would like to use it to grow mangroves and other plants, also for growing pods. i would like to put a couple peppermint shrimp in there and make it its own little ecosystem. i have a 12 inch dual satellite with 2x18watt daylight bulbs to grow plants. i wouldnt mind having to buy more mud, but if i have to do a complete change of it every month or so then i would not want to use it. then i would have to uproot everything that was growing in it anyway. i also purchased ferrion by brightwell aquatics, (on thatpetplace website). it says it is for growing marine plants in refugiums. the fuge has an 8 gallon capacity, and my sump model is based off of adhi refugiums. would it be possible to achieve the same result with live sand? im not sure why but ive become fixated on growing mangroves ever since i saw them at the georgia aquarium and then again in a refugium (mud bottom)

4"+ of sand will quite quickly become very muddy in the fuge. Pods and mangrove will be fine with the sand. I would never be able to fully trust the mud (chemically and bilogically) the same way I would trust sand (for reef setups).