Miracle Mud - need help getting started with it

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austinsdad

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Mar 31, 2004
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Accokeek, Maryland
Got all the plumbing done on my new 155g tank. Got new aragonite sand and adding salt water daily (as I make it). Using a sump/fuge with miracle mud and gonna get some macro algae to go in there.

The plan is to add established, cured LR from my temp 36g tank and some from some temp bins (with circulation) I've got stored. 'Bout 120 lbs of rock and maybe 40lbs of sand from my old tank. Hoping for instant cycle as after the dust settles and the rock and sand is added, I'll also pu a number of fish in also.

Confused about when and how to get the miracle mud established. Want to use a 1/2 to 1" of sand on top of it also (a few have told me that helps keep the mud dust down).
 
I suppose that would make sense to bury it, the Product Website only advertises anerobic benifits, so smothering it wouldn't be a problem.

They have Complete Setup Instructions on thier website.

Might want to modify those instructions to do your layering and then pour the water in over a plate or some such to not disturb the layers.
 
I have the same set up with the mud and then a layer of sand over top of it. Have not had any problems yet.
 
I just have 1" of mud and it did get REAL cloudy after the water went in. In hindsight, I would have smothered it with sand as well, but I don't want to risk another sandstorm.

My question to those with the sand layer on top....How are you going to do the 50% swap-out?
 
You are going to have a wicked cloud for a day or two or three. :) Well at least I did. I have 2" to 3" of mud and about a half an inch of sand from when i poured the mud on top of my sand in my fuge. (ryguy)- If you do a %50 sand change in two years i think you'll be able to save up enough to replace the sand. :) If not you could always take some out of your main tank if you have enough. Then later you can replace the sand you took out of your main tank with some new sand and let that build back up with some life. Anyway back to the main subject. Once you get the mud in and let it settle i think you'll be set as far as getting it established. You could try mixing some sand in with your mud to get some "live" stuff in there but from what I've heard is once the water flow is going its working. HTH
 
Yeah. I checked out those product site write-ups. Didn't help. For instance, the setup instructions says put the mud in, remove floating particles, and turn the pump on. Now, I'm thinking that if the "wicked cloud" needs to settle first as I wouldn't want that in my main. No pump during settling time - couple days maybe.

I think I'll add salt water and the mud, maybe 3" and let the dust settle, then add 3/4 to 1" of aragonite sand. I believe I should be able to let it sit for two days without stirring it. In about that same time, the dust from the new sand in the main should also be settled. Then I'll turn the pump on. I'll be aquascaping w/my live rock and hoping for instant cycle - having 100lbs of live rock (now in tubs w/PHs and being fed - ready to go) and 40 lbs of sand from my old tank.

Sound about right?
 
You may get a cloud anyway when you turn on the pump, if the lighter particles are just sitting on the top of the sand.

Might consider adding an airstone and some ammonia source if you want bacterial help with clumping small particles together.

Might consider putting a poly filter over the outlet when you first turn it on.
 
Ya, you're gonna get a cloudy mess no matter what. what you could do is have a pump located in the last stage of your sump and have it return to the front of the sump and keep it closed from the main tank and just run filter floss in the sump for a couple of days to catch all the floating small particles. Change the floss out when it gets grubby, and keep it going until the water clears in the sump.

Then when you connect it to the main, the entire system water should remain relatively clear as well, provided you use a pump with similar gph for the declouding process.
 
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