Sps tanks and M. MUD and Zeovit

[Acronuts]

I am considering adding a refugium to my exsisting 180g mostly sps. I have great color and growth and would be adding it for the other benefits like, nitrates and phosphate removal, live food source for corals and fish.
If any of you gals and guys out there using any MM or Zeovit, PLEASE chime in!

My questions are as follows:

1. Both systems seem to be basically the same. Has anyone changed from one to the other? If so why and did you like the change?

2. Did anyone experience a crash/ wipeout when they added the refugium?

3. Can either of these products be added to a sump that was not a purchased sump from the makers of the MM or ZV? If I can how much product do I use?

4. Does anyone run a powerhead for circulation inside the sump?

5. What kind of lights are you all running? Are you running it 24/7

6. Anyone having alk problems?

7. Anyone running a ca/reactor with the refugium and still having alk issues?

8. Is anyone still using additives like cyclopeeze, brightwells zoo-plankton, etc.?

Currently I am running Berlin style with ca/reactor and a phosphate reactor. I use carbon about three weeks after a WC, for 1 week (4th wk), then I do my 35g WC.

 

[melosu58]

I used some miracle mud on my refuge covered up with a couple inches of sand. I personally dont see where it did anything. If I had to do it all over I would not use it.

 

[Acronuts]

Hey Mel
Good to hear from you! Do you think that the use of the sand had anything to do with it?

I used some miracle mud on my refuge covered up with a couple inches of sand. I personally dont see where it did anything. If I had to do it all over I would not use it.

 

[melosu58]

You have to cover it up or you`ll have a muddy silty look to you water. That`s the way I look at it. Good to see you too.

 

[David S]

I'm still using the MM i put in my fuge over a year now without replacig it and the nitrifying bacteria is still doing the job,the main thing with MM is you need to place it in a dead zone with very low water flow,try splitting your water flow so 20% goes the MM and 80% to thje skimmer section,keeping the flow quite low keeps the water clear.I still have about200lph going through mine.I run 200w MH on mine but its only a 10g(uk) nano and a 15g(uk) refugium.
I personally would use a sump with LS and cheatomorpha which I am building on a larger tank now.
Good luck
David

 

[nxb161]

I have a 40G and just added a 10G sump last week. At least for my size, the flow from the 3/4" tube 4' drop from the overflow is plenty of flow, almost too much!

 

[Acronuts]

David I am not sure how to measure the flow from sump section to sump section. I also did not realize that the MM or Zeovit need to be ran with less water flow. What do you mean by LS and cheatomorpha?

I'm still using the MM i put in my fuge over a year now without replacig it and the nitrifying bacteria is still doing the job,the main thing with MM is you need to place it in a dead zone with very low water flow,try splitting your water flow so 20% goes the MM and 80% to thje skimmer section,keeping the flow quite low keeps the water clear.I still have about200lph going through mine.I run 200w MH on mine but its only a 10g(uk) nano and a 15g(uk) refugium.
I personally would use a sump with LS and cheatomorpha which I am building on a larger tank now.
Good luck
David

 

[cmor1701d]

LS = live sand (usually aragonite, but any sugar grain sized sand will suffice)
Chaeto is one type of macro algea to help reduce nutrients.

Personally I have a DSB (deep sand bed) for denitrfication, along with a sump that has about an inch of sand and some chaeto.

 

[David S]

As cmor has said and the slow flow helps with growth and keeping the MM from spreading to other parts of your sump.
All I've used to control flow to fuge part of sump is a 't' piece in the flow to the sump one end goes to the fuge with a valve to adjust flow the other end to the skimmer section
These 2 drawings(sorry done quickly in paint) are just a quick example how a sump(top) with LS cheato in right section with about 20% of water flow(oval on pipe is valve)return pump in left section can also house a heater and a skimmer has 80% of water flow
the bottom pic of a fuge with MM and again 20% of flow to dead zone and 80% to skimmer section then through baffles to return pump


hope this helps

 

[Acronuts]

David,
I like your drawings!
My current sump is quite large. 75g cap.
It has 5 sections. Currently from the tank it flows into section 1 and is about 1/3 of sec 2.
Section 2 houses the skimmer and is about 1/2 of sec 3. The 3rd section is the largest and right now all it does is collect debris that I siphon out once a month. Section 4 is a thin small, about 1 and 1/2" wide, which I use to place a filter pad or phosphate pad. Section 5 is where the return to tank goes This sec is about 10 inches wide.
Not sure how to control flow in section 3.

As cmor has said and the slow flow helps with growth and keeping the MM from spreading to other parts of your sump.
All I've used to control flow to fuge part of sump is a 't' piece in the flow to the sump one end goes to the fuge with a valve to adjust flow the other end to the skimmer section
These 2 drawings(sorry done quickly in paint) are just a quick example how a sump(top) with LS cheato in right section with about 20% of water flow(oval on pipe is valve)return pump in left section can also house a heater and a skimmer has 80% of water flow
the bottom pic of a fuge with MM and again 20% of flow to dead zone and 80% to skimmer section then through baffles to return pump

View attachment 23635
hope this helps

 

[David S]

The only way I can think of is to use a syphon pipe from section 2 to section 4 and control it using a valve it should work like the syphon pipe from an eshopps overflow box,hence having approx 75% going through the syphon pipe and the rest going through section 3 if you see what I mean.Or a pump setup with pipework and a tee with a valve
Wouldn't mind seeing a few pics of your sump
David