How to create murky ecosystem?

[Oscaror]

When I think of what a true refugium should be I think it should be teeming with life, tons of critters and algae and micoorganisms. What most refugiums really are is some mud with a rock and some chaeto algae, which is good for filtration, but something about it feels off to me. When I think of what a perfect refugium would be I think of something like the sort of ecosystem in this documentary:
I just find it amazing how lively it is. Is there a way to achieve something similar?

 

[cracker]

the animals shown are very beautiful. to kkep a system like this would be as difficult as any other system. But still very cool .

 

[Oscaror]

the animals shown are very beautiful. to kkep a system like this would be as difficult as any other system. But still very cool .

Two of my observations so far are strong uniform currents, another is deep deep sand beds that are soft likely from all the life stirring them up. I'd say atleast 8 inches would be a good depth to form such an ecosystem. Maybe I could offer to buy random hitchhiker critters from my LFS to build this ecosystem. Also I'm not 100% sure how such a current could be achieved but here's an idea

 

[cracker]

Interesting concept . Would this be a separate system or plumbed into an existing tank? How big? Man Bunch o questions Are You just Musing here or seriously considering doing this?

 

[Oscaror]

Interesting concept . Would this be a separate system or plumbed into an existing tank? How big? Man Bunch o questions Are You just Musing here or seriously considering doing this?

Well I want to set up a refugium like this, so it would be plumbed into the system. I'm thinking running something like this sort of eco refugium for pod growth and biodiversity along algae reactors because I'd only want to keep decorative algae in the eco refugium (podfugium?). I was considering using a miracle mud ultra-deep sand bed but I heard it has to be replaced every 5 months, what I'm wondering is why? Is it just for the minerals? Because I care more about the pod growth and biodiversity. I want a DT about 2 feet deep and tall, 4 feet long (for a certain aquascape), so the biggest refugium that can fit under that basically.

 

[Oscaror]

Anyone who knows about deep sand beds have any advice? Kind of something that's never talked about nowadays. I'm not sure if I could keep the type of mud bed I'd want to

 

[cracker]

Well that's real doable. I think I'd use sand rather than mud. this sand would be a mixture of fine medium & more coarse. Eventually this sand would separate into defined layers with differing bugs & bacteria in all the layers .
I saw this long ago when I had a very deep sand bed. But you gotta ask, how long would it last before fouling ? This was top technology back then . DSB's ! Mine lasted a "long" time ,many years. I had to move so I didn't get to see it thru .

 

[Oscaror]

Well that's real doable. I think I'd use sand rather than mud. this sand would be a mixture of fine medium & more coarse. Eventually this sand would separate into defined layers with differing bugs & bacteria in all the layers .
I saw this long ago when I had a very deep sand bed. But you gotta ask, how long would it last before fouling ? This was top technology back then . DSB's !

That's what makes me wonder. Is a cool little mud box worth the risk or trouble? Might just run algae reactors and a simple fuge