Miracle Mud

tweeter · Jul 8, 2020

Have any of you had or tried Miracle Mud? I have been looking at this product for some time and have been thinking of trying it. I'm just wonering if its worth the investment, and what results folks have actually seen using this "mud". Did it cloud your water at first? How much did you ad to your refugium/sump?

Gablami · Jul 8, 2020

This is a similar product: Walt smith Fiji mud. The difference is that the fiji mud is actually taken from Fiji. Not sure where miracle mud is harvested. Miracle mud also says it should be changed out periodically.

I have never used it, but considering it in my new build. Would put it in mud trays in the refugium. Trays would make it easier to remove and place.

tweeter · Jul 9, 2020

Gablami said:
This is a similar product: Walt smith Fiji mud. The difference is that the fiji mud is actually taken from Fiji. Not sure where miracle mud is harvested. Miracle mud also says it should be changed out periodically.

I have never used it, but considering it in my new build. Would put it in mud trays in the refugium. Trays would make it easier to remove and place.

Where would I find mud trays? I guess I could make my own. I will check out the Walt Smith mud...Thanks for your reply!

Gablami · Jul 9, 2020

I'm having my sump maker make the mud trays. Two of them. I'm sure you could make it too with scrap acrylic or find something commercial that's reef safe.

Nick428 · Sep 6, 2020

I use to use it. It works very well at mediating water for a reef tank. I stopped using it because its expensive and im not sure why it was working so well.

Ippyroy · Sep 6, 2020

I used some mud and other items from ipsf.com Everything was great, snails, bristle worms, and lots of other little critters. My tank almost immediately turned the corner. It looks a hundred times better. Green rocks started turning white, and coraline started growing today, 3 weeks later.

Nick428 · Sep 6, 2020

Its mostly fine silica sand and a little aragonite but 2 interesting ingredients are the high aluminum and iron in it im guessing it helps prevent phosphate from getting out of control and i can tell you caulerpa grows very well in it. Also the fine mud might allow more diversity than sand can allow in a DSB.

Pistondog · Sep 6, 2020

tweeter said:
Have any of you had or tried Miracle Mud? I have been looking at this product for some time and have been thinking of trying it. I'm just wonering if its worth the investment, and what results folks have actually seen using this "mud". Did it cloud your water at first? How much did you ad to your refugium/sump?

2 years later, still in the jug.
Afraid it would cloud the water, used marinepure instead.
Moved to live rock.

Scotty8284 · Sep 9, 2020

Ippyroy said:
I used some mud and other items from ipsf.com Everything was great, snails, bristle worms, and lots of other little critters. My tank almost immediately turned the corner. It looks a hundred times better. Green rocks started turning white, and coraline started growing today, 3 weeks later.

Did you use these in the sump/refugium or DT? I was wondering if critters in the refugium would still benefit the tank?

Ippyroy · Sep 9, 2020

Scotty8284 said:
Did you use these in the sump/refugium or DT? I was wondering if critters in the refugium would still benefit the tank?

Mostly all in the fuge but about 50/50 with the grazers in DT and fuge.

danieyella · Sep 9, 2020

I actually just ordered some myself after a bit of research. I have been neglecting my refugium chamber for 2 years and decided it's finally time to acknowledge it.

A few people turned off return and added and allowed it to settle for an hour before turning back on, minimal clouding.

A few didn't, saw a TON of clouding, panicked, but everything cleared by the next day and was fine.

I plan to go the first route.

Rp8 · Sep 9, 2020

Anybody got a link for these things?

ReefingFamily · Dec 15, 2020

Rp8 said:
Anybody got a link for these things?

Not sure I understand what you are asking. Are you looking for threads to learn more about these products or are you looking for places to purchase them?

Subsea · Dec 15, 2020

Miracle Mud is high in iron which is often depleted in reef tanks. The recommendation to change it out reflects the assumption that iron in mud will be depleted. I see little reason to believe all the iron is depleted. However, the micro inverts larva in the mud are an important live food for display tank filter feeders, including coral. I added Seachem Flourish substrate in the refugium, so I never changed mud and I have been running it that way for 25 yrs.

ostrow · Dec 15, 2020

Ippyroy said:
I used some mud and other items from ipsf.com Everything was great, snails, bristle worms, and lots of other little critters. My tank almost immediately turned the corner. It looks a hundred times better. Green rocks started turning white, and coraline started growing today, 3 weeks later.

It's my go to, for years now. Gerald is awesome and the stuff he sells lives and reproduces. I do an order every year to recharge things. Have done for going on 15yrs now.

ReefingFamily · Dec 16, 2020

Subsea said:
Miracle Mud is high in iron which is often depleted in reef tanks. The recommendation to change it out reflects the assumption that iron in mud will be depleted. I see little reason to believe all the iron is depleted. However, the micro inverts larva in the mud are an important live food for display tank filter feeders, including coral. I added Seachem Flourish substrate in the refugium, so I never changed mud and I have been running it that way for 25 yrs.

Wow 25 yrs of stability is something I would love to learn from you. I would love to see pictures of how you have this set up and what you do, if anything, to maintain this.

Subsea · Dec 16, 2020

reeftanknewbie said:
Wow 25 yrs of stability is something I would love to learn from you. I would love to see pictures of how you have this set up and what you do, if anything, to maintain this.

I have a 30G Ecosystem mud filter for 25 years on a 75G tank, initially thoughts were that denitrification was required. I no longer feel that denitrification is a useful goal in a mature reef tank. The mud is a good matrix for micro fauna & fana. Get it from IPSF.

My 120G aquarium sump is an open 40G tank with algae. Gradually, the bottom fills with detritus.

Miracle Mud Set-up Instructions | EcoSystem Aquarium

MIRACLE MUD® MIRACLE MUD® is the original mud substrate that is specifically made to be used in an EcoSystem Aquarium® Filter. This special substrate has two main functions: (1) it is an advanced filter medium that also acts as a … Continue reading →

www.ecosystemaquarium.com

Bluenote · Dec 16, 2020

I used it over 10 years ago in a refugium and only found it useful for growing mangroves. At the time I thought it was something I needed to for creating a healthy system of copepods and amphipods. I now have a thriving pod population in a much bigger refugium without any substrate.

Loosechangereef · Dec 16, 2020

I have a hang on finnix with miracle mud and cheato with waterbox 50 gallon tank, everything is healthy fish fat, grow sps like crazy, all nutrients in check with no phoshate remover