My bad FIJI MUD
Can’t speak for KoraLagoon, though the texture certainly looks interesting.
Some of the “safer” Caulerpa species, like Caulerpa prolifera, still remain somewhat popular today alongside Ulva and Chaetomorpha. Mud isn’t technically required to grow these algae, or any rooted macroalgae I can think of (Udotea, Penicillus, some Halimeda, etc.) as they do not derive nutrients from the mud and can simply be planted in sand if they need substrate as an anchor. However, seagrasses often benefit from mud substrates which are found in their natural habitat and provide the anaerobic conditions their roots require (if I’m not mistaken, I would assume mud would be more effective at creating anaerobic zones than sand since it compacts more readily).
Agreed!
If you want to save on costs while still having mud and the biodiversity, I would try themacroman live mud (looks like the lighter-colored Fiji mud in-person) seeded in with FloridaPets live mud (Florida Keys ocean mud for extra biodiversity).
I hear live mud can be capped with a thin layer of sand before the introduction of water to reduce water cloudiness. Unfortunately, I completely ignored this advice when adding my mud, which turned my tank into a scene straight out of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for a few days. However, ever since, it has completely settled and doesn’t leech into the water column at all, even without sand.
