Refugium Mud

[ggNoRe]

Looking for any tips or suggestions to adding Refugium Mineral Mud to my refugium. Should I somehow rinse it first as to not make water cloudy? Place it in tupperware? Add sand on top or bottom? Hoping to avoid a giant headache or mess in the future.

Attached are pics of my current refugium.

 

[Saltyreef]

Remove the water from your sump compartment where u want the mud. Place the mud first then lay either a layer of sand or coarse gravel. Then you can fill up the sump slowly using the plate method to not disturb the mud bed.

 

[sealife4life]

Also depends on how you’re setting it up. What do you plan on keeping in there?

 

[ggNoRe]

Plan to keep chaeto there. Maybe mangroves waaay into the future if I get bored but they aren't necessary.

Also it might be worth mentioning because it's hard to see in the pic but the water flows from the refugium to the return section through the bottom of the baffle so its important that doesn't get clogged and stop the flow.

 

[Saltyreef]

My refugium chamber is the same. I lined the underflow baffle with liverock to negate macro algae flowing into the return chamber but it doesnt work too well lol.
I would consider possibly putting your mud in a tupperware dish lined with a gravel/sand cap that fits inside the refugium chamber.

 

[sealife4life]

It’s funny you said mangroves… I’ve started these as pods from local beach and have 26 left. I’ve donated a few to a guy at LFS. As you can see I have nothing but rock in mine and they do well. In the last chamber I’ll be setting up a small chaeto section with grow light. Unfortunately no LFS has atm. I’ll post a pic when I set that up.

 

[minus9]

Put the mud in a plastic (reef safe) tray or two, turn off flow and slowly put the tray in. The key is to add a little tank water to the tray to moisten the mud before you put it in.