Help! I Have Miracle Mud SOUP!!!!

happyclam · 04/04/2008, 04:37 PM

Right now my tank looks like somone is trying to grow phytoplankton in a swamp. The tank is only 18" front to back, and I can't even see my return pipes in the middle of the tank. I'll tell you exactly what I did from step one. 1st, I filled the tank with R.O. water (1 week), the I added salt. Salinity was spot on. Then I poured in the "Miracle Mud" and let settle down for about 3-4 hours. Then I removed most of the floating debris (pump to main tank is not running, so sump was isolated at the moment.). The sump water was still cloudy though, and it wouldn't settle. I thought that maybe if I ran the main pump, the cloudiness would disperse, and hopefully get caught in filter foam in the sump. The amount of flow in the sump was actually quite less the recomended rate, but somehow it managed to turn my mud into a living tornado, but by the time I got the pump turned off, the water in my display tank was a green/yellow. Is there a way I can clear my water without draining the whole tank? I was thinking about letting the suspended mud settle to the bottom and then siphoning it out with a gravel vacuum? Please help.

05TurboS2K · 04/04/2008, 04:56 PM

I'm a fan in general of not giving up on things.

I'd start running equipment and see if it won't settle or be skimmed. What equipment do you have setup thus far?

photobret · 04/04/2008, 06:00 PM

I had the same problem with Fiji Mud, So I ran an Aquaclear HOB filter with filer floss and I put my skimmer into action. Tank was clear in 48 hours.

happyclam · 04/04/2008, 06:21 PM

I do not have a skimmer, the refugium was supposed to be the only filter. 05TurboS2k, sorry for the confusion, I was just going to siphon out the mud that made its way into the display tank, not sucking out all the mud in the refugium. My main priority is just trying to get the display clear, and then I'll tackle the refugium. The only other equipment I have this far is the main pump, 4 Hydor Koralia powerheads (400gph each), and a double layer of 3/4" mesh/foam mechanical filter pad where the water 1st enters the sump and submerged bioballs in the sump baffles as algae and air traps.

happyclam · 04/04/2008, 06:25 PM

So it sounds like I should buy a canister filter and pack it with filter floss, and that should clear up my water? Also what am I going to do with the mud in the sump? Every time flow starts going through the fuge, it just starts swirling the mud around again. This seems to be an endless problem.

Paul_PSU · 04/04/2008, 06:34 PM

I had the same problem. I used a cheap canister filter with filter floss and that did the trick. You could try using a couple filter socks in your sump and keep rotating them till the water is clear. It would be cheaper. It would stop the flow from stirring things up. does the water from the tank empty into the section with the mud?

Paul

happyclam · 04/04/2008, 09:26 PM

Paul_PSU, no the water does not flow directly in to mud bed. 1st it goes down a section of bioballs (1), then it rises up again and overflows into mud bed (2), and then goes over baffel and is pumped back to tank. I just don't get is that there isn't (I don't think.) that much flow through the mud chamber (even at zero head pressure, my pump is actually underated abit [EcoSystem says 1000gph, my pump is 900gph at zero, less than 500gph at fulll head of 9'.] but still the mud gets swirled around. Even though I haven't added live rock yet, I was thinking about adding the algae so that it would anchor the mud down, so it wouldn't be swept away.

I I I I
I 1 I 2I 3 I 4I 5 I
I I I I I I
I____ I______MUD BED___I__Pump_I

Paul_PSU · 04/05/2008, 06:51 AM

Can you post a pic of the sump? That may help. The diagram helps but pic would be better. The rock and chaeto in there would help also.

FWIW, I had the mud and took it out cause it was a pain to keep clean and every time I would syphon or anything I would have to turn off the return and let the mud settle down till I could turn it back on. I pulled the mud and put sand in mine.

happyclam · 04/05/2008, 08:43 AM

Paul_PSU, spot on! That is exactly what I was thinking about doing (removing the mud and setting up a sand D.S.B. instead), also do you use a protein skimmer, or does the sand in your sump filter all your water. I don't think I'll be able to post pics (wish I could) b/c I'm not that computer/pic savy. So would the mix of live rock, chaeto algae, and a sand D.S.B work, and would that work if that was the only filter system (besides live rock in main tank)?

P.S., thank you very much for all your instant help, b/c for a minute there I thought I was never going to get my tank working properly (very demoralizing after spending months on finnishing the stand and plumbing,ect.) but now I have HOPE!

BeanAnimal · 04/05/2008, 08:51 AM

You either need a skimmer or frequent water changes. You have to export the nutrients in from the system. Pruning macro algea is not going to be enough

Paul_PSU · 04/05/2008, 09:03 AM

Skimmer is a must It will help greatly as Bean said. The Macro will not do it on its own. The LR will just help keep it down.
The chaeto will float and tumble in the water so that won't effect the mud that much. I like the chaeto to catch the micro bubble from my skimmeralso so they don't go into the return section.

happyclam · 04/05/2008, 10:19 AM

For clearing up the cloudy water in my tank, I was going to use a Magnum Canister filter. Is there a good external protein skimmer less than $300 I could use so that the sump would be the fuge and the skimmer would have an intake pipe where the water comes in from the aquarium and an output pipe in the pump chamber (are protein skimmer pumps able to suck water over the wall of my sump and to the protein skimmer? Also, is 10 gallons a week a big enough water change for my 135 gal aquarium + 30 gal sump?

04/04/2008, 04:37 PM	#1
happyclam Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 1,012	Help! I Have Miracle Mud SOUP!!!! Right now my tank looks like somone is trying to grow phytoplankton in a swamp. The tank is only 18" front to back, and I can't even see my return pipes in the middle of the tank. I'll tell you exactly what I did from step one. 1st, I filled the tank with R.O. water (1 week), the I added salt. Salinity was spot on. Then I poured in the "Miracle Mud" and let settle down for about 3-4 hours. Then I removed most of the floating debris (pump to main tank is not running, so sump was isolated at the moment.). The sump water was still cloudy though, and it wouldn't settle. I thought that maybe if I ran the main pump, the cloudiness would disperse, and hopefully get caught in filter foam in the sump. The amount of flow in the sump was actually quite less the recomended rate, but somehow it managed to turn my mud into a living tornado, but by the time I got the pump turned off, the water in my display tank was a green/yellow. Is there a way I can clear my water without draining the whole tank? I was thinking about letting the suspended mud settle to the bottom and then siphoning it out with a gravel vacuum? Please help.

04/04/2008, 04:56 PM	#2
05TurboS2K Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Corona CA Posts: 187	I'm a fan in general of not giving up on things. I'd start running equipment and see if it won't settle or be skimmed. What equipment do you have setup thus far? __________________ MMMM saltwater. Why can't coral tanks be more like Turbo -Engines ?

04/04/2008, 06:00 PM	#3
photobret Rude, Screwd and Tattooed Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Oahu, HI Posts: 1,331	I had the same problem with Fiji Mud, So I ran an Aquaclear HOB filter with filer floss and I put my skimmer into action. Tank was clear in 48 hours. __________________ Free Discover Scuba Experience - Ask Me How Current Tank Info: Contemplating 40gal Hawaii Tank

04/05/2008, 09:03 AM	#11
Paul_PSU Moved On Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Pittsburgh, PA. Posts: 1,512	Skimmer is a must It will help greatly as Bean said. The Macro will not do it on its own. The LR will just help keep it down. The chaeto will float and tumble in the water so that won't effect the mud that much. I like the chaeto to catch the micro bubble from my skimmeralso so they don't go into the return section. Last edited by Paul_PSU; 04/05/2008 at 09:53 AM.

04/04/2008, 06:21 PM	#4
happyclam Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 1,012	I do not have a skimmer, the refugium was supposed to be the only filter. 05TurboS2k, sorry for the confusion, I was just going to siphon out the mud that made its way into the display tank, not sucking out all the mud in the refugium. My main priority is just trying to get the display clear, and then I'll tackle the refugium. The only other equipment I have this far is the main pump, 4 Hydor Koralia powerheads (400gph each), and a double layer of 3/4" mesh/foam mechanical filter pad where the water 1st enters the sump and submerged bioballs in the sump baffles as algae and air traps.

04/04/2008, 06:25 PM	#5
happyclam Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 1,012	So it sounds like I should buy a canister filter and pack it with filter floss, and that should clear up my water? Also what am I going to do with the mud in the sump? Every time flow starts going through the fuge, it just starts swirling the mud around again. This seems to be an endless problem.

04/04/2008, 06:34 PM	#6
Paul_PSU Moved On Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Pittsburgh, PA. Posts: 1,512	I had the same problem. I used a cheap canister filter with filter floss and that did the trick. You could try using a couple filter socks in your sump and keep rotating them till the water is clear. It would be cheaper. It would stop the flow from stirring things up. does the water from the tank empty into the section with the mud? Paul

04/04/2008, 09:26 PM	#7
happyclam Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 1,012	Paul_PSU, no the water does not flow directly in to mud bed. 1st it goes down a section of bioballs (1), then it rises up again and overflows into mud bed (2), and then goes over baffel and is pumped back to tank. I just don't get is that there isn't (I don't think.) that much flow through the mud chamber (even at zero head pressure, my pump is actually underated abit [EcoSystem says 1000gph, my pump is 900gph at zero, less than 500gph at fulll head of 9'.] but still the mud gets swirled around. Even though I haven't added live rock yet, I was thinking about adding the algae so that it would anchor the mud down, so it wouldn't be swept away. I I I I I 1 I 2I 3 I 4I 5 I I I I I I I I____ I______MUD BED___I__Pump_I

04/05/2008, 06:51 AM	#8
Paul_PSU Moved On Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Pittsburgh, PA. Posts: 1,512	Can you post a pic of the sump? That may help. The diagram helps but pic would be better. The rock and chaeto in there would help also. FWIW, I had the mud and took it out cause it was a pain to keep clean and every time I would syphon or anything I would have to turn off the return and let the mud settle down till I could turn it back on. I pulled the mud and put sand in mine.

04/05/2008, 08:43 AM	#9
happyclam Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 1,012	Paul_PSU, spot on! That is exactly what I was thinking about doing (removing the mud and setting up a sand D.S.B. instead), also do you use a protein skimmer, or does the sand in your sump filter all your water. I don't think I'll be able to post pics (wish I could) b/c I'm not that computer/pic savy. So would the mix of live rock, chaeto algae, and a sand D.S.B work, and would that work if that was the only filter system (besides live rock in main tank)? P.S., thank you very much for all your instant help, b/c for a minute there I thought I was never going to get my tank working properly (very demoralizing after spending months on finnishing the stand and plumbing,ect.) but now I have HOPE!

04/05/2008, 08:51 AM	#10
BeanAnimal Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Pittsburgh Posts: 20,772	You either need a skimmer or frequent water changes. You have to export the nutrients in from the system. Pruning macro algea is not going to be enough

04/05/2008, 10:19 AM	#12
happyclam Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 1,012	For clearing up the cloudy water in my tank, I was going to use a Magnum Canister filter. Is there a good external protein skimmer less than $300 I could use so that the sump would be the fuge and the skimmer would have an intake pipe where the water comes in from the aquarium and an output pipe in the pump chamber (are protein skimmer pumps able to suck water over the wall of my sump and to the protein skimmer? Also, is 10 gallons a week a big enough water change for my 135 gal aquarium + 30 gal sump?