anyone believe in miracle mud?

[G.T]

whats your views? triumphs? disasters? etc on running the MM

 

[P-Nut]

I did some research when I thought about it. What I found:
1. Don't add it to an established tank, unless you want your water to be black for a couple of days.
2. It is not a miracle
3. Not sure what it a complies that a deep Sand Bed can't a complies (besides getting your water dirty when you add it).

That is pretty much what I got from reading a lot of different forum posts online.

I do not have any personal experience with it.

 

[Bobbofin]

Miracle Mud? I have some swamp land I'd like to sell you also. Put a few inches of sand, some rubble and some cheato in your fuge. You're all set.

 

[Fishport]

Hi Welsh,
I had spent some time researching this. This link has a very thoughtful look at it and references two videos that also provide some experiential data.
http://www.bareefers.org/forum/index.php?threads/miracle-mud-scientific-test.13370/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iSW_GPP9ac&feature=player_embedded

Unfortunately there is no objective party putting out anything conclusive. Obviously a ton of hobbyists have successful reefs without using it. And even the company's comparison tests indicate that best results are achieved when used with a protein skimmer. But dismissing a new idea out of hand can be as foolish as believing someone has a "miracle" solution. There is still so much unknown and so little real scientific evaluation of products that I primairly doubt absolute opinions delievered without experience. If only we could convert our home to multiple systems to do our own controlled experiments! Let us know if you decide to try the product and what you learn.

 

[JohnK]

Inland reef (now out of buisness LFS that used to be located in Nashua) sponsored some lab analysis of the stuff yrs ago.

IIRC the findings were that the stuff was mostly silica (never had anything to do with the ocean) and it was loaded with iron (good for feeding macro algaes). Conclusion, it might be good for supporting macro growth in refugia, but probably never had anything to do with the ocean.

I can't find any links with the discussion anymore, but here's the basic results;
http://www.reefs.org/library/article/mm_analysis.html

 

[RMc]

Inland reef (now out of buisness LFS that used to be located in Nashua) sponsored some lab analysis of the stuff yrs ago.

IIRC the findings were that the stuff was mostly silica (never had anything to do with the ocean) and it was loaded with iron (good for feeding macro algaes). Conclusion, it might be good for supporting macro growth in refugia, but probably never had anything to do with the ocean.

I can't find any links with the discussion anymore, but here's the basic results;
http://www.reefs.org/library/article/mm_analysis.html

I use miracle mud in my fuge mostly for these reasons (high in iron, good for rooting). It is also a very fine substrate (much finer than most sands) and tiny fuge critters can burrow in it with ease. Because it is so fine it requires less substrate to create a hypoxic layer (probably just two inches or so in a very low flow fuge).

Haven't noticed anything miraculous about it though. Aquarium is pretty much status quo with no sudden changes in coral color or growth (added to the fuge of an established tank (9 months in)).

 

[dz6t]

It is very difficult to do a control experiment. I had it several years ago and used it in a HOB fuge. I did not see any thing different after I used it nor after I took it down.

 

[G.T]

thank you for all of your input