INTRODUCTION – Pg. 4
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS-Pg. 19
CHAMBERS
1 2 3 4 5
1.
Can I have substrate ( live sand, aragonite, crush coral) in
my tank?
With an EcoSystem setup, substrate in the main tank is purely
for aesthetic purposes and also to provide a home for sand-
dwellers. Therefore if you plan to have substrate in your main
tank we suggest to keep it
LESS THAN 1” (2.54CM) DEEP
(the less the better).
There
are
disadvantages
to having substrate in your tank:
(1) A substrate bed is a source of nitrate and phosphate. With a
substrate bed, detritus is able to collect within it. This will
then lead to colonization of bacteria that feed off of the
detritus. The bacteria themselves produce bioload therefore
the nitrate/phosphate level will never be at negligible level
within a tank with substrate. This leads to a less ideal
aquatic condition and may limit the types of animals you can
have. If the substrate bed is not kept clean – with time the
bioload produce within the substrate will be uncontrollable
which may result in causing a major imbalance and high
ammonia, nitrate and/or phosphate level in your aquarium.
(2) A substrate bed means more maintenance for you. You will
have to regularly vacuum siphon your substrate to remove
all of the accumulated detritus. Siphon routine frequency is
dependent on the substrate.
a. Once a week if the substrate level is 1” (2.54cm)
b. Once every 2 week if the substrate level is 1/2”
(1.75cm) or less.
REMEMBER HAVING MORE THAN 1” (2.54 CM) DEEP
SUBSTRATE BED WILL NEGATIVELY AFFECT YOUR TANK.
2.
Should the Miracle Mud be inoculated with animals?
No. Once your aquarium stabilizes, many small animals will be
introduced into the filter sump by the live rocks in your aquarium
tank. It may take 4-6 months before you can see a large enough
population of copepod, amphipods and other small organisms.
PROSERIES ECOSYSTEM MIRACLE MUD® FILTER
The Hang-On-Back ProSeries EcoSystem Miracle Mud® Filter
begins with water from the aquarium tank entering at the bottom
of Chamber 1, where the protein skimmer will take out organics
from the water. The water flows through the bioballs in Chamber
2 which break down large particles of waste and dissipate any air
bubbles. The water continues to flow through the outlet slot into
Chamber 3, the main filtration chamber. In this chamber a bed of
vegetation (refer to recommended vegetation, pg. 13) is grown in
the Miracle Mud® substrate under 24hrs. lighting. Within the
Miracle Mud® bed, nitrogen fixation and denitrification occurs,
reducing nitrate into harmless by-products. Vegetation grown in
the Miracle Mud® bed aid the toxin removal process by lowering
the level of phosphate and nitrate in the water through the
conversion of nitrogenous waste products into plant biomass and
by providing oxygen through photosynthesis. The Miracle Mud®
bed also enriches the water column through the constant release
of trace elements, essential minerals, phytoplankton and
organisms. These biological processes contribute to the high
quality of water that is produced which is essential for the ideal
aquatic conditions needed by your fish, corals and plant. The
enriched water then flows into Chamber 4 where the filter pad
prevents the macro algae / plant form entering into the pump
chamber. The enriched water is then gravity fed back into the
aquarium via Chamber 5.
Diagram 2: Hang-On-Back EcoSystem Miracle Mud® Filter
-
Filter Pad
Protein Skimmer
24 HRS. LIGHTING
-
Bioballs
-
Vegetation
-
Miracle Mud®
