Lets talk mulm!

[jasper]

I cant see any way or reason this could or would be beneficial. Remove it.......mulm, to me, seems to be nasty uneaten. breaking down, PO4 and NO2/3 causing crap.

I dont see any way its any different that any build up we get on our sanbed or our bare bottom tanks.

I have a feeling this "mulm" might be, in the back of slapshots mind, for converstion and some input on thoughts of the minds of many reefkeepers, be compared to a deep sand bed, in one way or another.

I know it got my mind turning.

Just in case, i will skip to a main point- The mulm on your sumps bottom is very disimilar to a deep sand bed and its bethnic zones, and will do nothing but bad accumulated in the bottom of your sump.

In my point of experiance, the Mulm is nothing more than the same buildup on your bare bottom tank or sandbed in a tank without enough fow to get the "crap" to settle in the sump, which is removed religiously by most of us.

Great topic though Slapshot. This post had my gears turning for a while, just to make sure what I replied was what I thought correct! Had me wondering for a bit!

I am confidant in my opinion, but looking forward to what others think on this subject.

But if he has absolutely no mechanical filtration it's not just detritus accumulating...just to be devils advocate wouldn't the "mulm" eventually layer as it does in a deep sand bed after time...if there is fine arogonite(sp?) also resting in the sump?

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[Tom@HaslettMI]

I'm in the remove it camp. However, I have heard that it's similar to (and can serve the same purpose as) the "mud" that is sold for refugiums. Perhaps you should throw a light and some macro on it an see how it goes!

If you really wanted to find out you should do some water testing. If it is a slow flow sump (may be?) test the nitrates in the main tank and in the sump. If there's any difference than you have your answer.

Tom

[Sir Patrick]

Jasper-

Definitely some thoughts to ponder.

[jasper]

I'm in the remove it camp. However, I have heard that it's similar to (and can serve the same purpose as) the "mud" that is sold for refugiums. Perhaps you should throw a light and some macro on it an see how it goes!

If you really wanted to find out you should do some water testing. If it is a slow flow sump (may be?) test the nitrates in the main tank and in the sump. If there's any difference than you have your answer.

Tom

I agree, in fact I'm in the camp of preventing it to begin with....but for arguments sake: as you said it does seem similar to a ecosystem type model (mud refugium)

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[dputt88]

remove it! you likely have many other places in your tank that have all of that bacteria in it.

i would say this is not like mud, there are several reasons why many people use mud in refugiums such as it consists of very small particles, meaning more surface area meaning more bacteria. secondly the small particles become more compact and there is less water movement therefore creating an anoxic zone with less depth. also people use them for seagrasses and mangroves because these plants have true roots unlike macroalgae, plants with roots use them to take up mineralized elements that will be plentyful in refugium muds.

the mulm is different from the mud as its is made of loosely packed organics and it to my knowledge does no serve any of the benefits of mud though they may seem simular.

mulm may contain bacteria, but its also an excess of nutrients for the bacteria ( NO2/3 and NH3).

so to some it up, im in the remove it camp.