Working on refugium..need help with substrate

[SWANN]

Hello,

I was wondering if someone could help me.. I have a 180gal DSB reef, 75gal sump, and a 30 gallon refugium that overflown by gravity back into the main tank.. None the less... The refugium right now has a couple hand fulls of diffrent kinds of calurpa and algae's...all ontop of a 4-5in sandbed. I just brought home 3 gallons of Carib-sea's Mineral Mud, and was wondering if it was alright for this to be placed ontop of the sandbed?mixed in with it? or should the sand be taken out and setup my refugium just with the mud??(I hope i can keep the sand).
Also is there a big differance between this mineral mud..and miracle mud ?(who makes miracle mud)??

Thanks alot

Chris.

[billsreef]

I'd just place it on top of the existing sand bed. Though no more than inch deep at a time to allow pre-existing fauna to migrate up without being smothered. The fauna of the refugium will mix things up without extra effort needed on your part ;)

[SWANN]

Ok, well I just put the mud in..and it turned the water black..Some of it overflew onto the main tank..making it cloudy. This stuff is harmless to corals right? I'll wait a couple days before i put my algae back in. Now should i put a top layer of plain sand or crushed coral or something..to help hold the mud down???

Thanks swann

[billsreef]

It should settle out and clear up in a couple of days. If anything, reduce the flow through your refugium till the mud saturates.