Proseries Ecosystem Miracle Mud® Filter - EcoSystem Aquarium MIRACLE MUD PRO Series Owner's Manual

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS­Pg. 19
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 4­6 months before you can see a large enough
population of copepod, amphipods and other small organisms.
PROSERIES ECOSYSTEM MIRACLE MUD® FILTER
The ProSeries EcoSystem Miracle Mud® Filter begins with water
from the aquarium tank entering into Chamber 1 of the filter
sump. The water flows through the prefilter 200 micron bag which
collects large particles of waste and through the protein skimmer
that filters out the water of toxin. The water continues to flow
through the outlet slot into Chamber 2, the main filtration
chamber. In this chamber a bed of macro algae / plant (refer to
recommended vegetation, pg. 13) is grown in the Miracle Mud®
substrate under 24hrs. lighting. Within this Miracle Mud® bed,
nitrogen fixation and denitrification occurs, reducing nitrate into
harmless by­products. 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 3 where the bioballs prevent the macro algae
/ plant form entering into the pump chamber. The enriched water
is then finally pumped back into the aquarium via Chamber 4.
Diagram 2­ ProSeries
EcoSystem
Miracle Mud®
Filter
­
Bioballs
­ Vegetation
­ Miracle Mud
CHAMBERS 1 2 3 4
INTRODUCTION – Pg. 4
24 HRS. LIGHTING