Help with refugium media
 

Hi everyone, I just finished with my 160+ rimless, and now confused with what to use as my sump bottom.
Should I go with live sand, or mud, or a combination of both
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With a Mud substrate water movement could cause a problem, sand becomes a PO4 sink.
I would stay BB & be able to clean it once in a while, or not).

The sump is divided into 2 sections lengthwise, the back is inflow, with baffles going into the return area, while the hole front of the sump will be refugium with different kinds of algae , crabs, feather dusters, and other kriters, I will have glass center panels in the cabinet doors to showcase it.
There will be valve feeding water to the refugium and to media reactors, from the return pump. I'm also thinking of placing an old mp10 for water movement.

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You really don’t have a big enough refugium for the sand or mud to make a worthwhile difference for your size display. Stick with bare bottom and macro such as chaeto.

Sounds to me like the op is looking more for asthetics than full on nutrient exportation...

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I guess I'm pushing the limits in trying to have as much esthetics as possible, there will be glass panels on the front doors of the stand. I thought it would be.cool to have the mecaicals displayed at night time as a night light.

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"mechanicals" ?

Yes that, sometimes my bad spelling is better than spell check

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Some swear by their deep sand bed, but if heard horror stories. I've done fine without one, I vote bare bottom.

Thanks, I have a deep sand bed on my current tank, and so far 10 years later my hippo rang is still growing.
How about miracle mud Vs. live sand

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Bare bottom for sumps.
Keep your sand in the display tank.

If you really want to put something in there, consider media pure.

That sounds like a cool idea, putting your refugium on display. Bare bottoms are not pretty. Scape it how YOU want it to look. I'd recommend fine mud, sand on the bottom, then a medium grade, then coarse crushed gravel on top. This will give you different pore water gradients, facilitating diverse bacteria. Also the coarse stuff on top won't get blown around by the current, plus it provides refuge for pods 'n friends.

Have fun with it and good luck!