Ecosystem vs. sump/skimmer

[ncphotoman]

I am setting up my 100 gal for a reefand fish tank. I am trying to decide if I should go with the Ecosystem (miracle mud) or a berlin (sump/skimmer). What is your opinion of the two systems?
Thanks

[gregt]

I'm of the opinion that you should remove the waste from the system. If you feed, you need to skim heavily to remove the waste product. Anything else is only storing it and can cause problems later. Well set up and maintained "storage" systems like miracle mud or a DSB can last for years, but IMO, they will eventually fail. Removing the waste as quickly as possible before it can break down in your system is the only logical way to deal with it IMO.

[ncphotoman]

Thank for the response. They talk about changing the mud and harvesting your calerapa alge. Would that not keep the "storage" fom becoming over saturated? What do you know of the calerapa helping maintain "bad" alge problems? What about the helping in curing lateral line and ich?
Thanks

[gregt]

The algae cannot remove the nutrients until they've broken down. The nutrients have already become available to nusiance algae by then as well. If you remove them before they break down they can't do any damage.

There is no way to magically get the caleurpa to uptake the nutrients and not allow the other agae to get them as well. This also is true of "storage" in the mud itself. If you remove the nutrients before they break down then the mud can't store it.

As for lateral line, you can feed algae supliments without using a mud filter. I know of know effect algae has on ich.