Your tank doesn't look bad. It looks relatively young, but that's not a bad thing. It actually looks like it's doing pretty well.
Concerning Dr. Tim's wast away, you may want to rethink it's use. If it is indeed what they say it is, and if it does what they say it does, is it something you want? Detritus (a mix of particulate inorganic and organic matter) is harmless as long as it does not decompose in our systems. The only way to stop it from decomposing in our systems is to physically remove it. Advertisements for products like this use terms like, "process", and "dissolve", or even "remove", which are simply nice ways to say, rot or decompose. Why would you want to speed up the rate that organic matter rots in your system? IMHO, the goal should be to remove solid organic matter before it has a chance to rot, and pollute our water. Increasing the rate of decomposition simply limits the time we, and our filtration, have to remove detritus before it rots.
Adding hermit crabs, or other animals/organisms to feed on detritus is similar to adding a product like Dr. Tim's wast away. Here's an article by Randy Holmes Farley, that is unfortunately, and largely, overlooked.
http://api.viglink.com/api/click?fo...ine and Blog&jsonp=vglnk_jsonp_13323747293231
In the article, Randy explains how almost all the nitrogen and phosphorous consumed by an organism is simply released back into the environment. In other words, they take harmless solid particles of organic matter, in your case detritus, break it down through their digestive systems, and release the nitrogen and phosphorus it contains into the water of the system. This fuels algae growth and causes other issues in our systems. These organisms are decomposers. They aid in the process of decomposition. IMHO, we should be attempting to limit the amount of rot and decay in our systems. Not trying to speed it up.
Not getting into the whole ATS debate here, but as to your specific question, the ATS is relevant. Your first statement of this thread was,
"Any suggestions on how to get rid of excessive detritus." Well, one of the most efficient means of reducing detritus is to limit its production within the system. As I mentioned earlier in this post, detritus is largely composed of tiny particles of organic matter. The amount and exact composition will vary depending on the system that produced it. In your system, or any system that employs an ATS, a portion of the detritus produced will be made up of algae spores and tiny algae fragments. To understand this, we need to look at what an ATS does. It takes inorganic nutrients, like nitrogen and phosphorous, and builds organic material with it. In the modern, high flow, ATS's, tiny fragments of algae, and algae spores, will be shed from the colony of algae. These tiny particles of organic matter will then drift through the system, and settle out as detritus. If your goal is to limit the accumulation of detritus, removing the factory that produces it, would be a step in the right direction.
You mentioned a second issue.
"I assume that is what is causing some hair algae growth as well."
The detritus isn't directly causing hair algae growth. However, the break down, or decomposition, of detritus is releasing the fertilizers, like nitrogen and phosphorus, that are fueling the hair algae growth. So, limiting the amount of detritus, will limit the amount of fertilizers being produced, and therefor, limit the amount of algae growth.
You have a second issue that's leading to algae growth within the display as well. You are deliberately culturing algae within the system. The ATS. Turf algae, as well as terrestrial turf, has evolved a brilliant and somewhat complicated strategy for spreading, and concurring new territory. Maybe this pic will help explain it.
The pic shows an abandoned street being taken over by grass, or "turf". The process that allows this to take place on land, is the same process that's taking place in your system. In the pic, the turf started growing on the soil, near the street. In your system, the turf started growing on the scrubber in the same water as your display. In the pic, wind has blown tiny particles (detritus) into the cracks of the pavement. This detritus contains bits of grass, and grass seeds. In your system, water movement has deposited bits of algae, and algae spores, from the ATS. into the pores of your LR. At first, neither of these places can support the growth of algae or grass. (turf) In time, however, the accumulation of algae fragments in your rocks, and bits of grass in the cracks of the street, increases. This accumulated organic matter decomposes and releases fertilizers. Eventually, an algae spore, or grass seed, finds its way into a crevasse where there is enough decomposing organic matter to fuel its growth. Once it starts growing, it acts as a physical barrier to wind/water flow, which traps more organic particles, which leads to the release of more fertilizers, and the growth of more algae/grass/turf. If someone doesn't go out to this abandoned street and remove all the turf, and detritus, in a few years, you wont even be able to tell there is a street just below the field of turf. In a system like yours, if you do not go in and remove the turf algae, and detritus, in a few years, (or shorter) you won't be able to see the rocks from the over growth of turf algae. As long as you are deliberately culturing turf algae anywhere in the system, it will constantly be attempting to spread, and take over new territory. My question to you is, why would you fight this fight?
Peace
EC
