Stirred up detritus ??

[cubbyman60]

Hey all,
I noticed that some of my chaeto in the sump was turning white. So, I decided to remove it. When I took it out, I stirred a substantial amount of detritus. Just cleaned the sump earlier in the during my water change, so it's not terrible, but definitely a "sand storm" of detritus. I think I found a post in the past where Randy has said that a lot of the detritus is inert (Chiton, precipitation, etc).

Any thoughts on whether I should panic? I'm certainly a little worried. Thanks for the input.

 

[TbyZ]

Never panic.

Never especially panic about detritus.

 

[cubbyman60]

Ugh...Thanks for the response.

I guess the question is, then, why do we worry about it so much. Isn't it a potential source of phosphates and nitrates.

Thanks.

 

[TbyZ]

Ugh...Thanks for the response.

I guess the question is, then, why do we worry about it so much. Isn't it a potential source of phosphates and nitrates.

Thanks.

The source of NO3 & PO4 is the food you feed the inhabitants of the aquarium. Your filter system should be able to take care of this. Nutrients in > nutrients out >. The detritus youvstirred upvwas already in the aquarium.

Detritus as an Ecosystem Component

Detritus plays a critical role in the integrity of coral reefs, and it plays a similarly important role in the aquarium. There are five fates for detritus in an ecosystem (captive or wild): 1) Use by the microbial community 2) consumption by macroconsumers like fish, crustaceans and other detritivores, 3) incorporation and permanent burial in sediments, 4) export, and 5) regeneration. At least in the wild, and probably in aquaria, very little detritus reaches the sediment to be buried and incorporated into it permanently. In coarse sands or rubble areas, microalgae and cyanobacteria may be the primary site for uptake of microbial decomposition processing of detritus, while in finer sands bacterial uptake predominates.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-03/eb/index.php

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Never panic.

Never especially panic about detritus.

lol Nice.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Ugh...Thanks for the response.

I guess the question is, then, why do we worry about it so much. Isn't it a potential source of phosphates and nitrates.

Thanks.

It is a potential source as it breaks down. And some boost to these things is not going to be a big deal. My sump had a 1-2" thick mud layer of detritus that collected over many years.

 

[jason2459]

I'm with the above and I also let the detritus be as it becomes home and food to many micro fauna.

I've also been told it will become a nitrate problem especially since I feed so much.

But, well, I'm not the one dosing stump removers and I don't have a nitrate problem.

 

[cubbyman60]

Thanks for the replies and interesting article.

With that article in mind, specifically the ability for coral to use detritus as a source of food, would it in fact be beneficial to stir some detritus periodically to allow it to float in the water column?

Also, if detritus is a natural aspect of the reef environment: why is it suggested to "blow off rocks" before water changes. And, two, why do people claim that when they clean detritus from sumps and other areas, their nitrates seem to decrease.

Thanks, and never underestimate the calming therapeutic powers of R2R!

 

[jason2459]

Blowing off rocks could be benificial and I'll do it some what periodically. Keeping the rocks open for a new set of life aka periphyton.

But usually sump detritus I won't touch.

 

[becks]

I use to remove mine, then at night I saw all the different pods eating it, after that I left it

 

[cloak]

Here's what my tank looks like when I use a small powerhead and stir up the substrate once a month. No problem.

 

[jason2459]

Here's two Amphipods making a burrow together in some sump detritus

 

[jason2459]

Here's what my tank looks like when I use a small powerhead and stir up the substrate once a month. No problem.

I'll do that about once a year or so a la PaulB also with a vortex diatom filter.

 

[cubbyman60]

Here's two Amphipods making a burrow together in some sump detritus

I like that @jason2459
Why won't you touch the detritus in your sump? Also, is that a marine pure block? How are your experiences with that?

@cloak That's a nice storm.

 

[jason2459]

I like that @jason2459
Why won't you touch the detritus in your sump? Also, is that a marine pure block? How are your experiences with that?

@cloak That's a nice storm.

I like the diversity of my microfauna and the detritus is part of it

http://reef2reef.com/threads/our-tanks-biology-up-close.239838/


And yes it is
http://reef2reef.com/threads/how-much-aluminum-will-it-leach-lets-guess.247034/

 

[cubbyman60]

@jason2459
I've followed that thread. Very interesting. I have been long considering adding a marine pure block, or something of that sort because it is low maintenance (I don't want to vodka dose, and have considered Biopellets). My nitrates are consistently 20-40 (which is why I always have concern about detritus). It seems you have proven they leach aluminum, but you are still using them?

 

[becks]

I added a brightwells nytrx brick about 8 weeks ago and I no longer need to dose nopox

 

[jason2459]

I added a brightwells nytrx brick about 8 weeks ago and I no longer need to dose nopox

That pretty much means you didn't have near enough rock. And may not be sustained.

 

[jason2459]

@jason2459
I've followed that thread. Very interesting. I have been long considering adding a marine pure block, or something of that sort because it is low maintenance (I don't want to vodka dose, and have considered Biopellets). My nitrates are consistently 20-40 (which is why I always have concern about detritus). It seems you have proven they leach aluminum, but you are still using them?

Yep, still have them and brightwell/kents products too. Still have some plans with them.

 

[cubbyman60]

@jason2459

Which do you prefer, if any? And why don't you think @becks results will be sustained? Thanks for replying to my questions. I appreciate your input and help.