Why is detritus bad?

[BeanAnimal]

What about detritus in the sump? I have an inch of mulm build up from detritus in my refugium but I've never cleaned it once. I think it helps my fuge and tank nutrients. But it accumulated over bare bottom there. I wouldn't want a layer covering the sand in my tank because the sand is part of my filtration system.

And it wouldn’t cover it in any reasonable tank with reasonable flow and fauna.

 

[BeanAnimal]

@Nate Chalk

The answer to your question is complex. Detritus can be a food source for a lot of things, some “good” some “bad” depending on perspective and goals. It can contribute to elevated nutrients (again good or bad depending on goals and other variables) and DOC. There is a a very current DOC thread in the chem forum right now that may be of interest.

 

[JoJosReef]

Is detritus edible? Or just the unedible parts? Large particulate? Small particulate? Soluble? The right combination of worms and other CUC would seem beneficial to preventing the buildup of detritus in spaces you don't want it, no? In your rocks, sand bed, etc. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Nate Chalk]

Understand it's complex and why I posed the question and discussion

 

[Dan_P]

I haven't found that much concern for detritus outside of nutrients. And I see a lot of ways to remove detritus.

Is there anything else long term we should consider with detritus build up.


For example. I have sand and rock In my sump and I haven't cleaned it in 2 years. I regularly dose nitrate and phosphate and sometimes bottom out.

Are there any other concerns with the build up?

#Cronies?

Detritus is another name for aquarium “dust bunnies”. Some people hate it, spending time and effort to rid their system of the unsightly mess, and others are “yeah, whatever”. I would guess the majority of aquarists are between the extremes. My rule of thumb is if it accumulates, it has little or no nutritional value, making detritus just biological ash. I can see a potential problem if accumulated detritus covers or clogs something

 

[Nate Chalk]

Detritus is another name for aquarium “dust bunnies”. Some people hate it, spending time and effort to rid their system of the unsightly mess, and others are “yeah, whatever”. I would guess the majority of aquarists are between the extremes. My rule of thumb is if it accumulates, it has little or no nutritional value, making detritus just biological ash. I can see a potential problem if accumulated detritus covers or clogs something

That's my general thought but I'm at 2 years on a system. The Doc conversation mentioned is interesting. I'll look more later and if it's even something we can test, randys first couple comments seemed wishy washy

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Is detritus edible?

Are you THAT hungry??
Lol

 

[BeanAnimal]

Detritus is another name for aquarium “dust bunnies”. Some people hate it, spending time and effort to rid their system of the unsightly mess, and others are “yeah, whatever”. I would guess the majority of aquarists are between the extremes. My rule of thumb is if it accumulates, it has little or no nutritional value, making detritus just biological ash. I can see a potential problem if accumulated detritus covers or clogs something

@Brandon42 , you just gave a thumbs up, assuming because somebody you trust said it, but it 100% wholly contradicts what you just posted. If it appears that I am picking on you, it is because you contradict your own rhetoric more often than not. For as adamant as you are about your positions, this should not go unoticed.

Dan, I would agree with the ash analogy if we were all talking about the leftover that has no organic material left (and by some definitions maybe we should be). However, I think the prevailing mindset in the hobby is that it constitutes everything from leftover food and fish poop to dead tissue, as well a the mulm that is left when everything else breaks down.

 

[JoJosReef]

Are you THAT hungry??
Lol

So you don't look at your sump sometimes and think about it? Could be yummy. Won't know until you try!

 

[BeanAnimal]

So you don't look at your sump sometimes and think about it? Could be yummy. Won't know until you try!

Ummm… assuming you have never manually over primed you siphon? Hawk Tuah

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

So you don't look at your sump sometimes and think about it? Could be yummy. Won't know until you try!

Nah, I already add enough weirdness to my smoothies

 

[Solo McReefer]

Detritus is another name for aquarium “dust bunnies”

It's another name for poop

Fish poop, snail poop, anemone poop, coral poop

Not dust bunnies

I would be afraid of looking under your sofa

This thread would be human analogous to, "What is wrong with poop, and why do people flush their toilets. Is poop edible? Why is poop bad?"

 

[MnFish1]

What about detritus in the sump? I have an inch of mulm build up from detritus in my refugium but I've never cleaned it once. I think it helps my fuge and tank nutrients. But it accumulated over bare bottom there. I wouldn't want a layer covering the sand in my tank because the sand is part of my filtration system.

You can leave it or siphon it - however I would not siphon all at once - since that would be a significant change - however you could easily siiphon (and IIMHO should) - siphon some lets say 1/3

 

[MnFish1]

I haven't found that much concern for detritus outside of nutrients.

Right - that is the concern. There is no other concern except cosmetics.

Old tank syndrome is one I didn't fully consider.

I do not think old tank syndrome (there is no clear definition that I have ever seen) - is due to detritus

Unsightly can spike nutrients rotting stuff in tank could lead to bad bacteria.

Agree - except the bad bacteria part. No real evidence for this.

Edit: The hydrogen sulfide is released by anaerobic bacteria (bad bacteria) that forms in these spots.

Not every detritus laden 'place' is anaerobic. However - as I think someone has said - stirring up an anaerobic area might cause a problem

 

[BeanAnimal]

It's another name for poop

Fish poop, snail poop, anemone poop, coral poop

Not dust bunnies

I would be afraid of looking under your sofa

This thread would be human analogous to, "What is wrong with poop, and why do people flush their toilets. Is poop edible? Why is poop bad?"

Actually it depends what you want to classify as detritus, hyperbole or not.

To that end, is “poop” “bad”? It all depends on context. It is coral food and food for other macro and micro fauna. It is garden fertilizer, cooking fuel, a heat source, sporting equipment (cow pie toss), mushroom growing medium, a digestive corrective treatment for some, etc.

 

[Dan_P]

It's another name for poop

Fish poop, snail poop, anemone poop, coral poop

Not dust bunnies

I would be afraid of looking under your sofa

This thread would be human analogous to, "What is wrong with poop, and why do people flush their toilets. Is poop edible? Why is poop bad?"

Last time I looked, no poop under the sofa or bed

if you call poop detritus, we are not talking about the light weight material that accumulates in sumps.

 

[MnFish1]

Last time I looked, no poop under the sofa or bed

if you call poop detritus, we are not talking about the light weight material that accumulates in sumps.

Not sure this is helpful. There is such a debate about this issue - but will agree funny

 

[Pod_01]

Fish poop, snail poop,

That there is the best coral food money can buy… and it is free…

As an aside my Tomini Tang is big poop eater, he will chases other fishes just to get it. I don’t judge, he does what is natural to him/her/it…

 

[xiaoxiy]

I usually don’t mind detritus in the tank, but boy does it stank when I do manage to get around to siphoning it once a year though…

 

[KrisReef]

That there is the best coral food money can buy… and it is free…

As an aside my Tomini Tang is big poop eater, he will chases other fishes just to get it. I don’t judge, he does what is natural to him/her/it…

I don’t have any fishes or friends that do this kind of thing, don’t judge me for disassociating myself from them.

Still puzzles me then why there's an assault on detritus.

I guess folks have discussed what it is and why they think it should be dealt with, but I think it is good practice to mimic a storm surge and flush it out of the system like the ocean that pushes out into the abyss where the sun doesn’t shine.

Are you THAT hungry??
Lol

I have seen coral that RTN’d from stirring up a tank and not removing the mulm from the situation.

I think it should be dealt with (removed) now and again. My problem is that I am too lazy to do anything about it lately. I am concerned that it will cause a problem when I do stir it up.