Detritus in sump

[Mr31415]

After a while the detritus and other "stuff" that accumulates in a sump turns a light beige/brown colour. Lots of Amphipods and Isopods scurry in that goo and I assume consume it.

My questions is - does it get broken down by all these animals and bacteria enough so that it does not pose a phosphate/silicate/nitrate factor to the tank? Or does that stuff leach these chemicals in to the water even after the pods and bacteria are done with it?

 

[barbra]

If something is not living it is decomposing. Sometimes it's both living and decomposing. Waste is being generated as long as it remains. I usually siphon the bottom when I do my water changes. The addition of a filter sock will help as well.

 

[Mr31415]

Ok but what about something that is finished decomposing? Does the detritus not go through to that state ultimately?

 

[barbra]

Unless the only thing left is not organic it isn't done decomposing. You could conceivably get to a point where the next step in the decomposition process is accomplished by something that is so limited in the aquarium that it happens so slowly as to be unnoticed.

As a general rule all detritus should be removed from the tank at the earliest opportunity.

 

[Mr31415]

Cool.

What about food for my millions and millions of iso- and amphipods and mysid shrimp?

 

[barbra]

They usually do quite well on the spoils of the system. Some people add Phyto, but others are dead set against it and their pods do well too.

 

[RWillieK]

I have that stuff as well AND I run a filter sock!

When I do water changes, I use a wet/dry vacuum and vacuum it up.

 

[hansmatt]

I too have that detritus in my sump, and it's after the filter sock & skimmer compartments. I try to syphon it out with water changes.

 

[barbra]

I use filter socks as well and a good skimmer and it builds up. I even got a diatom bloom down there once when I inadvertently pushed everything to one end and made a very still corner (it's a 60g sump with plenty of room). Cleaning the sump just goes with the territory.

 

[Craig Lambert]

I use a filter sock but still end up having to drain and clean the sump out once every 2 months. It's a pain, but I think its worth the trouble.