Detritus, is it as bad as it's made out to be?

LesMelling · 10/20/2017, 05:28 PM

My current tank is 100 gallons and 19months old with lots of SPS and LPS corals, I have lots of flow in there and I mean LOTS. I have 1" to 3" of sand in the DT. I feed at least 3 times a day often 4 and I still get detritus in my fine sand. I have an ATS Nyos 160 skimmer a calcium reactor together with a kalk stirrer and have some Siporax contained in some eggcrate and have 2 Oxydator As in the sump running 9% peroxide.

I employ no pre-filtration what so ever, that's right no filter wool no socks or roller mat.

I have detritus in my sump. I have very low nutrient levels NO3 between 0.5 and 1ppm PO4 is at 0.018ppm. My SPS and other corals are growing wonderfully under mt Radions Gen 3 pros. What am I doing wrong? Strange question you might think but my hidden question is really just what is all this fuss about detritus. I stir the sand no and again in the DT which feeds my SPS.
I admit to a little red cyno but that does not phase me at all. I have a few cuc in the DT but not so many. So is my detritus so different to all this bad stuff I hear about? OK so I know my ATS is removing NO3 and PO4 hence their low levels but others could employ the same with similar results right?

Do you really need pre-filters with the mess they bring and are you sure they are so necessary along with the enemy of detritus build up?

10/20/2017, 05:28 PM	#1
LesMelling Registered Old Reefer Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Horwich, Bolton UK Posts: 161	Detritus, is it as bad as it's made out to be? My current tank is 100 gallons and 19months old with lots of SPS and LPS corals, I have lots of flow in there and I mean LOTS. I have 1" to 3" of sand in the DT. I feed at least 3 times a day often 4 and I still get detritus in my fine sand. I have an ATS Nyos 160 skimmer a calcium reactor together with a kalk stirrer and have some Siporax contained in some eggcrate and have 2 Oxydator As in the sump running 9% peroxide. I employ no pre-filtration what so ever, that's right no filter wool no socks or roller mat. I have detritus in my sump. I have very low nutrient levels NO3 between 0.5 and 1ppm PO4 is at 0.018ppm. My SPS and other corals are growing wonderfully under mt Radions Gen 3 pros. What am I doing wrong? Strange question you might think but my hidden question is really just what is all this fuss about detritus. I stir the sand no and again in the DT which feeds my SPS. I admit to a little red cyno but that does not phase me at all. I have a few cuc in the DT but not so many. So is my detritus so different to all this bad stuff I hear about? OK so I know my ATS is removing NO3 and PO4 hence their low levels but others could employ the same with similar results right? Do you really need pre-filters with the mess they bring and are you sure they are so necessary along with the enemy of detritus build up? __________________ les M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHZa6-wNBO0 Current Tank Info: 100 gallon reef