• Skip to main content
AlgaeBarn

AlgaeBarn

Marine Aquariums Made Easy!

  • Sign In
  • Cart
    • Shop See All
      • Ultimate Packs See All
      • Ultimate Refugium Starter
      • Clam Keeper Kits
      • Ultimate Ecopack
      • Mandarin Feeder Kit
      • Hair Algae Killer Kit
      • See All Ultimate Packs
      • Live Foods See All
      • Copepods
        • Ecopods
        • 5280 Pods
        • Galaxy Pods
        • Poseidon's Feast
        • Tisbe Pods
        • Tig Pods
      • Food Combos
        • Ecopods & Phyto
        • Galaxy Pods & Phyto
        • Poseidon's & Phyto
        • Tig Pods & Phyto
        • Tisbe Pods & Phyto
      • Phytoplankton
        • Oceanmagik
      • Brine Shrimp
        • Simple Brine
        • Nano Brine Shrimp
      • Most Popular Products See All
        • Galaxy Pods 5 Species Copepod Blend

          Galaxy Pods

          $66 – $139
          Shop Now
        • Ecopods 4 Pack Special

          $99
          Shop Now
        • Galaxy Pods & Phyto Combo

          $80
          Shop Now
        • 5280 Pods

          $45
          Shop Now
      • Macroalgae See All
      • Clean Macro Series
        • Clean Chaeto
        • Clean Sea Lettuce
        • Clean Green Ogo
        • Clean Mocha Ogo
        • Clean Mocha Spike Sphere
        • Pom Pom
        • Red Ogo
        • Red Spike Sphere
        • Red Spaghetti
        • Red Mangrove
      • Premium Rare Macro
        • Leafy Ogo
        • Blue Hypnea
        • Dragon's Tongue
        • Thick Ogo
      • Most Popular Products See All
        • Clean Chaeto

          $40 – $125
          Notify Me When in Stock
        • Clean Sea Lettuce

          $30 – $95
          Notify Me When in Stock
        • Red Ogo

          $30 – $80
          Notify Me When in Stock
        • Red Mangrove

          $13
          Shop Now
      • Captive Bred Fish See All
      • Gobies
        • Green Mandarin
        • Court Jester Goby
        • Watchman Goby
        • White Spotted Goby
      • AngelFish
        • Biota Coral Beauty
        • Maculosus Angel
        • Majestic Angel
        • Swallowtail Angel
      • Tangs
        • Yellow Tang
        • Blue Tang
      • More Species
        • Grammas
        • FileFish
        • Blennies
        • Damsel
        • ClownFish
        • RabbitFish
      • Most Popular Products See All
        • Blue Mandarin

          BIOTA Green Mandarin

          $99
          Notify Me When in Stock
        • ORA Neon Goby

          $35
          Shop Now
        • Captive Bred Yellow Tangs by BIOTA

          BIOTA Yellow Tang

          $239
          Notify Me When in Stock
        • ORA Premium Picasso

          $145 – $300
          Shop Now
      • Captive Bred Invertebrates See All
      • Clams
        • Ora Derasa Clam
        • Squamosa Clam
        • Ora Gigas Clam
        • Ora Maxima Clam
        • Ora Hippopus Clam
      • Shrimp
        • Ora Peppermint Shrimp
        • Harlequin Shrimp
      • Snails
        • Cerith Snails
        • Trochus Snail
        • Nassarius Snails
      • Urchins
        • Ora Tuxedo Urchin
        • Ora Pincushion Urchin
      • Most Popular Products See All
        • Animated gif of peppermint shrimp

          Peppermint Shrimp

          $49 – $119
          Shop Now
        • 10 Cerith Snails

          Cerith Snail

          $25 – $39
          Shop Now
        • pincushion urchin lytechinus variegatus reef safe and captive bred by ora for sale at algaebarn

          Pincushion Urchin

          $29 – $55
          Shop Now
        • Gold Maxima Clam Bed

          ORA Maxima Clam

          $80 – $150
          Shop Now
      • Corals See All
      • LPS Corals
        • Biota Pearl Bubble
        • ORA Pearl Bubble
        • ORA Marshall Island Goniopora
        • ORA Marshall Island Hammer
      • SPS Corals
        • ORA Pearlberry Acropora
        • ORA Micronesian Imperial Acropora
        • ORA Turquoise Acropora
        • ORA Micronesian Yellow Porites
      • Soft Corals
        • BIOTA White Polyp Toadstool
        • ORA Long Polyp Leather Coral
        • ORA Silver Xenia
        • ORA Pulsing Xenia
      • Frag Packs
      • Most Popular Products See All
        • Biota Pearl Bubble Coral

          $65
          Shop Now
        • ORA Pearlberry Acropora

          $290
          Notify Me When in Stock
        • BIOTA White Polyp Toadstool

          $65
          Notify Me When in Stock
      • Additives & Bacteria See All
      • Live Cultures & Bacteria
        • Turbostart 900 Saltwater
        • Aquarium Cycle Kit
        • Coralline Algae
        • PNS Yellosno
        • PNS Probio™
      • Additives & Chemicals
        • Nitrocycle
        • Clarifier
        • Fritz A.C.C.R
        • Fritz RPM Salt
      • Most Popular Products See All
        • Mandarin Feeder Kit by Algaebarn

          Mandarin Feeder Kit

          $66
          Shop Now
        • MarinePure 10 Cubes

          2″ Cubes

          $5 – $99
          Shop Now
        • Coralline Algae in a Bottle, In Pink or Purple!

          Coralline Algae

          $22 – $44
          Shop Now
        • Ultimate Refugium Starter Pack

          $120 – $450
          Shop Now
      • Aquarium Supplies See All
      • Fuge Lighting
        • AI Fuge 16HD Light
        • Kessil A360X Fuge Light
        • Kessil H160
        • Kessil H80
        • Chaetomax
      • Biomedia
        • Marinepure Gems
        • Marinepure Rocks
        • Marinepure Plate
        • Marinepure Cubes
        • Marinepure Spheres
      • Foods
        • Dragon Roe
        • Simple Brine
        • Can'O Cyclops
        • Benereef™
        • Fresco Cyclops
      • Rock & Sand
        • Dry Rock
        • Clam Rocks
      • Most Popular Products See All
        • Mandarin Feeder Kit by Algaebarn

          Mandarin Feeder Kit

          $66
          Shop Now
        • MarinePure 10 Cubes

          2″ Cubes

          $5 – $99
          Shop Now
        • Coralline Algae in a Bottle, In Pink or Purple!

          Coralline Algae

          $22 – $44
          Shop Now
        • Ultimate Refugium Starter Pack

          $120 – $450
          Shop Now
      • CADE Aquariums See All
      • Reef Series
        • CADE REEF 500 S2
        • CADE REEF 600 S2
        • CADE REEF 900 S2
        • CADE REEF 1200 S2
        • CADE REEF 1500 S2
        • CADE REEF 1800 S2
        • CADE REEF 2100 S2
      • Frag Series
        • CADE Frag 600 S2/F
        • CADE Frag 900 S2/F
        • CADE Frag 1200 S2/F
        • CADE Frag 1500 S2/F
      • Peninsula Series
        • CADE Peninsula 1200 S2/P
        • CADE Peninsula 1500 S2/P
        • CADE Peninsula 1800 S2/P
      • Most Popular Products See All
        • CADE REEF 2100 S2

          $7,225
          Shop Now
        • CADE Peninsula 1500 S2/P

          $5,525
          Shop Now
        • CADE REEF 1200 S2

          $4,125
          Shop Now
        • CADE Frag 900 S2/F

          $3,275
          Shop Now
    • Contests Win Free Aquarium Supplies!
      No Purchase Necessary*
    • Top Deals Huge Savings!
    • AlgaeBarn Heroes Discount for Military,
      First Responders and more!
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact
  • Shipping
You are here: Home / Beginners Education / A Look at the Detritus Cycle
Some snails are great detritus eaters!

A Look at the Detritus Cycle

by Kenneth Wingerter

This Gravel Vacuum will help remove detritusOne of the biggest challenges of keeping a successful reef aquarium, especially over the long term, is maintaining the purity of the main tank’s inner sanctum. We go through great lengths—expense, too—in order to achieve this. Think gravel vacuuming detritus, wringing filthy sponges over your kitchen sink, and so on… Is it necessary?

The answer to that common question depends mainly upon the type of tank you’ve set up, and maybe what kind of “exhibit” you’ve envisioned. Still have a reverence for those old-fashioned, squeaky clean systems with, say, blue gravel and miniature sunken pirate ships? Then, most definitely yes. On the other hand, if you maintain more naturalistic systems, it depends. For example, we’re seeing reports from freshwater aquarists that say yes, detritus (sometimes called mulm) is not just tolerable, but beneficial (particularly in planted tanks). It even gives certain freshwater biotope aquaria a more realistic appearance. Concerning marine aquaria, however, detritus is not only unsightly but potentially harmful. In fact, detritus is really bad in reef aquaria.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, most reef aquarists aim to create a naturalistic representation of tropical coral reef habitats. One thing that anyone who has visited a real reef will immediately notice is how “dirty” many reef tanks look. Heck, even those folks who have never been to a reef, but seen freshly harvested live rock, will notice a clear difference. So, where does aquarium detritus come from and why is it so undesirable?

The muck from “nowhere”

A dictionary definition of detritus might read like, “Any sort of waste.” It is in this sense that we oftentimes refer (very disparagingly) to nefarious types of people as “human detritus.” For a select few, it is the name of an underground British death metal band. It is only in the ecological sense that we use the word to describe solid, partially decomposed organic matter; this detritus is made up primarily of animal feces, shed exoskeletons of small crustaceans and the remains of dead organisms. In some cases, it simply is the rotting mass of some chunk of organic matter that has for long been lying on the bottom; in others, it is material that precipitates or flocculates in the water column and settles to the bottom (e.g. marine snow).

Sometimes, it appears so fast that we can hardly imagine where it came from. And we fret… But a little aquarium detritus isn’t so bad. And it’s probably unavoidable (try convincing your fish to stop crapping). We don’t need to be obsessively compulsive about the whole thing. Not only will mulmiphobia completely ruin our enjoyment of the hobby, but it could also even rob important aquarium organisms of a critical food source (we’ll get to that in a bit). Truly, the big problems arise when this waste material is allowed to accumulate.

That nasty grey-brown sludge buildup is (at least in reef aquaria) something that we don’t want to see. Mulmy rock surfaces irritate small, desirable live rock fauna and can limit coralline algae growth. It’s gross and doesn’t look “right.” And as the buildup grows, it just becomes more of an eyesore.

What we don’t see, no matter how big the accumulation gets, is the community of minuscule life forms that feed on it. These are the varied bacteria and fungi that finish it off, mineralizing it (that is, breaking it down) into basic, soluble components that can be again taken up by primary producers such as plants. The rate at which detritus accumulates is determined not just by how it is produced, but also by how fast it is consumed by these microorganisms.

Quintessential bottom-feeders

an important detritivore in a marine aquariumEver hear of the detritus cycle? Too likely not, as a sponge- and vacuum hose-wielding aquarists of old understood it poorly at best. We aquarists of the present and future are only starting to grow aware of natural processes that ecologists have long been aware of. In short, the detritus cycle is a route in the food chain through which detritus is fully mineralized by the action of heterotrophic microbes (bacteria, archaea and fungi) as well as detritivorous animals and protists.

What’s most significant (though not immediately clear) regarding the microbial part of the process is that it is tightly connected to the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles. Being as detritus is mainly composed of carbon-rich compounds such as complex carbohydrates, why would this be so? Because decomposers take up substances such as nitrate and phosphate from the surrounding waters while utilizing detrital material to build new biomass! This is why biological means of detritus removal are so important to a “naturally balanced” system.

So, what about the detritivores? Yes, they’re important too! These critters (from nematodes to harpacticoid copepods to deposit-feeding sea cucumbers) play a major role in detritus management. However, the term “detritivore” might be a bit misleading. While these animals do indeed ingest detrital material (which isn’t particularly nutritious), they do so mainly to consume the associated microbes (which are quite wholesome—yum!)! By physically breaking detritus down further, and then concentrating it in excreted pellets, detritivores greatly accelerate the detritus cycle.

Pure and tidy

While fungi play a huge part in degrading detritus in freshwater environments, this role is mostly taken on by heterotrophic bacteria (both aerobic and anaerobic) in marine environments. Thankfully, with our growing understanding of food webs and nutrient cycling (and an appreciation for naturalistic systems), microbial products are increasingly being developed for aquarium use. These microbes are far better than the more harmful types that might colonize detrital accumulations, which can strip the aquarium water of oxygen and even move on to attack corals and other delicate sessile invertebrates. Also, by promoting these “good” microorganisms, the aquarium keeper makes detritus more attractive to detritivores!

With the right community of organisms (beneficial bacteria, copepods, etc.), this organic waste can be naturally rediverted right back up the food chain!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. tony_garcia18 says

    October 10, 2020 at 9:00 am

    Very informational!

    Reply
  2. tony_garcia18 says

    October 12, 2020 at 10:18 am

    Love it!

    Reply
  3. Derek Ruble says

    October 17, 2020 at 7:06 am

    ??

    Reply
  4. MeMo says

    November 9, 2020 at 6:17 pm

    Never knew poop could be so good! :0)

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Posts

CADE Aquariums: Reef vs. Peninsula

Are you in the research and comparison stage of choosing a new system? Has your reef outgrown it's current home? If you’re just in the market to for a

Read More about CADE Aquariums: Reef vs. Peninsula

A Beginner’s Guide: How Reef Fish Balance the Ecosystem

Reef fish, whether they are predators or grazers, play a huge part in maintaining the balance of the coral reef ecosystem. Coral reefs that are healthy

Read More about A Beginner’s Guide: How Reef Fish Balance the Ecosystem

LPS Dominant Reef Tanks

While mixed reefs may be the most prominent reef aquarium style, many hobbyists opt to keep a specific group of corals in their aquarium. One of the

Read More about LPS Dominant Reef Tanks

Didn't find what you were looking for?

Browse the AlgaeLab by Category

  • Advanced Education
  • Beginners Education
  • CADE Aquariums
  • Captive Bred Fish
  • Clean Up Crew
  • Company News
  • Copepods
  • Corals
  • Freshwater
  • Freshwater Aquariums
  • Intermediate Education
  • Invertebrates
  • Live foods
  • Macroalgae
  • Our Oceans
  • Phytoplankton
  • Product Info
  • Refugium Education
  • Rock and Substrate
  • Saltwater Aquariums
  • Wholesale

Company

  • About Us
  • The AlgaeLab Blog
  • Our Team
  • Careers
  • FAQ

Get in Touch

  • Contact Us
  • AOA Claim Form
  • Press Inquiries
  • Call Us: 772-444-7637

Policies

  • Legendary AOA Guarantee
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

Other

  • Store Locator
  • Wholesale & B2B inquired
  • Business Location

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Join our mission to build a more sustainable aquarium hobby, one tank at a time!

Copyright 2023, AlgaeBarn LLC - Live Copepods and Phytoplankton

0

Your Cart is Empty

adroll_adv_id = "RWFLKG57L5GR7KGYSOEUOK"; adroll_pix_id = "CH2QRUFHXZELLLCMHAB5GI"; adroll_version = "2.0"; adroll_current_page = "other"; adroll_currency = "USD"; adroll_language = "en_US";