Detritus and what should I do about it

[Aroc2226]

I was doing a water change, filter cleaning and water testing today.

My PH has been hovering around 7 pretty consistently. This time it was up around 7.4 or so.

I know this isn’t a big deal but I thought I should look into what might be causing it.

In my search I saw some discussion of detritus.

I use Caribsea for my substrate. I’ve had my aquarium set up for about 3 months now.

It’s a planted aquarium

I am having issues with fish but that is being addressed in a separate thread.

I do water change’s about every week…about 10%. I do pick up as much as I can the debris on the bottom although it’s hard to do behind the driftwood etc.

So as a result I do have some detritus buildup…I am assuming mostly from the plants as I don’t have many fish.

I’m not so sure this is a real issue. I see some say it is encouraged.

Not sure if this would effect PH

Any thoughts?

 

[GaryE]

You can hover over it with a siphon and remove a bit with every change. It accumulates a bit and has to go, but it's more unsightly than a problem. I'm not a person into control of anything but myself, so I tend to be more relaxed than most of processes inside the tank. When you have small detritus deposits, the fish will likely have worked through them to remove anything of value - detritus is a big stomach content element in studies of many wild fish.

 

[seangee]

I don't bother with it myself as I have sand substrates (and Malaysian Trumpet Snails). But its pretty much never visible - if its building up its probably worth removing when you do your water changes.
Personally I do much bigger weekly water changes, typically 75% - that way I guarantee my water parameters are stable over time.
Just FWIW I always thought Caribsea was marine, may be wrong but inert sand is all that is needed for tropical

 

[10 Tanks]

Hello Aroc. A 10 percent water change isn't nearly enough. You're leaving 90 percent of the pollutants in the water. All the materials inside the tank are constantly dissolving in the water. By simply removing and replacing the water, you're removing everything that has dissolved in it. I would suggest gradually working up to the point you remove and replace half the water every week. Remember, the fish tank is nothing more than a toilet. If you lived in the same water you did all your "business" in, I think you'd want a lot of water changed out and changed out often.

10 Tanks (Now 11)

 

[Byron]

My PH has been hovering around 7 pretty consistently. This time it was up around 7.4 or so.
I know this isn’t a big deal but I thought I should look into what might be causing it.

The pH does not stand alone, it is part of the GH and KH and it can also be impacted by CO2 and other factors. A change of a few decimal points is not a problem; this happens diurnally in an aquarium especially with plants present, and it occurs in natural habitat waters.

I do water change’s about every week…about 10%. I do pick up as much as I can the debris on the bottom although it’s hard to do behind the driftwood etc.

As others have mentioned, this is inadequate. I've always done 50-60% sometimes perhaps 70-75%. Provided the parameters--being GH, pH and temperature here--are basically the same between tap water and tank water, this can cause no harm, quite the reverse. Don't fuss over the substrate around plants or under wood/rock, it is best to leave those areas alone. You may or may not need to vacuum open areas either, I have had tanks where the sand was never touched, others that got a quick suction due more to plant material than fish excrement.

Detritus can affect pH, but again it is the GH, KH, pH, CO2, organic matter, fish organic matter together that drive this. For example, in a tank with water that is very soft with say GH and KH near zero, the organic matter will more readily allow the pH to lower. Not a problem provided the fish are suited to acidic soft water.