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Originally Posted by silicon_dt
I have a aquaC remore skimmer.
I don't ever blast for detritus? Or clean the rocks...
Thats what my snails and crabs are for 
No cover on tank. And weekly 2 gallon water changes (20G tank). |
Your alkalinity is being consumed to neutralize the excess organic and carbonic acids produced as your detrital materials decompose in the system. This will both ultimately consume all your alkalinity if left unattended, and also increase your systemic levels of nitrates and phosphates, setting the stage for a potentially large and difficult-to-resolve
algae bloom...
Use siphoning to remove/export these substances before they become problemtic, it is a part of both good water change schedules and maintaining good husbandry habits for your system, as well as enhancing the system's overall health through improving O2 saturation (O2 is consumed by bacteria as they decomose the organics in detritus, and release CO2, resulting in an even better environment for algal growth).
HTH
