View Full Version : Bubble Algae - total elimination: pipe dream or reality?
llebcire
10/24/2012, 10:18 AM
Been fighting numerous strains of nuisance algae for quite some time and they appear to have been related to my public water source. I moved in June and all have disappeared - except for the bubble algae. Have always run RO/DI (5 stage) and don't dose vodka or phosban.
So my question: has any ever totally eradicated bubble algae? I seem to keep it under control with water changes (siphoning out the algae) as well as emerald crabs (that I never see) and I'm starting to wonder if this is what I should get accustomed to going forward as it seems to be a consistent battle.
Thanks!
-Eric
aandfsoccr04
10/24/2012, 10:32 AM
I believe the only way to get rid of it is manual removal. I'm afriad you're going to have to take the rocks out and use a tooth brush and scrub the aglae off. Algae usually stems from excess nutrients or water quality issues. What are your parameters?
Navyblue
10/24/2012, 02:22 PM
I once did this:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y85/Navyblue/Aquarium/120G%20Rimless%20Setup/IMG_9282.jpg
And I still have them.
I turned off the main light for over a year, I still have them.
I have emerald crab, I still have them.
Your best bet is to keep a macro algae refugium to soak up the nutrient and a few emerald crab to mow the lawn. Foxface and tangs can sometimes help a little.
If anyone have solution that would work, I am all ears. But so far I don't believe it can ever be totally eradicated short of "cooking" the LR.
KafudaFish
10/24/2012, 02:31 PM
I think I "won". I did not have that much ^ in my 95 but I removed it whenever my hands were in the tank. It took about six months to rid the DT of the algae.
About a year later I saw a few bubbles that I removed and then never saw it again.
laugh
10/24/2012, 02:59 PM
Peroxide will kill it, and all other types of algae. There is a lot of good info here.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2082359
symon_say
10/24/2012, 03:07 PM
My desjardini tang took care of my bubble algae problem.
barry_keith
10/24/2012, 03:13 PM
My foxface loves bubble algae too
Curious George
10/24/2012, 03:43 PM
I hate to say it, but Valonia drove me out of a reef tank. I was so disgusted with it after a 6 month battle, I went back to FOWLR.
Many have luck with a fish known for eating the stuff. It was out of the realm of possibilities for me. I went with Emerald crabs and when they weren't chewing on the bubbles, they were eating my softies and LPS.
Just the thought of bubble algae gives me nightmares. I brought it in on the base of a coral attached to a rock.
Tradewinds
10/24/2012, 05:16 PM
Peroxide will kill it, and all other types of algae. There is a lot of good info here.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2082359
Interesting thread - Thanks for sharing it. :thumbsup:
Buzz1329
10/24/2012, 06:10 PM
I once did this:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y85/Navyblue/Aquarium/120G%20Rimless%20Setup/IMG_9282.jpg
And I still have them.
I turned off the main light for over a year, I still have them.
I have emerald crab, I still have them.
Your best bet is to keep a macro algae refugium to soak up the nutrient and a few emerald crab to mow the lawn. Foxface and tangs can sometimes help a little.
If anyone have solution that would work, I am all ears. But so far I don't believe it can ever be totally eradicated short of "cooking" the LR.
But what is "this"? Can't tell from photo what you did? It is a very dramatic photo. Love the imperial Chinese red background.
laugh
10/24/2012, 06:37 PM
"this" appears to be a large amount of bubble algae that was removed from someones tank.
KCombs
10/25/2012, 01:54 AM
I had a bad outbreak, even with low phosphates....
I had to nuke my rock with peroxide....
and as for peroxide nuking: couple of notes about that:
Seems valonia in particular is pretty sensitive to peroxide...you don't have to leave it out of the water very long at all: simply squirt the peroxide over the rock, dip it in a bucket of tank water and return it to the tank immediately ...
I read a couple of those "peroxide" threads and they were pretty informative but I can attest that some corals are more tolerant that others: whatever you do, don't get peroxide near montipora or cleaner shrimp....well at least my shimp are gone and my montipora are bleached/dead ...
OTOH seems you can squirt peroxide directly on palys, et
HTH
csauer52
10/25/2012, 04:26 AM
I had some in my 150 at one point which was related to poor flow. Once I increased the flow and guaranteed no dead zones it went away. I don't think it does well in high flow areas.
Snakebyt
10/25/2012, 04:39 PM
i had some in my 40B, when i upgraded to my 75, i treated all the rock i could with peroxide, got rid of 80% of it, not 6 weeks or so later i have it coming back worse than ever.. i hate this stuff
Had success eliminating bubble algae with a vlamingi tang which a colleague offload it to me many months ago.
Bernie21
10/26/2012, 02:06 PM
Simple solution: FOX FACE!!! They devour that stuff... gone for good!
barry_keith
10/26/2012, 02:32 PM
Simple solution: FOX FACE!!! They devour that stuff... gone for good!
+1 my foxface wiped out my bubble algae
Navyblue
10/26/2012, 02:41 PM
Not my foxface, unfortunately.
buildinboats
10/26/2012, 07:46 PM
So my question: has any ever totally eradicated bubble algae?
I have totally eliminated what was once thousands of individual bubbles, so many you couldn't see the LR. Better skimmer and more frequent water changes did the trick. It took time, I worked at it for at least a year before the valonia went into remission. You need to decide how seriously you want a healthy looking tank and then put the time in to make that happen.
llebcire
10/27/2012, 09:13 AM
Peroxide will kill it, and all other types of algae. There is a lot of good info here.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2082359
Thanks for this - I remember seeing this thread in the past but am giving it another read as I forgot about it.
-Eric
llebcire
10/27/2012, 09:18 AM
I had a bad outbreak, even with low phosphates....
I had to nuke my rock with peroxide....
and as for peroxide nuking: couple of notes about that:
Seems valonia in particular is pretty sensitive to peroxide...you don't have to leave it out of the water very long at all: simply squirt the peroxide over the rock, dip it in a bucket of tank water and return it to the tank immediately ...
I read a couple of those "peroxide" threads and they were pretty informative but I can attest that some corals are more tolerant that others: whatever you do, don't get peroxide near montipora or cleaner shrimp....well at least my shimp are gone and my montipora are bleached/dead ...
OTOH seems you can squirt peroxide directly on palys, et
HTH
Thanks for sharing!
So what I'm reading is pull the rock, treat the bubble algae with 3% peroxide, give it a quick rinse and put it back? Seems pretty easy! I'll drain 5g for my mixing bucket.
Good news is that I'll be moving to a 120g in the next few months so everything can be spot treated! The more I can eliminate on easily accessible rocks now will prevent a spike from die off on the larger rocks later.
-Eric
llebcire
10/27/2012, 09:20 AM
I have totally eliminated what was once thousands of individual bubbles, so many you couldn't see the LR. Better skimmer and more frequent water changes did the trick. It took time, I worked at it for at least a year before the valonia went into remission. You need to decide how seriously you want a healthy looking tank and then put the time in to make that happen.
Did you do anything else? Vodka, GFO, etc? Or was it simply frequent water changes and better skimming?
I think my problem stemmed from poor water quality in the past (even with 5 stage RO/DI) and now the algae has a foothold in my tank.
-Eric
Met3112
10/27/2012, 10:04 AM
2 bar rabbit fish and other rabbits will destroy it fairly quickly :)
moondoggy4
10/27/2012, 10:13 AM
My son loves this stuff he took a picture of it on the glass brace of my tank and used it for a screen saver but other than him it is a pain easy to remove once it gets big it falls right off.
AcroporAddict
10/27/2012, 10:17 AM
I have totally eliminated what was once thousands of individual bubbles, so many you couldn't see the LR. Better skimmer and more frequent water changes did the trick. It took time, I worked at it for at least a year before the valonia went into remission. You need to decide how seriously you want a healthy looking tank and then put the time in to make that happen.
You are the one in a million a regimen like that would work for. Valonia does not die off with better water changes and a better skimmer. Spreading that type message is basically perpetrating a myth, like the one that says how to get rid of cyano is increased flow. There are many reef tanks with better water quality than you or I will ever have, and they still have bubble algae.
Valonia requires very little to survive and thrive in a reef tank. It either has to be manually removed or eaten by something or chemically killed. If it were a simple matter of clean water, valonia would not be an issue.
Eliminating it is going to be a reflection of several things: how large is your reef tank? how much rock do you have? Do you have animals that will eat it? Are you manually removing it or not? Got a small 20 gallon Reef, then it is very possible to eliminate it by manually removing the rock and picking it clean. Got a 600 gallon reef with 500# of LR, then not so easy a proposition.
Unfortunately, control is what most reefers have to deal with, especially if you have a lot of LR and cannot remove it all to physically remove the valonia. There are some places Foxfaces and Emeralds can't get to, and many places a Reefer with H2O2 can't get to either.
You are the one in a million a regimen like that would work for. Valonia does not die off with better water changes and a better skimmer. Spreading that type message is basically perpetrating a myth, like the one that says how to get rid of cyano is increased flow. There are many reef tanks with better water quality than you or I will ever have, and they still have bubble algae.
Valonia requires very little to survive and thrive in a reef tank. It either has to be manually removed or eaten by something or chemically killed. If it were a simple matter of clean water, valonia would not be an issue.
Eliminating it is going to be a reflection of several things: how large is your reef tank? how much rock do you have? Do you have animals that will eat it? Are you manually removing it or not? Got a small 20 gallon Reef, then it is very possible to eliminate it by manually removing the rock and picking it clean. Got a 600 gallon reef with 500# of LR, then not so easy a proposition.
Unfortunately, control is what most reefers have to deal with, especially if you have a lot of LR and cannot remove it all to physically remove the valonia. There are some places Foxfaces and Emeralds can't get to, and many places a Reefer with H2O2 can't get to either.
all algae is subject to nutrients available.... ULN system... no algae.. simple enough and not a myth... unfortunately most do not understand ULN system vs after the fact low nutrient water column.
AcroporAddict
10/27/2012, 12:00 PM
all algae is subject to nutrients available.... ULN system... no algae.. simple enough and not a myth... unfortunately most do not understand ULN system vs after the fact low nutrient water column.
You are talking a whole other ball game bringing ULN systems into the mix, such as Zeo and the like. I never said algae did not need nutrients to survive, and you will find no reference to that in my post. They don't need a lot of nutrients to survive. ULN systems represent an incredibly small percentage of the reef hobby as a whole, and have little to do with this thread, whose audience is addressing a more standard reef setup, and not a Zeo type setup.
Again, if all we needed was more water changes and excellent skimmers, then Valonia would not be a problem. You will not eliminate Valonia using just those two methods.
Could Valonia be eliminated by going to a ULNS sytem?....sure it could. But let's see if your average reefer is willing to follow the costly, highly regimented dosing, monitoring and media change requirements of the Zeovit system? Not likely.
You are talking a whole other ball game bringing ULN systems into the mix, such as Zeo and the like. I never said algae did not need nutrients to survive, and you will find no reference to that in my post. They don't need a lot of nutrients to survive. ULN systems represent an incredibly small percentage of the reef hobby as a whole, and have little to do with this thread, whose audience is addressing a more standard reef setup, and not a Zeo type setup.
Again, if all we needed was more water changes and excellent skimmers, then Valonia would not be a problem. You will not eliminate Valonia using just those two methods.
Could Valonia be eliminated by going to a ULNS sytem?....sure it could. But let's see if your average reefer is willing to follow the costly, highly regimented dosing, monitoring and media change requirements of the Zeovit system? Not likely.
dosing??? not sure what 'dosing' comes into play? ULN is simple...UV, skimmer, removal of detritus. properly cured liverock. been solved 10 years ago or more...but unfortunately is greatly ignored nowadays... dosing means not ULN and means a need to add nutrients to reduce other nutrients and is not in effect an ULN system.
AcroporAddict
10/27/2012, 12:08 PM
dosing??? not sure what 'dosing' comes into play? ULN is simple...UV, skimmer, removal of detritus. been solved 10 years ago or more...but unfortunately is greatly ignored nowadays... dosing means not ULN and needs to add nutrients to reduce other nutrients and is not ULN.
Ultra low nutrient (ULN) refers to a Zeovit type system, which involves some dosing of elements like potassium, etc, which are not nutrients.. What you describe is a low nutrient system (LNS), and is not enough in itself to stop bubble algae from growing, as algae remove their needed nutrients from the water column. A skimmer, water changes, mechanical/chemical filtration can limit nutrients in the water column, but not totally remove them, and Valonia need very little to grow.
Ultra low nutrient (ULN) refers to a Zeovit type system, which involves some dosing of elements like potassium, etc, which are not nutrients.. What you describe is a low nutrient system (LNS), and is not enough in itself to stop bubble algae from growing, as algae remove their needed nutrients from the water column. A skimmer, water changes, mechanical/chemical filtration can limit nutrients in the water column, but not totally remove them, and Valonia need very little to grow.
no ULN means ULN(you must be new to this)...as in not having an accumulation of nutrients.. a true oligotrophic system and has nothing to do with Zeovit at all.. here is one circa 2004.... http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=292233&highlight=jerel+reef+tank
Oh, and one does not need to be this low in nutrients to not experience algae problems. It is really all about proper curing of rocks, flow, skimming, and husbandry.
AcroporAddict
10/27/2012, 01:40 PM
no ULN means ULN(you must be new to this)...as in not having an accumulation of nutrients.. a true oligotrophic system and has nothing to do with Zeovit at all.. here is one circa 2004.... http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=292233&highlight=jerel+reef+tank
Oh, and one does not need to be this low in nutrients to not experience algae problems. It is really all about proper curing of rocks, flow, skimming, and husbandry.
Apparently, what you refer to as ultra low nutrient, I would call low nutrient or nutrient limited. Here's a couple articles stating your ULN terminology is nothing but quasi-science (putting it nicely):
http://grumpyreefer.net/2009/10/28/ulns-is-not-really-l-and-far-from-ul/
http://************.com/2009/10/29/ulns-load-detritus-ultra-nutrient-system-desert/ (insert reef builders in the starred out area)
And the point of this thread was can you eliminate bubble algae from a reef system, not prevent its introduction. Nutrient management in the form of water changes and skimming will not do it alone. Once established, it has to be physically removed, eaten, chemically killed, etc., to eliminate it from a system. Nutrient management, low or ultra low, whatever, will not do it. Any animal living in a reef tank is constantly producing nitrogenous waste, and anything in the water column, like bubble algae, that consumes nitrogenous waste is going to have the opportunity to get some of that waste before any skimmer, mechanical filter or chemical filter.
But, I definitely agree that not introducing it in the first place is best if possible.
Navyblue
10/27/2012, 02:00 PM
If anyone think they can eliminate valonia by standard maintenance routine, I would like to present you a challenge. I would send you my bubble algae, and you shall put it in your display tank in an exposed area, and you shall prevent anything from eating it. If the algae dies on its own, you win. Who is game? :D
Apparently, what you refer to as ultra low nutrient, I would call low nutrient or nutrient limited. Here's a couple articles stating your ULN terminology is nothing but quasi-science (putting it nicely):
http://grumpyreefer.net/2009/10/28/ulns-is-not-really-l-and-far-from-ul/
http://************.com/2009/10/29/ulns-load-detritus-ultra-nutrient-system-desert/ (insert reef builders in the starred out area)
And the point of this thread was can you eliminate bubble algae from a reef system, not prevent its introduction. Nutrient management in the form of water changes and skimming will not do it alone. Once established, it has to be physically removed, eaten, chemically killed, etc., to eliminate it from a system. Nutrient management, low or ultra low, whatever, will not do it. Any animal living in a reef tank is constantly producing nitrogenous waste, and anything in the water column, like bubble algae, that consumes nitrogenous waste is going to have the opportunity to get some of that waste before any skimmer, mechanical filter or chemical filter.
But, I definitely agree that not introducing it in the first place is best if possible.
sure you can eliminate it... by reduction in nitrogenous waste. if detritus is not there where will be the waste... it is exported before accumulation occurs... thus ULN system.. a system by which nitrogenous waste does not occur to any effect to allow for algae to inhabit the system...
If anyone think they can eliminate valonia by standard maintenance routine, I would like to present you a challenge. I would send you my bubble algae, and you shall put it in your display tank in an exposed area, and you shall prevent anything from eating it. If the algae dies on its own, you win. Who is game? :D
I am game...send it....
david pinder
10/27/2012, 04:07 PM
ditto on foxface cleaned it out of my 700 gal sps tank
olddreamer
10/27/2012, 04:50 PM
The problem for some of us is that we have unwittingly made life very hard for ourselves from the off...and now we have to try and deal with it :D
I have a 24 gal. nano, so it should be easy to fight the bubble algae menace by removing the rock and treating it with peroxide and/or scrubbing. Sadly, my 11 or 12k live rock consists of just two relatively large pieces standing on end, which for safety reasons had to be cemented together...so now they physically will not come out of the tank (I know, I know :uhoh2:)
Also, I have a nem, so I couldn't spot treat in the tank with peroxide. In fact having a nem means chemical treatments of any sort are out. To add to that, my two emerald crabs don't touch it, and my tank is too small for a tang, fox face or whatever (I would have considered buying a tiny version of either, and taking it back to the store when it gets too big...but I don't doubt that would be frowned upon :idea:) So anything that might have been considered in a larger tank is no good for my size tank. I have tried removal by siphoning out at water change times, but it obviously needs more than that...after removing all I can see several times, it comes back with a vengeance within a few days :eek1:
It really is a nightmare isn't it :uhoh3:
So...short of putting the whole tank in a giant microwave oven...any ideas?
Cheers, Dave.
AcroporAddict
10/27/2012, 05:10 PM
sure you can eliminate it... by reduction in nitrogenous waste.
Fish waste is excreted continuously in the form of ammonia and urea through the fish's gills and skin directly into the water column. Algae, such as Bubble Algae, feed directly on this ammonia. You cannot remove it before the algae have access to it. It is in solution, and not a solid that can be physically removed. It has to be consumed.
if detritus is not there where will be the waste. it is exported before accumulation occurs... thus ULN system.. a system by which nitrogenous waste does not occur to any effect to allow for algae to inhabit the system...
You think solid detritus is the only nitrogenous waste in a reef tank? Think again. You must be new at this. All living animals in a reef tank are constantly secreting ammonia in-solution in the water column, not just in solid detritus form as you post above. Removing detritus will remove some nitrogenous waste, but that is only part of the equation and part of the total. You will not export all nitrogenous waste before it can be accessed by algae present in the tank because a large percentage of the total is dissolved in the water column.
88rxna
10/27/2012, 05:38 PM
Chemiclean,GFO,cheato, a tooth brush and water changes got rid of mine.
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/10/28/enupe7ab.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/10/28/panyre8e.jpg
AcroporAddict
10/27/2012, 05:52 PM
ditto on foxface cleaned it out of my 700 gal sps tank
David,
I have a 465 gallon system, and my rock is primarily Totoka, and the rock has a lot of nooks and crannies where small BA can get. Your foxface was able to get into these type areas? How did it do with your SPS?
Navyblue
10/28/2012, 10:42 AM
I am game...send it....
PM me your address then. :) However I don't have much to spare at the moment.
They're a phase. Pop them or not, they're just a phase. Ultimately they go away. Occasionally a few come back. They almost always follow the initial hair algae snit.
Flatlander
10/28/2012, 01:05 PM
The problem for some of us is that we have unwittingly made life very hard for ourselves from the off...and now we have to try and deal with it :D
I have a 24 gal. nano, so it should be easy to fight the bubble algae menace by removing the rock and treating it with peroxide and/or scrubbing. Sadly, my 11 or 12k live rock consists of just two relatively large pieces standing on end, which for safety reasons had to be cemented together...so now they physically will not come out of the tank (I know, I know :uhoh2:)
Also, I have a nem, so I couldn't spot treat in the tank with peroxide. In fact having a nem means chemical treatments of any sort are out. To add to that, my two emerald crabs don't touch it, and my tank is too small for a tang, fox face or whatever (I would have considered buying a tiny version of either, and taking it back to the store when it gets too big...but I don't doubt that would be frowned upon :idea:) So anything that might have been considered in a larger tank is no good for my size tank. I have tried removal by siphoning out at water change times, but it obviously needs more than that...after removing all I can see several times, it comes back with a vengeance within a few days :eek1:
It really is a nightmare isn't it :uhoh3:
So...short of putting the whole tank in a giant microwave oven...any ideas?
Cheers, Dave.
Same for myself. I have redone the tank a few times, scrubbing the rock in a tub of saltwater. Then I traded some of my 15yr old rock, {with no bubble algae} to a guy starting out that wanted some for his tank and he gave me some of the eco type rock.
Well after awhile it very porous interior was plastered with little bubble algae colonies. Ya, that works well. :lmao:
So I scrubber more. Except for one large sps colony, all the rest are frags, so still can move some stuff for cleaning. I recently added three emeralds, again. They seem to be cleaning a fair bit of it up but are scared of the rock near the front glass. Today in my water change I siphoned a pile out of the eco rock again.
Ya, water changes, gfo and carbon work well..:lmao: Cant do much more than I do. Like you I also cant have any fish that may help, so this is how I keep trying. Sometimes it seems I,m making headway, then others.....:headwallblue:
buildinboats
10/28/2012, 07:11 PM
Did you do anything else? Vodka, GFO, etc? Or was it simply frequent water changes and better skimming?
-Eric
Added GFO somewhere along the line. I basically checked everything I was doing (or not doing) like testing the RO/DI TDS more often and replacing the DI cartridges when they were spent, cleaning the skimmer, water change frequency, that sort of thing. I also blew out the rocks with a strong pump and vacuumed the resultant detritus cloud several times. Hand removed as much as I could, spent more than a few hours doing this over the course of a week. Like I said, I did this over at least a one year period, I was determined to get a better looking and more healthy tank.
Orm Embar
10/29/2012, 02:06 PM
Have had Valonia that stopped growing due to outcompetition for nutrients by Caulerpa. Would pick a different macroalgae nowadays (Caulerpa killed my corals). The Valonia that remained was a single sphere, and didn't grow such that coralline actually encrusted over it (almost fully, if I recall correctly).
So I am a believer in "lower nutrients, less Valonia problems," FWIW.
Navyblue
10/29/2012, 02:19 PM
So I am a believer in "lower nutrients, less Valonia problems," FWIW.
That applies to any kind of algae.
llebcire
11/09/2012, 08:23 AM
Thanks for all of the replies and conversation!
I'm looking forward to seeing the impact of the peroxide in the near future when I do a water change and again when I move the rocks to my new tank.
Early results are showing that I'm having success with an old standby of mine - kalk paste.
I use it for aiptasia as well as controlling coral (sps and soft) and also found it useful in the past controlling a nuisance strain of green turf. My tank also struggles with alk (6-8) and calcium (360-400) so kalk is a plus - I've read for years that elevated alk (10-12) can help control algae.
I covered the bubble algae 2 days ago and it's now clear in color and appears to be disappearing.
-Eric
myaerica
11/09/2012, 09:41 AM
My blonde male naso loves the stuff.Any bubble algae he can get at he eats. He follows me around when I pick the stuff out of the nooks where he can't reach.
llebcire
11/10/2012, 08:19 AM
Update on the kalk - every patch that I treated is now gone leaving a white area on the rocks. I presume the white area is due the the bubble algae blocking light to the rock and not from the kalk.
I plan on finding a remaining patch and documenting with pictures.
-Eric
stan zemanek
11/10/2012, 11:07 AM
You guys think your bubble algae is bad. This tank was in a Hotel we stayed at a few years ago in Point Pleasant NJ. If you want to get rid of your bubble algae just let a hurricane knock it down. Sandy did just that Hotel and tank totally wiped out.
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e319/paintman27/IMG_1493.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e319/paintman27/IMG_1492.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e319/paintman27/IMG_1496.jpg
skykingcory
11/10/2012, 02:02 PM
I had quite a bit myself when I first started that carried over from buying a used tank with live rock. It took me a few months of hand picking and staying on top of water parameters to get rid of them.
cherubfish pair
11/25/2012, 06:44 PM
Fish waste is excreted continuously in the form of ammonia and urea through the fish's gills and skin directly into the water column. Algae, such as Bubble Algae, feed directly on this ammonia. You cannot remove it before the algae have access to it. It is in solution, and not a solid that can be physically removed. It has to be consumed.
You think solid detritus is the only nitrogenous waste in a reef tank? Think again. You must be new at this. All living animals in a reef tank are constantly secreting ammonia in-solution in the water column, not just in solid detritus form as you post above. Removing detritus will remove some nitrogenous waste, but that is only part of the equation and part of the total. You will not export all nitrogenous waste before it can be accessed by algae present in the tank because a large percentage of the total is dissolved in the water column.
Should this ammonia be monitored and controlled with ammonia neutralizers like Am-rid?
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