I agree Brad, the deciding factor of adding my DSB was the plankton. However, most people with larger particle size and a shallow bed also have plenty of critters, which should equate plenty of plankton.
The fact that you/we add a DSB doesn't mean that detritus isn't there, some of the material is used up and worked through the chain but certain materials do not get used up. They are never eliminated and continue to accumulate and eventually begin to hit toxic levels. It was suggested to me that siphoning detritus is a proactive and preventitive measure.
If you go back to the food and additive studies done a couple of years ago(?) and look at the make up of these items we add regularily to our tanks you have to ask yourself; where do all these compounds and elements go? Certainly some are taken up into the biomass of the creatures we feed but not all of it.
Food for thought.
PS: I'm not pretending to know the answer but I was given a few hints, some direct and some not so direct. I'm just one of the sheep trying to figure out which herder knows the most or is closest to right
