Question for other pellet users.

[oblio]

Fired up a Cadlights br1 reactor June 1st using Ecobak pellets, been adding 50ml of pellets every month or so as to bring it up slowly at this point I'm running 300ml.
During my research it was a common suggestion to have the reactor exit near the skimmer intake. I took this one step further and basically put a "T" on the intake of the skimmer. I have a recirculating skimmer, so I have a dedicated intake pump (eheim 1260) the part of the T that is a straight shot into the skimmer is unobstructed, the other part of the T I put a reducer and a 90degree fitting. I used a price of a 1/2 OD tubing and connected the reactor exit to the T.
This basically forces ALL reactor water to be ingested into the skimmer. My skimmer has consistently removed more and more "gunk" as I add pellet volume. I have 6 fish and feed 2 frozen cubes, twice a day, so 4 frozen cubes. Fish are most certainly fat.
PO3 is 1. measured on a RSP test kit,
PO4 is always zero using Hanna (not ultra low one)
I also have seen basically no reduction in the green haze that grows on the glass over the course of a about 4 days, its not horrible but I was expecting to see a reduction in this growth.
So this brings me to my question:
Do we want "some" of the mulm (reactor stuff) that is being produced by the reactor to go to the main tank before being skimmed? I am assuming here that little it making it past the skimmer. No real idea how to validate this other than observation.

 

[ichthyman]

Common misunderstanding of solid carbon source use. It is not the bacteria within a reactor that has the biggest impact on nutrient reduction. Stimulation of all bacteria throughout the entire system (ie within rock work, substrate, bulk water) is the goal. My guess with the current design you are effectively removing the slowly dissolving carbon source, biopellets, before the bulk of the bacteria in the system can be stimulated.

 

[oblio]

Common misunderstanding of solid carbon source use. It is not the bacteria within a reactor that has the biggest impact on nutrient reduction. Stimulation of all bacteria throughout the entire system (ie within rock work, substrate, bulk water) is the goal. My guess with the current design you are effectively removing the slowly dissolving carbon source, biopellets, before the bulk of the bacteria in the system can be stimulated.

Thank you for the response. I will look at making a change to the current setup.

 

[ReefWhatYouSow]

Question for other pellet users.

Following

 

[MrHarvard]

Curious if you are using amino acids to dose the tank? Also do u have any other nuisance algae or just the green film on glass?

 

[oblio]

I dose Alk/Calc and that's it. Just the green film.

 

[oblio]

UPDATE:

As not to make a change to fast, i simply removed my connector from the skimmer pump, now the reactor exit is "close" but not physically connected to the skimmer. In a few weeks I'll remove more of the connector pipe, (putting a few inches of distance between the exit and the skimmer)
slow changes
I'll update in a few weeks on any observed changes.