cloudy tank

You're welcome!

Skimmers don't prevent blooms but they are good at removing bacteria so if a bloom starts they are a good way to get it under control. In relation to your situation - you want to lower nutrients to do this you have to remove the nutrients from the system. Just turning the nutrients into bacteria or algae or other organisms that stay in the tank does not remove them and eventually they will recycle. Since you state your skimmer does not remove much in terms of bacteria biomass/biofilm than you'll continue to have problems because you are not exporting the nutrients (the bacteria) from the system.

Because the carbon in the pellets is 'locked' up and it takes time for the bacteria to get to it. It is much different than adding a liquid form of carbon that the bacteria can assimulate much easier and quicker. You can measure trace amount of nitrate and phosphate because they are being continuously produced. Also a large amount of the nitrogen and phosphorus is in the organic form which your test kits can't measure.

Well they won't fight to the death nor cause the tank to crash but one group will be more effective at taking resources in the aquarium over the other(s) and eventually that group will take over. I would bet on the waste-away and eco-balance bacteria because the strains in these products were isolated from aquaria. That's the key to all our products - we don't buy bacteria from the ACME bacteria company that grows bacteria for grease traps and other non-aquarium uses. Our bacteria were isolated by us from our aquaria and ponds and these are the environments they thrive in.

Cheers

 

Thank you again, Dr. Tim. Much appreciated.