CPR Bakpak 2R Skimmer Help

[jcb152]

I'm thinking about buying a CPR Bakpak 2R Skimmer but I wanted to know if it's possible to mount it the the side of my wet/dry filter instead of the back of the tank. I have a 55gal with fish and LR no corals. If anyone has had any success with there CPR Bakpak 2R Skimmer mounted this way please let me know OR please suggest another skimmer that will will work well in a small wet/dry.

 

[JohnD]

jcb- I have experience with 55 FO tanks and Bakpaks, so let me try to answer your questions with a few questions of my own.

If you have LR in a 55, why do you also want a wet/dry?

Why not consider a BakPak or another HOT skimmer (like a Remora) to skim in concert with the LR doing biological filtration? Just make sure you have a few powerheads for water circulation.

This was not meant as a flame, but only to suggest some other alternatives. If you have any other questions, please feel free to e-mail me.

Regards,

JohnD

 

[MarkS]

I agree with John here. If you are going to use live rock and a skimmer, then the Wet/Dry is redundant. In fact, it could become harmfull over time. I would remove the bio-balls and use it as a sump.

As far as putting the skimmer on it, it really depends on the design of the Wet/Dry. The BakPak is only designed to accomodate the lip of an aquarium. If the Wet/Dry has a lip > 1", the skimmer will not fit.

Also, my Bak Pak never worked very well and then stopped working altogether. This seems to be common. If you have not bought it already I would recommend that you go with the Remora.

Mark

 

[JD]

Mark, just curious here, you say you're Bak Pak didnt work very well for you? What kind of problems did you have with it? I've had one on my 56 for about a year now with absolutely no problems,,, with no mods! But Im religious in my cleaning so that may be why... Just wondering is all... I think the main problem people are having with the Bak Pak is the Rio pump, What I did was to put a small amount of silicone around where the electric cord goes into the body of the pump, I believe this helped reduce the possibility of faiure due to moistuer getting into the pump...

 

[MarkS]

It never produced more than a thin, light green watery foam. That was with weekly cleanings and constant adjustments. It then just stopped working altogether. It would either fill the cup with water or nothing at all.