Cpr Bak Pak 2 Protein Skimmer Help

[fryeguy82]

does anyone use or have any experience with this skimmer? i'm settung up a new tank with this and having some trouble. please reply if you can help.

thanks,
chris

 

[rabbut]

What exactly is wrong? Pictures or a description would be useful. Many skimmers are similar, and most work on the same principal as others in their type and class, so images and a description would be best to help us help you

 

[chrissaysyes]

I have one. It's loud and annoying but it was cheap and removes loads of skimmate. In all honesty, I've grown sort of fond of it. What seems to be your problem?

 

[fryeguy82]

I have one. It's loud and annoying but it was cheap and removes loads of skimmate. In all honesty, I've grown sort of fond of it. What seems to be your problem?

i just put this on a new 29 us gallon tank on saturday. i probably should have let it run for a couple days before i posted as most of the problems have subsided. at first it was letting large amounts of micro bubbles back into the tank now they are quite minimal. my questions would be, is it better to open the air valve more or less? i've closed the air valve to where the noise is tolerable and the bubble chamber is full of micro bubbles and pushing foam up the collection tube. also, i'm still getting micro bubbles returning to the tank 2 days after set up will this stop or will i have to deal with it?

also some tank info: it's 29 us gallons, has 20 lbs of live sand, and about 20 pounds of fiji rock. it is filled with RO saltwater from my LFS. i plan to let the rocks cycle the tank for about 2 weeks. this i my first saltwater tank so any other general info would help too. or links to any good threads.

thanks,
chris

 

[chrissaysyes]

Well mine actually came with a black acrylic thing to place over the bulkhead on the overflow to prevent micro bubbles from being visible in the display, however, I run my skimmer in my sump so I dont use that piece. Actually I do use it on the hose running from my overflow box to my sump because it reduces splashing and evaporation a bit. You can buy that piece seperate for like $5 on ebay if yours didnt come with it. The ones on ebay actually have a little filter on the top that filters the surface of your display, which is kinda nifty. Closing that air valve does reduce (or in my case eliminate) the grinding sound, but it also decreases the microbubbles. I've just learned to live with the grinding for now.

 

[fryeguy82]

Well mine actually came with a black acrylic thing to place over the bulkhead on the overflow to prevent micro bubbles from being visible in the display, however, I run my skimmer in my sump so I dont use that piece. Actually I do use it on the hose running from my overflow box to my sump because it reduces splashing and evaporation a bit. You can buy that piece seperate for like $5 on ebay if yours didnt come with it. The ones on ebay actually have a little filter on the top that filters the surface of your display, which is kinda nifty. Closing that air valve does reduce (or in my case eliminate) the grinding sound, but it also decreases the microbubbles. I've just learned to live with the grinding for now.

thanks, i figured that the sound wasn't going away. do you leave your vent all the way open or closed a little?

the bag that comes with it to eliminate bubbles is only for the larger bubbles that come in when air and water exit the skimmer not the little ones, they just slip right on through.

thanks for all of your help.