Coralife 65 or CPR BakPak Skimmer

[albatross666]

Hi

Which skimmer is better to use on a 5 small fish setup in a startup reef setup of 55 gallons? I already have a Coralife, and other than the noise, I am satisfied with the gunk removal. But I have had persons on RC say its an evil skimmer.

Any advise is appreciated.
Thanks!

[marlin_dory]

i would say for u to go with the cpr bakpak

[albatross666]

Hi

Can you give me an idea why the CPR is better? I spend very recently about $100 on the Coralife, and I want to be sure that this skimmer is good according to the people who use it, rather than rely on ratings.

Thanks!

[DOTZ]

I own the CSS and just sold my bakpak. I think the CSS is a whole lot better, but it needs to be placed were the water level never changes to work best, like in a sump. I have mine hanging off the back of my 55 and if the water level moves just the littlest bit I have to refill or dialit back in, however, once dialed its a great skimmer.

[cd77]

I cursed the CSS before I got it tuned.

The Coralife is a fine skimmer. Like DOTZ said, it is very sensitive to water level changes. Once you have it dialed in though, it produces very well. There are some online guides worth reading about setting it up perfectly. Some people place the pump around the 2" mark to get better skimmate (though I keep mine closer to 3) and it's important that your diffuser be perfectly level. There are some easy to perform mod guides online too. One of the easiest to do that makes a big difference is the fishing line mod.

I have no experience with the CPR so I can't make a comparison.

[Vin7250]

i agree with all you guys that it is a great skimmer, although i disagree about its sensitivity, i mean i seem to never have much of a problem with its production, i have the 125 on my 40 breeder and im purchasing the 220 for my dads 100gal set up tonight as his current skimmer broke. I think its going to work great for his setup

[albatross666]

Hi

Let me tell you how I have it setup.

Mine is in the sump. Both the skimmer and pump are at the base of the sump. There is maybe 4-5 inches of water in the sump. Also, my skimmer is not straight vertical. There is a tilt since I am trying to cut down the noise using rubber suction cups.under the pumps and makeshift ones under the skimmer.

So this is not the ideal setup? Should I raise the pump a few inches from the base of the sump?


Thanks

[cd77]

albatross666 -- Yes, read the directions and follow it word for word. It really does make a big difference. As for the skimmer cylinder itself, I would imagine it should be vertical, but don't know..

Vin7250 -- The CSS 125 may be more forgiving. I've toyed around with the 65 as much as possible, and even when completely dry skimming if I leave it on when I feed (all pumps turned off, sump rises a good 6 inches) it will overflow.

[Vin7250]

got ya, i still think they are worth the money. My dad has a PM downdraft skimmer with a mag 9 running it, he spent A LOT of money on this unit and after only 2 or 3 years the acrylic cracked and the top broke off. When it was new it worked great, then as it got older it stopped working, and now after i had to silcone the top back together it pulls out all wet skimmate and barely works, my CSS 125 is pulling more out of my 40 gallon (just started a year ago and only has 3 corals no fish and all LR) per week then a 500$ skimmer pulls out of a fully stocked 90 gal.

[cd77]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11120202#post11120202 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Vin7250
got ya, i still think they are worth the money.
Agreed! :)