Recommend me a BK skimmer

[timger]

Hi

I have almost made up my mind, to buy a BK skimmer, in order to get something there is just working.

My DT is 240 liters (~60gallons I think) and total water volume is around 270 liters (~70gallons I think).

Is the Mini it Double Cone the way to go, and what size?

I've heard a lot of great things about the speedy pumps, but are the skimmers without them quiet as well?

Thank you :-)

[slief]

For your size tank, i would suggest the Mini 160. The smaller skimmers don't use the RD3 Speedy pumps. Instead they use the Red Dragon 1 pumps which are still great pumps. We have customers with skimmers that are over 10 years old still running the same pump. As long as you stay on top of your maintenance, these pumps will last a long long time.

[timger]

So the mini over the double cone?
I'm not doubting the quality of the pumps, I know they are great. That's one of the reasons, I am choosing a BK skimmer, so I get something there is working, for a long time :-)

Will the mini 160 could be used in tanks with 350-400 liters? Not that I think the wife will allow an upgrade, but you never know :b

[slief]

Originally Posted by timger

So the mini over the double cone?
I'm not doubting the quality of the pumps, I know they are great. That's one of the reasons, I am choosing a BK skimmer, so I get something there is working, for a long time :-)

Will the mini 160 could be used in tanks with 350-400 liters? Not that I think the wife will allow an upgrade, but you never know :b

The Mini 160 is rated to 500l so it will be fine if you upgrade. I suggested the Mini over the double cone because it's less finicky and easy to setup than the double cone. The mini 160 is a set it and forget it skimmer where as the Double Cone 130 and Double Cone 150 have an adjustable nozzle that you use to fine tune the skimmer. It makes the skimmers much more sensitive to adjustments and water levels where as the Mini is much easier to setup.

[timger]

Ok, I see. But isn't it better to have the fine tuning possible?
The water level in the sump is constant, so when the Double Cone is set up correct, then it should just run?

Sorry for my many, maybe dumb, questions - I just want to get the right skimmer, the best of those, and understand it correctly :-)

[slief]

Originally Posted by timger

Ok, I see. But isn't it better to have the fine tuning possible?
The water level in the sump is constant, so when the Double Cone is set up correct, then it should just run?

Sorry for my many, maybe dumb, questions - I just want to get the right skimmer, the best of those, and understand it correctly :-)

To a degree but the Mini doesn't really need any tuning. The tuning on the double cone comes in the form of the adjustable nozzle which you turn to adjust the air to water ratio. It also has a direct impact on bubble size. For many, the adjustable nozzle makes the skimmer difficult to tune. Every tank is different due to loads, sump levels, salinity etc. Because of this, what works settings wise for one person will not work for the next. On the smaller double cones, the skimmer is VERY sensitive to water levels and nozzle adjustments. A fraction of a turn on the nozzle can be the difference in it overflowing or not and you need to wait hours between adjustments because every time you put your hand in the sump to make an adjustment, the oils from your skin change the surface tension of the water which impacts foam fractionation within the skimmer. The Mini strikes a good balance in terms of air and water flow and eliminates the trouble of finding the sweet spot for the nozzle. Also keep in mind that the ideal setting on the smaller double cones will change as you increase your load and as such, you may need to further tweak the nozzle as the load in the system increases or decreases due to new additions.. Like I said, the only thing you need to worry about is the sump depth. Thus, for somebody with limited experience in fine tuning skimmers, the Mini will be a much easier skimmer to setup and will work well right out of the box.

[timger]

Originally Posted by slief

To a degree but the Mini doesn't really need any tuning. The tuning on the double cone comes in the form of the adjustable nozzle which you turn to adjust the air to water ratio. It also has a direct impact on bubble size. For many, the adjustable nozzle makes the skimmer difficult to tune. Every tank is different due to loads, sump levels, salinity etc. Because of this, what works settings wise for one person will not work for the next. On the smaller double cones, the skimmer is VERY sensitive to water levels and nozzle adjustments. A fraction of a turn on the nozzle can be the difference in it overflowing or not and you need to wait hours between adjustments because every time you put your hand in the sump to make an adjustment, the oils from your skin change the surface tension of the water which impacts foam fractionation within the skimmer. The Mini strikes a good balance in terms of air and water flow and eliminates the trouble of finding the sweet spot for the nozzle. Also keep in mind that the ideal setting on the smaller double cones will change as you increase your load and as such, you may need to further tweak the nozzle as the load in the system increases or decreases due to new additions.. Like I said, the only thing you need to worry about is the sump depth. Thus, for somebody with limited experience in fine tuning skimmers, the Mini will be a much easier skimmer to setup and will work well right out of the box.

Ok, now I get it :-)
It sounds like the Mini 160 is the right one for me.

Thank you so much for the time to tell me, untill I understand it :-)

[slief]

Originally Posted by timger

Ok, now I get it :-)
It sounds like the Mini 160 is the right one for me.

Thank you so much for the time to tell me, untill I understand it :-)

Glad to help!