CPR Aquatic BAK PAK 2R
- Thread starter snelly50
- Start date
Is it recommended or to leave it empty? Granted I have only tested my nitrate with test strips, that's all I have at the moment, but it's showing 40ppm. Everything else is in check when I tested with my tetra test kit. If I take that bio media out should my nitrate level drop? I don't have a high fish load, only 3, and I don't feed heavily.
I was a little confused when I first set mine up, also without instructions. If yours came with the standard Rio 600 pump/powerhead, you want to connect a short airline tube to one of the little elbow outlets and run it to the little inlet on the uplift tube. Then you want to connect another airline tube to the other little elbow outlet and have the other end of this tube out of the water so it is pulling in air. Attach the whole thing onto the only tube on your skimmer that it will fit onto, slot it over the side of your tank, and bob's your mothers brother, a functioning HOB skimmer.
You are going to want to adjust the elastic stopper that goes the collection cup so that the cup sits higher or lower in the water. Higher for a thicker skimmate (but not too high or you'll get nothing) and lower for more watery skimmate.
Hope this helps.
You are going to want to adjust the elastic stopper that goes the collection cup so that the cup sits higher or lower in the water. Higher for a thicker skimmate (but not too high or you'll get nothing) and lower for more watery skimmate.
Hope this helps.
Depends, although bio media in the BakPak can trap detritus and therefor set itself up as little nitrate factory, your tank is so new with such a small bioload that this is unlikely to be a problem for you.
I think if you were to add the biomedia it would probably help to bring your nitrate level down by providing a large area for your benefitial bacteria to grow on (thats its purpose).
I think if you were to add the biomedia it would probably help to bring your nitrate level down by providing a large area for your benefitial bacteria to grow on (thats its purpose).
The CPR Bakpak 2R doesn't or shouldn't come with biobale. That is the regular bakpak. The 2R has a long water return tube that goes down into the chamber to eliminate microbubbles. I have mine set up with the preskimmer box and have no microbubbles at all. It has the rio pump but I am thinking of upgrading it. I also run a small airstone down into the bubble chamber and it doubled my skimmate production....it is set up on a relatively new 20g with light bioload and produces about a 1/2 cup every two days of green tea skimmate and scum.
I purchased the biobale seperatly thinking it could help. I don't know though. I assumed I could put it in there for additional biological filtration, but now I think I might take it out to see what happens.
Putting an airstone inside of it really helps that much? I have an air pump what kind of airstone do i need?
Putting an airstone inside of it really helps that much? I have an air pump what kind of airstone do i need?
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Cool, I'll take care of that when I get home then test out that little air stone.
Does it matter that the bubbles coming out of the airstone a a little larger? And in the process of getting that airstone in the bubble chamber I made my tank all cloudy. It was partly because I took my biobale out.
Does it matter that the bubbles coming out of the airstone a a little larger? And in the process of getting that airstone in the bubble chamber I made my tank all cloudy. It was partly because I took my biobale out.
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Smaller bubbles are more effective at extracting skimmate, so a microbubble airstones are a better choice for overclocking bakpaks. Smaller the bubbles are also less inclined to escape through the chambers and enter your tank.
You could turn down the rate of your airpump, but that kind of defeats the object of overclocking.
Leaving the biobale in the bakpak will also prevent the bubbles clouding your display, and as I said before, you have such a light bioload that you are in no danger of increased nitrates. It'll actually help you with your nitrates - for now.
You could turn down the rate of your airpump, but that kind of defeats the object of overclocking.
Leaving the biobale in the bakpak will also prevent the bubbles clouding your display, and as I said before, you have such a light bioload that you are in no danger of increased nitrates. It'll actually help you with your nitrates - for now.
I don't know about you but I want something that is easy to clean, runs perfectly and doesn't add to any water issues. In fact I just removed the pre-skimmer box on my cpr as the sponge in the water return is almost impossible to get out to clean without dismantling everything and is a pain in the butt.....so.....I will see if there is any difference, I may add the box back to pre-skim but leave out the sponge as I don't have any microbubbles back in the tank.......