Bubble King Skimmer Club
- Thread starter JohnL
- Start date
flipteg
New member
yes, i knew about the limit line. i wasn't trying to follow it but i am using bio pellets and it seems to make the foammate very foamy. when i tried to go past above the line limit, all i get is water. as low as i have it now, the skimmate is still a bit clear. but i think it might still be breaking in so i will see how it goes.
Reef_Noob
New member
shaggss
Active member
Remember your tank is only 57G too. Mine is a 50G and this skimmer is a beast. I had to set mine to skim fairly dry and clean the riser tube every couple of days. I have since added a Swabbie and can skimmer a little wetter now.
Eauturquoise
New member
Hi everyone,
Tagging along with my BBK 180 Mini :
@+
Laurent
Tagging along with my BBK 180 Mini :
@+
Laurent
moondoggy4
Team RC
Looking good Laurent I like your sump layout.
Sump Depth Range?
Sump Depth Range?
Jeremey (or anyone else who is running a Supermarin 200), do you know if there is any reason why we can't run the sump depth at 6.5" inches in teh skimmer section? I've been experimenting with various depths between 6.5" and 8" and it seems to work fine. The Red Dragon pump is slightly exposed, so maybe that is an issue? But I think you can run these pumps external if you want to? The reason I am asking is that I am going to be building my custom sump soon and want to determine the optimal height to set the baffles. You really need baffles with this skimmer!!
By the way, I am loving my BK SM 200. I'll try and post some pics later. Thanks Jeremy for pointing me in the right direction!
Cheers
Brett
Sump Depth Range?
Jeremey (or anyone else who is running a Supermarin 200), do you know if there is any reason why we can't run the sump depth at 6.5" inches in teh skimmer section? I've been experimenting with various depths between 6.5" and 8" and it seems to work fine. The Red Dragon pump is slightly exposed, so maybe that is an issue? But I think you can run these pumps external if you want to? The reason I am asking is that I am going to be building my custom sump soon and want to determine the optimal height to set the baffles. You really need baffles with this skimmer!!
By the way, I am loving my BK SM 200. I'll try and post some pics later. Thanks Jeremy for pointing me in the right direction!
Cheers
Brett
Hi Brett, as long as the pump is not sucking air and cavitating then you'll be just fine. Obviously you want it to only suck air through the venturi, not the inlet of the pump. In my opinion though I would set the baffles to 8+ inches, then you can always raise the skimmer up some to your desired height. If you set them to 6.5" then you're stuck at that point if you ever want to go deeper.
Thanks Jeremy.
My plan is to set the baffles at 7". I am assuming that since I'll be pushing1500 gph through the sump (dimensions 33x24x16) the actual level will be higher then the baffles. How much higher I don't know. I know in my DT, it increased the height by about an 1". Couple that unknown with the idea of trying to maxmize the overflow capacity of the sump and I have to be careful not to over shoot my baffle height too, otherwise I won't have enough overflow capacity. I have three tanks (fuge, prop, and DT all flowing back to this sump, all with check valves). And it will be close. I could make the sump taller, but that creates some minor issues with skimmer collection cup drain which is just above 16". A minor problem/design consideration that can be addressed . I might just use a small bulkhead below the rim of the sump and connect the skimmer cup drain to it.
Thanks again for the feed back Jeremey!
My plan is to set the baffles at 7". I am assuming that since I'll be pushing1500 gph through the sump (dimensions 33x24x16) the actual level will be higher then the baffles. How much higher I don't know. I know in my DT, it increased the height by about an 1". Couple that unknown with the idea of trying to maxmize the overflow capacity of the sump and I have to be careful not to over shoot my baffle height too, otherwise I won't have enough overflow capacity. I have three tanks (fuge, prop, and DT all flowing back to this sump, all with check valves). And it will be close. I could make the sump taller, but that creates some minor issues with skimmer collection cup drain which is just above 16". A minor problem/design consideration that can be addressed . I might just use a small bulkhead below the rim of the sump and connect the skimmer cup drain to it.
Thanks again for the feed back Jeremey!
bayoupr
New member
I had my baffles set at 9" and the level ran at 9.5". My new sump has the baffles at 10" and it is running at 10.5". Both sumps were moving 800-1000g per hour. Seems like you would run at 7.5" to me. My 200 is running in 8.5" of water. I tried it at 6.5, 7, 7.5 and 8. Both 8&8.5 worked the best for me.
docwells
Member
Does anyone know where you can order a replacement pump for a BK Mini 160 Gen1? My motor seems to be dying. I found my skimmer off yesterday. I took it down and cleaned it completely. I found no blockages or reasons it should be off. I restarted it and it was making a surge up and down sound. Then it shut off. Then it would restart then cut off. I tried it in different electrical outlets and got same response.
So today, I took it apart again. Found no problems with it. Got it in sump and restarted it. It turned on for about 10 seconds then turned off. It repeated this cycle a couple of times then stopped.
Since I bought this when they originally became available, I figured it might have lived it's lifespan.
Question is where can I get a pump replacement? I don't want to throw away this skimmer. It has been a work horse.
So today, I took it apart again. Found no problems with it. Got it in sump and restarted it. It turned on for about 10 seconds then turned off. It repeated this cycle a couple of times then stopped.
Since I bought this when they originally became available, I figured it might have lived it's lifespan.
Question is where can I get a pump replacement? I don't want to throw away this skimmer. It has been a work horse.
apt220
Member
Hi everyone,
Tagging along with my BBK 180 Mini :
@+
Laurent
Laurent, how did you take the top part of the riser tube off? I've been trying to pull mine off, but it seems like it is glued.
flipteg
New member
has anyone else experience the white part of the collection cup staining? i've had my Mini 160 for a couple of weeks now. the longest i've gone between cup cleanings is 4 days. i usually get it cleaned every 2 or 3 days. the white part of the cup where the skimmate sits and makes contact has discolored to a dark greenish gray. i'm wondering if anyone else has noticed this. i do not dose anything except for 2 parts. i do not run GFO either.
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