yes you can run 2 becketts without the second riser upgrade. i just sold my mr2. i wanted a nw skimmer. i had 1 new and 1 old style beckett as well. i ran a titanium t4 on mine. i only used 1 beckett though. the new becketts dont have as much head pressure as the old. i had it on a genx pcx40 at first, and it was LOUD so i switched pumps. i never regretted the move either. the t4 pumps are completely silent. the becketts make noise, but not those pumps. you would probably want to use one for each beckett though, and they are not cheap. i also hear the blueline pumps are decently quiet, but not even in the same ballpark as the t4. i think the blueline would run both becketts itself though, but you will have one beckett putting out more than the other, because the old becketts head pressure. go with 2 separate pumps if possible.
also. give it a good vinegar bath right before you hook it up, and when you turn it on, turn the air all the way off, set your water level right above the top of the black box, take the silencers off,(it will be loud, but just for 1 night) and then turn the air all the way on and let it run all night. (assuming you have the waste collector) if you dont have the waste collector, make sure your waste jug is in your sump, because you could wake up to a gang of skimmate, or even an overflowing jug. then once you get it skimming adjust it the way you want it. i left mine wide open. with the silencer on. that gave me wonderful results. ohh once you turn it on... keep your hands out of the tank, and dont feed.
1 thing to remember. as soon as you put your hands in the tank, or feed, your skimmer will immediately stop skimming. it wont start back for at least an hour or 2.
