does anyone have any experience with berlin style skimmers?

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[MrsBode]

I've been looking at getting a airlift/internal style skimmer that goes in tank, and was curious if anyone had any experience with them.

I somehow acquired cynobacteria in my tank, which kind of sucks, but it made my husband agree to maybe letting me purchase more equiptment for my tank.

[Nate C.]

cyano is typically more related to dead spots in the tank that require more flow.  However, getting a skimmer is always a good thing, so use this to your advantage.  The big question with an in-tank skimmer is - will you have it in a location that will have a changing water level?  If so, you will constantly be fighting with it to keep it running optimally, since the level in the skimmer will follow the water level outside (if the water level on the outside gets higher than your desired setting in the skimmer, the level inside the skimmer will rise too, just due to equalization).  The best option is, raise the skimmer off the bottom by setting it up on something such that the running leve in the skimmer will ALWAYS be above the tank water level.  Then, provided the water level never gets low enough to have the pump sucking air, the skimmer will run consistantly regardless of the water level surrounding it in the tank.

[Ed]

I agree with Nate on Dead spots.   One of the most overlooked problems with Aquariums is Aquascaping.   You want to design your rock work in the center of tank.   Then design flow in your tank to allow your skimmer to work properly, allow nitrifying bacteria to work as it should.   Keeping flow allows corals to be fed, keeps corals clean,  keeps things suspended allowing your skimmer to work properly.