Best way to get rid of micro bubbles ?

[Nitro Junkie]

I'm sure it's any easy fix. I put the filter back on my mag 7 thats in my sump to see if that helps any other tips ? :(

[vaironman]

Take a pix of your sump. Need to see the arrangement.

[davelin315]

Baffles! Filter bags! Eliminate any holes in the return line!

 

I agree, need to see a picture and a description of the sump arrangement.

[Nitro Junkie]

here is a link to my tank thread in the member forum

 

http://www.wamas.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=15574

 

keep in mind now there is chaeto under the bio balls held in place by diffuser panel with a skimmer in the middle chamber (which i think is generating the bubbles on the outflow pipe) there is some filter media at the bottom of the first baffle after that is the mag 7 that until last night i had no sponge filter on (the one it comes with)

 

I'll post updated pics this evening.

Edited July 18, 2007 by Nitro Junkie

[vaironman]

here is a link to my tank thread in the member forum

 

http://www.wamas.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=15574

 

keep in mind now there is chaeto under the bio balls held in place by diffuser panel with a skimmer in the middle chamber (which i think is generating the bubbles on the outflow pipe) there is some filter media at the bottom of the first baffle after that is the mag 7 that until last night i had no sponge filter on (the one it comes with)

 

I'll post updated pics this evening.

 

 

Nitro,

 

Put a sponge all across the little gap between the skimmer chamber and the water return chamber and the little bubble issue should be taking care of, I think.

 

KLee/Lee

[Rascal]

here is a link to my tank thread in the member forum

 

http://www.wamas.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=15574

 

keep in mind now there is chaeto under the bio balls held in place by diffuser panel with a skimmer in the middle chamber (which i think is generating the bubbles on the outflow pipe) there is some filter media at the bottom of the first baffle after that is the mag 7 that until last night i had no sponge filter on (the one it comes with)

 

I'll post updated pics this evening.

 

Do the micro bubbles go away soon after you turn off the skimmer?

 

What type of skimmer is it? There may be a way to solve the problem right there.

[vaironman]

Nitro,

 

Put a sponge all across the little gap between the skimmer chamber and the water return chamber and the little bubble issue should be taking care of, I think.

 

KLee/Lee

 

btw, I have an unused piece of foam that you can have and try it out or you can get them from BRK. LMK, I live in Sterling.

[bigJPDC]

Have you tried reducing the flow in your return plumbing? Dial it back a-ways and see what happens.

 

Adding sponges to your system will also be adding more nitrate sinks.

 

jp

[vaironman]

Have you tried reducing the flow in your return plumbing? Dial it back a-ways and see what happens.

 

Adding sponges to your system will also be adding more nitrate sinks.

 

jp

 

 

Clean it out once a month when you're doing your water change (hopefully, you're doing more than once a month water change) with the water is being dumped out. The other benefit of adding the sponge in between two chambers will be a place for the good bacteria to grab on and do its water filter/cleaning function for us.

[davelin315]

Duh... I've been posting on that thread as well and never noticed it was the one you were asking about.

 

You need to install some more baffles in order to remove your splashing. Or, in the alternative, you can layer rubble in the bottom of your sump below the bioball chamber. This will help to remove some of your bubbles. The cascading action of the drip plate will result in you getting lots of microbubbles in your system, but again, you can counteract this by adding another set of baffles or by adding the rubble to the bottom to catch the microbubbles and let them bubble out.

 

Another alternative is to raise the water level in the sump so that the bubbles have more time to escape. Also, with the submersible pump, take a 90 degree elbow and put it on the end turned down. This will prevent some of the bubbles from getting into the pump (not all of them, though).

[Nitro Junkie]

Duh... I've been posting on that thread as well and never noticed it was the one you were asking about.

 

You need to install some more baffles in order to remove your splashing. Or, in the alternative, you can layer rubble in the bottom of your sump below the bioball chamber. This will help to remove some of your bubbles. The cascading action of the drip plate will result in you getting lots of microbubbles in your system, but again, you can counteract this by adding another set of baffles or by adding the rubble to the bottom to catch the microbubbles and let them bubble out.

 

Another alternative is to raise the water level in the sump so that the bubbles have more time to escape. Also, with the submersible pump, take a 90 degree elbow and put it on the end turned down. This will prevent some of the bubbles from getting into the pump (not all of them, though).

 

 

You mean put a 90 on the mag 7 right?

 

With the live rock rubble does it need to be high enough to rest just under the bio balls (which will be coming out little by little) ?

[davelin315]

Put the 90 on the intake of the mag 7. Yank all of the bio-balls, don't wait, doesn't make any sense at this early stage. Fill the chamber all the way up so that the water has to go through the rubble to make its way out. You'll essentially be creating a very aerobic zone for the rubble, but it'll still have portions that are "dead zones" that will be anaerobic. Also, you'll set yourself up with a nice natural sponge filter as well since the rock will provide a great place for sponges to grow. These will also filter out your water for you. It'll also serve another purpose of being a refugium to boot.

[bigJPDC]

Clean it out once a month when you're doing your water change (hopefully, you're doing more than once a month water change) with the water is being dumped out. The other benefit of adding the sponge in between two chambers will be a place for the good bacteria to grab on and do its water filter/cleaning function for us.

 

Welllll . . . . they start leeching back nitrates after 5-7 days . . . and the live rock and dsb in the tank is what provides us those good bacteria, plus a way to remove the nitrate they then produce . . .

 

In any event, a long term approach would be to establish plumbing and flow that minimizes the bubbles to a point where they are gone or don't bother you, not changing out, bleaching and Genesissing sponges on a regular basis. I tried it and spent close to $30 on sponges from LFS's with the same advice, which have now been trashed, and didn't help my bubble issues anyway.

 

See what happens first by dialing back your flow or using a smaller pump, then attack the way the water gets into your sump and to the return pump. Plus remember that as your slime coat develops on the plumbing, water slips through more and bubbles and noise are reduced. I spent a lot of time on this part of my tank build, and would be happy to help out.

 

HTH,

jp

[Nitro Junkie]

Should I throw a filter sock on the end of the 90 or try it without first?

[davelin315]

Should I throw a filter sock on the end of the 90 or try it without first?

No, you'll just suck it into the pump.

[Nitro Junkie]

**UPDATE**

 

About 75% of the micro bubbles are gone.

 

1) Put a 90 degree elbow on the intake of the mag7

2) Surrounded the intake with LR Rubble

3) Put a sponge on the end of the Skimmer Outlet

 

 

I'm still going to put a sponge between the baffles and more LR Rubble under the bio ball tray to hopefully finish them off. I dont know if its possible to get rid of 100% of them or not but this should give me my sanity back

 

Thanks to all your help guys/gals !!!!!