Fuge Problem

[LakeEd]

I just finished installing a 40 gallon fuge up next to my tank. I built a stand for it, so the fuge itself sits up level with the top of my tank... allowing free flow back into the tank.

That also is where I'm having some unexpected problems. No matter what flow rate up to my Fuge (from a trickle, to about 400gph)... I am getting bubbles back into my main display from the return.

Any ideas???

 

[Scooterman]

Yea dump it into your sump if you can?

 

[LakeEd]

Yea dump it into your sump if you can?

I could do that easily enough... but was trying for the "Free flow" idea from Fuge back to main tank... so pods & whatnot wouldn't have to travel thru any pumps. Or, is this something that just won't work???

 

[dnjan]

Are you flowing onto the surface of the main tank, or is the return from the 'fuge submerged? You might just be seeing bubbles from turbulence.

 

[LakeEd]

I have tried the return both ways... a couple inches below the surface, and slightly above. The air is comming from the Fuge side, sucking in thru the bulkhead along with the water, as it flows out of there.

 

[sryder]

put an elbow facing down on the inside of the fuge so your only drawing water and not air.

 

[LakeEd]

Kinda like a durso... good idea! I'll give that a go, and post back how it works.

 

[LakeEd]

Now.... THATS why Reef Frontiers is such a WONDERFUL PLACE!!!!

I have a brain-fart... not thinking, and you awesome people come up with an answer to my question!!!

The elbow on the Fuge side took care of all of the bubbles returning to my tank!!!

THANKS SRYDER!!!!

 

[burning2nd]

dude, micro bubbles in the main tank are normal after installling a new sump/fung.

you gotta get that slime coating stuff on the sump b4 the bubbles will stop.

get micro bubbles comeing from the tank 2 the sump will never stop (thats a good source of O2) but the ones comeing outta the return pump going to the tank, will stop in a few days.

IMO

 

[Scooterman]

Yea that was a brain fart, good idea sryder!

 

[Krish]

Glad you got it sorted out Ed! One of these days you'll need to show us a pic!

 

[LakeEd]

dude, micro bubbles in the main tank are normal after installling a new sump/fung.

you gotta get that slime coating stuff on the sump b4 the bubbles will stop.

get micro bubbles comeing from the tank 2 the sump will never stop (thats a good source of O2) but the ones comeing outta the return pump going to the tank, will stop in a few days.

IMO

This wasn't "micro bubbles"... it was bubbles caused by the bulkhead sucking in air as the water would go thru it... then being transfered via my return piping into my display tank. The simple addition of that elbow in the fuge took care of all those bubbles!

My main sump (90 gallons) has been up since I installed this tank into the wall... so all slime coating needed was built up long ago there.

All is working like a champ... with the added bonus now of having added a 40 gallon fuge ta-boot!

 

[LakeEd]

Yea that was a brain fart, good idea sryder!

Exactamatactily!!! Thats why we all come here, isn't it? For the awesome support this website offers us!

 

[LakeEd]

Glad you got it sorted out Ed! One of these days you'll need to show us a pic!

Krish,

I have a horrible little digital camera, but will work on getting some semi-decient pictures of my tank soon here. I need to get some pictures just for my own records, so what better time than to get them posted for everyone here to help me come up with ideas as well... huh?

 

[Slickdonkey]

Hey Ed, I had the same problem when I plumbed the overflow from my fuge into the sump. I solved it in the same manner, i.e. putting a downward facing 90-degree elbow on the overflow from the fuge, but this caused another problem: after a few weeks I got a really nasty film forming on the surface of the fuge that wasn't being skimmed off.

In the end I went back to the way it was; the bubbles turn out not to be a big deal in my particular configuration.

 

[snobanker]

I had the same problem, well actually I still do. I built my own strainer in the fuge that is a capped off piece of 3/4 PVC with a row of holes drilled on each side and along the top and its at the surface so it sucks a small amount of air. The bubbles didn't seem to affect anything in my main tank so I left it alone.

 

[LakeEd]

Stan,

That would work as a good strainer, to ensure any pieces from you MacroAlgae don't get into your main tank. Right now, my thoughts are to allow what ever wants to make it out of the fuge, into the tank... and I just didn't like the bubbles.

 

[sryder]

if you ever get the slime coat built up in the sump just simply turn the elbow up for a couple of seconds and its as good as gone.

 

[sryder]

kinda crude drawing but this works also.

 

[Slickdonkey]

if you ever get the slime coat built up in the sump just simply turn the elbow up for a couple of seconds and its as good as gone.

Good as gone into your display maybe, depending on the configuration. The kind of junk I was collecting I'd want to feed to the skimmer.