Microbubbles ARGGH

[akunochi]

Ok so I have micro bubbles getting sucked into my return from my sump. My sump is baffled and I put some LR rubble at the exit of the final baffle. I tried slowing the rate of flow through the sump and might try to reduce it more with the BV after the pump, but don't want to put too much resistance on the pump. Would adding foam in the baffle help? (I've heard of this done before). Is there some sort of mesh I can put in the intake of the bulkhead? It is causing my Zoo's to not open. I hate the troubles of a new tank.

 

[akunochi]

Okay keeping track of my progress in case I fix it before an answer arrives.

I dialed the return pump back just a touch more. Re-regulated the water flow from teh DT to the Sump. Bernie overflows are great for self adjusting.

I stacked some more ruble rock up after the final baffle.

I cut the pipe on the drain pipe from the DT so it is only about 1/4" below the water line (huge difference)

I added a filter sock back on to the drain pipe.

I also angled the locline on the return towards the surface a little more. So far no bubbles at all that are visual.

 

[Holygral]

Usually micro bubbles, are caused by air being sucked into your system somewhere. Is it pvc piping? You can have air being sucked in where water will not leak. Resear /glue around all the edges of you pvc. You want to stop them before they are into your system.

 

[akunochi]

OK thanks. Yeah they are back this morning. I will run a bead of cement around the plumbing again....what a pita.

 

[akunochi]

I found some small salt creep leaks. They were all on my closed loop though. I am going through and cleaning then adding pvc cement to those seams again. I swear between the amount of money I have put into the tank. The man hours building 99% of the stuff myself and the 16 hour days at work I am about to get rid of all of it. I can't even get the damn zoos to open to enjoy the tank because of stupid plumbing again!

I'm shutting down the closed loop to see if it cuts out the bubble problem. I am really just wanting to see these 4 polyps open before adding anything coral wise to the tank. This is almost as bad as wire tracing on a motor swap.

 

[tat2z_21]

Yeah it gets frustrating at times, and I have been to that point several times, almost giving all of this crap a hoist out the window. But once you get it dialed in and things start to settle and you get to relax and just maintain the tank. You just can't beat it.

 

[golf nut]

You can try plugging some or all the outlets and run the pump for a short period of time, ie just seconds at a time, it may well show the air leaks.

loc-line will draw air, keep it submerged.

 

[akunochi]

Does it show by pushing the water out of the leak points better? Ill give this a try. I'm running silicone around the joints on the pipes too when I get home in a bit.

 

[mal1099]

When my system was new i had micro bubbles. Went away after a few months guess my pipes slimed up or something.

 

[akunochi]

I've heard that. I realy wish I knew why my trial zoos just won't open but do fine in my other nano tank....all parameters are good as far as I can tell. The big three are at zero. The bubbles aggravating them are the only thing I can think of.

 

[akunochi]

Hmm just took a test of the waters today...seems the nitrate has spiked back up....perhaps another minicycle?

 

[estoniangirl]

bubbles?!?

did you ever get rid of the bubbles?!? i just set up my 39 gal and i got the micro bubbles too?!? annoying!!!:evil: what was the cause on your's?

Hmm just took a test of the waters today...seems the nitrate has spiked back up....perhaps another minicycle?

 

[akunochi]

I think mine is a faulty ball valve.. I got rid of them for awhile, but they keep coming back. I am changing everything from the sump to the returns....

Try siliconing the joints on your plumbing....

 

[mfinn]

You asked about using foam last month. Don't know if you have tried it, but I use foam blocks in my last set of baffles. With my setup it's more for keeping my cheato from going into the return pumps, but I don't get any micro bubbles from my skimmer.

 

[akunochi]

Yeah coarse foam worked well. It is def after the pump. I can literally hear air getting sucked in....

 

[estoniangirl]

i tweaked my skimmer and that got rid of "some" bubbles... so turned everything off my power heads, skimmer and the pump... turned the pump on first, i see just a few bubbles here and there. "few". then turned the skimmer on a few more bubbles got added.... then turned the K1 x2 and it's still the same, but a lot less bubbles than i had the first time... how bad is it if the tank still has a few bubbles here and there??? i only have live rock in there right now and sand...it's been running now for 2 weeks. when i start adding my corals from the other tank in a few weeks is it very bad to have these bubbles in the tank? or should i first figure out where the problem is before adding stuff? if i ever find it

 

[akunochi]

If it's only a few bubbles it should be fine as long as it isn't getting in the gills of your fish or irritating your corals.

 

[estoniangirl]

If it's only a few bubbles it should be fine as long as it isn't getting in the gills of your fish or irritating your corals.

Thank you!!!

 

[akunochi]

I beat it bu replacing the hard line with flex hosing.

 

[Myteemouse]

You got it!!
Good..