Anyone got any tricks to remove air bubbles out of sump

[rayraypico]

Since setting up my new filtration I have been stuck with the problem of air bubbles blowing from my sump to my tank. I have notices that my protien skimmer is the cause of the air bubbles and now that I have a more powerfull pump it is sucking the air bubbles to my upper tank. How can I stop this from happening????

 

[aarone]

baffles maybe? just a t hought.
Aaron

 

[rayraypico]

what is a baffle. This is a new term for me

 

[aarone]

like dividers in the sump made from plexiglass.
You can use them to make the water different levels in the sump.

 

[chevydragtruck]

I had to use a piece of foam filter set up vertical for the skimmer outlet to run through...it slows the water down kind of like a "water slide" and also lets the helps get the really small bubbles out of the water.

 

[jmesmcm]

Baffles definately work very well. You want to set up 2 of them so it has to go under 1 and over the other before getting to your return pump. This ensures that there is enough time for the bubbles to naturally float to the surface and pop before getting pumped back up to the display tank.

 

[bullshark]

slow down the skimmer a bit

 

[david s]

If you look in the center of my sump there are 3 baffles the first the water goes under 2rd it goes over and the 3rd under again this stops the bubles from making it to my return pump after the 3rd baffle. it is also a safty if my tank overflows it can only pump a few gallons of water

 

[nicky1.8t]

davids, where did you get the thick acrylic, to make the baffles. I went to home depot and lowes and could only find really thin stuff?

 

[zafirablanca]

I used 1/4" plexiglass from Home Depot, for my sump baffles.. They sell a cheap scoring tool that you can use to cut it with also. It is a bit tedious, but once its done, you never have to do it again. I used aquarium silicone from the pet store to glue them in place. Use books to prop up the baffles until the silicone dries.
The photo above is basically what I set up in my sump (as far as baffles go). Virtually eliminates bubble problems, cheap and easy. This is a great DIY project.
Good luck,
-Christine

 

[alsie]

I put a little electrical tape around the OD of the inlet of my return pump and used a pcv pipe elbow to get as close to the bottom of my sump as to get return water free of bubbles. Cost you around $.50 to give it a try. Worked for me.

 

[thewizzrd]

Something I saw at an LFS the other day and that I am thinking about trying is he had like a plastic rug type sheets in his tank. Like the kind you scrape your boots on to clean the bottom if you know what I mean. I think it serves two pruposes. One, it breaks up the water flow from your over flow which will allow the bubbles to dissapate, and also, it creates another, adn larger surface for bacteria to grow. Kinda like a bio ball.

 

[scottnj]

you could probably also put a pre-filter on your sump return pump, it should get rid of the bubbles as well.
-Scott