I can't get rid of these bubbles!!!

[mellow77]

Has anyone every had a problem with a pump producing bubbles as it pump water from a sump out the overflows? I've replaced all of the lines and connections and test them all numerous times thinking there has to be a leak somewhere.
Could it be my pump? I'm using a Little Giant in a 150 gallon setup.

 

[option720]

HMM??? I there anyway you could replace about a foot of the plumbing coming of the pump and put some clear hosing on there? That way you could see if the bubbles are are coming from the pump. By the way, did you use Teflon tape on all your male fittings?

 

[option720]

Oh Yeah, do you have a skimmer in the sump? That could be the cause of your bubbles.

 

[mellow77]

I do have a skimmer in my sump and I did use Teflon tape around all of my male fittings. I may have to try the clear hose because I've had my skimmer hooked up to another exact setup.....sump and pump.....and it did not produce bubbles. Thanks for advise.

 

[jastim]

I also had that problem and it was the skimmer in my sump. I was just testing the skimmer when I found this. I don't currently have it in operation since my tank is still cycling. Does anyone know of a good way to get rid of the bubbles in the sump without removing the skimmer? I would like to keep it in there but not if the bubble problem persists. Is this problem less severe if the skimmer is used as a hang-on? (By the way it is a sea clone skimmer)

 

[sweetjesus]

to get rid of skimmer bubbles,
#1 go to your local grocery store.
#2 buy a can of nestle quick
#3 drink a lot of chocolate milk
#4 throughly clean empty nestle quick container.
#5 place nestle quick container beneath skimmer out put

 

[jastim]

Not sure what you have in mind with that Nestle Q. container??? Care to elaborate? I think I found another way to "diffuse" the bubbles. I put a piece of filter floss (about 1/2" thick) around the skimmer output and that seemed to get rid of them. I am curious about the Nestle Q. though. Besides, I haven't had chocolate milk in a while.

 

[jimi]

Mellow 77 what kind of pump do you have? If it is external(outside the sump) most of the time if bubbles are being blown into the tank it is becasue there is a small unsealed area on the intake side of the pump. If you have a threaded fitting unscrew it double teflon tape it and screw it back in pretty tight. What happens is the water being sucked into the pump pulls air through the tiniest of spaces in the threads of the fitting.

 

[daluminum]

just use anything to catch the bubbles.. nestle quick is just a cup... just taste better than getting a white plastic cup with nothing in it..
I have a 32ounce plain white thin plastic cup with the bottom cut out and a few holes cut near the bottom.. then I stuffed it with filter floss and made it to where the output of the skimmer only had about a 1/2" drop to the floss so it would be very quiet.. also all the bubbles from the output contacting air will just go into the cup and all the water flows out the bottom.. The floss is rarely changed if your skimmer output is after your mechanical filter.. and if its before your mech filter than you will have an extra mech. filter that you will need to change quite often..

 

[daluminum]

oh and if you have a DSB with southdown it could be the "dust" still settling.. kinda waiting for the fine stuff to settle.. look and see if they are bubbles or particles..

 

[jastim]

The skimmer I am using is a Seaclone. It currently sits in my DIY sump. I have it discharging away from the pump inlet. The skimmer outlet is about 12-15 inches away from the pump inlet. It is as far away from the pump inlet as I can get. The sump water line is about 3-4 inches below the collection cup.

 

[jastim]

Just to update, I took a Rubbermaid sandwich container put one layer of filter floss and one layer of carbon pad on top of that in the container. I sat the container directly underneath the skimmer output and so far it looks like I have reduced bubbles in my sump and tank. I'll let it run overnight to see what things look like in the AM.

 

[mellow77]

Thanks for all of the advise. I still think it is really my pump. I can see no bubbles leaving the sump heading towards my pump *clear tubing* and I have resealed and replaced almost every relevant line. I've also taken the skimmer out and it is still producing bubbles.

 

[mellow77]

It is a Little Giant pump.