Micro Bubbles

[caseyc02]

gettin micro bubbles comin out of the sump, how can i get rid of that?

 

[snakeblitz33]

It's situation specific. Could you post a pic or at least a better description o your sump?

 

[caseyc02]

pretty simple setup as you can see, it's a 75 gal tank, fairly young as in about 2 months but i can't seem to get rid of the bubbles.
pet store said to put the elbow on and it would resolve issue but it seems to not be getting any better.

 

[orangeyj]

What kind of pump are you running ?

 

[caseyc02]

Quote:
Originally Posted by orangeyj http:///t/391861/micro-bubbles#post_3477100
What kind of pump are you running ?
Supreme Danner Mag Drive 9.5

 

[orangeyj]

I have a proclear to, There is a spong between the bioballs and the pump. Maybe that will help ?

 

[geoj]

When my sump gets low the pump will suck air down from the surface like a funnel. I had room to Raise the water level to stop that with out making a flood when power was turned off.

 

[caseyc02]

Quote:
Originally Posted by GeoJ http:///t/391861/micro-bubbles#post_3477104
When my sump gets low the pump will suck air down from the surface like a funnel. I had room to Raise the water level to stop that with out making a flood when power was turned off.
yeah i noticed mine was dointg that too, but i raised the level and still blowing bubbles

 

[orangeyj]

They also sell a prefilter for that pump,

 

[caseyc02]

Quote:
Originally Posted by orangeyj http:///t/391861/micro-bubbles#post_3477106
They also sell a prefilter for that pump,
the fish store told us to use the elbow to solve the bubble problem, no difference tho

 

[acrylic51]

My first question is how far is the water dropping from the bio balls....... From the picture and what I can see it's dropping quite a bit, but the pic can be deceiving me......My first solution would be if the drop from the bio balls to the water surface is quite a bit, I would raise the water level to reduce the drop.......

 

[snakeblitz33]

I would also raise the water level some so that the water wouldn't be dripping/splashing off of the bioballs/sponge.
Another idea would be to move the pump farther away from the aquarium...
Another idea is to check all of your plumbing connections. A PVC union that isn't tight enough can certainly leak in bubbles. If you didn't get all of your PVC connections well sealed and if you are seeing any salt creep from your PVC joints, it could be sucking in some air.
Also, don't let your return water just dump in the tank, make sure the nozzle is underwater at least.

 

[caseyc02]

snake, i know it's def from the drip onto the bio balls, i was told not to have the water level about the bio balls, was this false?

 

[snakeblitz33]

Where your water level is now while your return pump is running with a marker. Then turn your pump off. Let the sump completely fill until it stops. Then, measure that line. Take a tape measure or other measuring device and measure the difference. Then, start at 1" below the top of your sump and make a mark. Then, take that measurement and make another mark at the bottom. That's the maximum fill level of your sump. If the max fill level of your sump is still underneath your bioballs, then don't do it. If it is way above - then just fill the sump up level with the balls - or even a half an inch higher.
It would also be good if you could put a lot of live rock under the bioballs, as well as a large foam block. But, keep in mind that you will have to maintain any filtration media - including biological filtration media like those bioballs and live rock rubble and sponges - so that they don't build up excessive amounts of detritus and become nitrate polluters.

 

[caseyc02]

thanks alot snake!!

 

[snakeblitz33]

Welcome! Good night.