MY Tank Build Diary!

[scott t]

Quote:
Originally Posted by meowzer http:///t/382874/my-tank-build-diary/620#post_3412151
As long as it is not being blown away, I would leave it.....let it adjust
most of us (AHEM) just touch things too much.....LOLOLOL
yeah, I think I will see how it does, but its getting a lot more flow than it was before I readjusted the flow so I thought that might be it. I will give a few more days and see how it does and if things dont change with it then I will move it to a different spot to see how it does..

 

[kiefers]

Quote:
Originally Posted by meowzer http:///t/382874/my-tank-build-diary/620#post_3412151
As long as it is not being blown away, I would leave it.....let it adjust
most of us (AHEM) just touch things too much.....LOLOLOL

 

[scott t]

Ok, I am resisting moving the Hammer Coral in the tank to a new spot but its still not fully extended and as beautiful as it was before I move the PH to change the flow in the tank. Should I still just leave it for a few more days and see how it does? I also still can not figure out why I still have micro bubbles from the returns after putting the bigger pump back in the sump. Could the micro bubbles be affecting the Hammer, all the other corals are out and looking good, so I would think if it was the micro bubbles then it would affect all the corals. I think that maybe tomorrow night I will change back to the smaller pump in the sump because I can not stand the micro bubbles in the tank make its look like hell. I still think that I should move on of the power heads to the back side of the tank on the side panel to get more flow around the bottom of the tank or even add the other 750 I have there to help the flow. I just dont know what I should do.. LOL

 

[scott t]

Well I think that tomorrow I am going to move the hammer coral because its still not fully open and extended so I think its getting to much flow and not liking it. I was hoping that I would not have to but it does not look happy. All the other coral in the tank looks great except it so Its getting a new place in the tank tomorrow lol....

 

[acrylic51]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Scott T http:///t/382874/my-tank-build-diary/620#post_3412117
Ok I have changed the flow in the tank and it seems that there is more flow in the areas there was not, but there are 2 problems that I have run into with this. 1 which I am trying to figure out with the Help of Corey, since I put the bigger pump back in the sump for the DT, my dreaded Micro bubbles are back which is confusing me to no end, because the pump is fully submerged in water. I have check and there are no excess bubbles getting into the return section of the sump. It is just baffling why this is happening. 2nd thing is I have a pissed off Hammer coral, it was doing fine and nice and full, but since I have changed the flow in the tank it has not fully extended. It still looks good but just not out and as full as it was before I changed the flow in the tank. I want to know if I should move it to another spot in the tank to see if that will make a difference with the extension on it or should I just leave it alone and see how it does over the next few days. All the other corals in the tank seem to be doing fine and are happy.
Hey Scott!!!!!! 5 day weekends!!!!!! Any micro bubbles making it through the baffles, regardless of how small or minute, could be an issue and magnified in the DT.....The reason you are seeing the micro bubbles is that the larger pump is pushing the water quicker through the sump, not allowing enough time when the bubbles are introduced in the intake section of the sump to rise to the top to pop. They are being forced through the baffles, and sucked back up by the return pump. I'm sure if you get on your hands and knees with a flash light you'd be surprised you have quite a few more bubbles than you'd imagined at first......I know my friends think I'm nuts when I do checks like that with a flash light, but it does work.
If your not having the issues with the smaller return pump I'd probably opt to swap back to the smaller pump.....I'm behind on the learning curve here, but what are the dimension of the sump???? Baffle spacing????? How far does the water drop when it exits your drain into the sump?

 

[scott t]

Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///t/382874/my-tank-build-diary/640#post_3413841
Hey Scott!!!!!! 5 day weekends!!!!!! Any micro bubbles making it through the baffles, regardless of how small or minute, could be an issue and magnified in the DT.....The reason you are seeing the micro bubbles is that the larger pump is pushing the water quicker through the sump, not allowing enough time when the bubbles are introduced in the intake section of the sump to rise to the top to pop. They are being forced through the baffles, and sucked back up by the return pump. I'm sure if you get on your hands and knees with a flash light you'd be surprised you have quite a few more bubbles than you'd imagined at first......I know my friends think I'm nuts when I do checks like that with a flash light, but it does work.
If your not having the issues with the smaller return pump I'd probably opt to swap back to the smaller pump.....I'm behind on the learning curve here, but what are the dimension of the sump???? Baffle spacing????? How far does the water drop when it exits your drain into the sump?

Shawn this is the exact Diagram that I used to make my sump, this is the one Corey Designed for me for my 20g Long. I also didnt Install the bubble trap because one of the pieces of the glass got broke, I should have went and got another piece but didnt. And off the Elbow of the drain I have a 4" piece of PVC that goes into the water.

 

[acrylic51]

Hmmmm 1 question.....reading the diagram your spacing or width of your baffles from the intake section shows 2"?????

If each baffle has 1" between them, then you can have a total of 3 baffles and only use 2" of space? I'm suspecting you didn't space the baffles 1" apart?

 

[acrylic51]

Sorry for the numerous posts, but I think there's another issue......The sump we did for Flower is very similar, and I was pushing that sump with a Mag 9 I think and had no micro bubble issues. I had the return pump sitting in the return section and a short piece of hose just barely reaching the bubble tower, dumping water back in, and let it run wide open, and had no issues pushing the thing that hard......

 

[al&burke]

I am a bit confused from the skimmer section of your sump how many baffles are there - on your drawing you show three. The part you left out is the bubble trap. I think from what I see on my sumps - the water should run under the last baffle to eliminate any bubbles caused from water going over the last baffle into the return section of your sump. JMHO

 

[scott t]

The water runs over the first baffle, then runs under the second baffle, then runs over the 3rd baffle into the return section of the sump. ON the fuge side there are 2 baffles it runs over the first one then under the second one into the return section of the sump . there are picture of it on Page 2 of this thread!

 

[al&burke]

OK - check like SHawn said with a flash light to see if any bubbles are coming off the third baffle on the skimmer section side.

 

[1guydude]

well dont bubbles rise man? Do u know where the bubbles are coming from? U would think that the bubbles cant go under the baffle...idk???

 

[al&burke]

If there are enough of them they can and they also can be formed from the water going over the baffle.

 

[2quills]

Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///t/382874/my-tank-build-diary/640#post_3413852
Hmmmm 1 question.....reading the diagram your spacing or width of your baffles from the intake section shows 2"?????

If each baffle has 1" between them, then you can have a total of 3 baffles and only use 2" of space? I'm suspecting you didn't space the baffles 1" apart?
In the drawing I had the baffles pegged at 1 inch apart on center. Would would basically leave 3/4" spacing if the baffles are 1/4 thick.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Al&Burke http:///t/382874/my-tank-build-diary/640#post_3413857
I am a bit confused from the skimmer section of your sump how many baffles are there - on your drawing you show three. The part you left out is the bubble trap. I think from what I see on my sumps - the water should run under the last baffle to eliminate any bubbles caused from water going over the last baffle into the return section of your sump. JMHO
I wonder if that might be a better way to go on smaller sumps. I think the bubbles traps initial idea was to give time for micro bubbles to diffuse before they made it to the return section. But on smaller sumps the pump is pretty close to the water falling over the baffles and creating more bubbles. Hmmm
Size wise I think this set up is a pretty close kin to Flowers build. Scott says he hasn't observed any bubbles making their way to the pump. So I'm still wondering if that's really the issue or not.

 

[al&burke]

Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///t/382874/my-tank-build-diary/640#post_3413870
In the drawing I had the baffles pegged at 1 inch apart on center. Would would basically leave 3/4" spacing if the baffles are 1/4 thick.
I wonder if that might be a better way to go on smaller sumps. I think the bubbles traps initial idea was to give time for micro bubbles to diffuse before they made it to the return section. But on smaller sumps the pump is pretty close to the water falling over the baffles and creating more bubbles. Hmmm
Size wise I think this set up is a pretty close kin to Flowers build. Scott says he hasn't observed any bubbles making their way to the pump. So I'm still wondering if that's really the issue or not.
I am kind wondering myself - but if it is coming off the third baffle and like you said with these smaller sumps the return might be too close to the baffles. It might be just the case of putting a fourth baffle in so the water is running under the baffle (or removing the third baffles) an extra baffle could be added with the weather strip trick that Saxman should in a thread, I think it was Saxman!!!

 

[scott t]

I just looked again with a flash light and seems that the water is running smoothly over that last baffle on the skimmer side of the sump, and I still do not see any bubbles in the return section of the sump. I am just as baffled as all of you are why it only happens with the bigger pump and not the smaller pump. I also have my Step dad come down on saturday and tighten all the hose clamps on the return lines to make sure they were tight and no air would get into them. I am just totally stumped Maybe Shawn and Al are right maybe I should not have left the bubble tower out of the sump. Maybe the bubbles are getting thru and they are just micro and I can not really see them. I just am at whits end on why it is happening..

 

[scott t]

Quote:
Originally Posted by 1guyDude http:///t/382874/my-tank-build-diary/640#post_3413867
well dont bubbles rise man? Do u know where the bubbles are coming from? U would think that the bubbles cant go under the baffle...idk???
Well there are bubbles that are coming into the skimmer section of the sump and in the fuge section of the sump also. They are more prevalent in the skimmer section of the sump because more water is flowing into there than into the fuge section of the sump. So yes there are bubbles in both section of the sump but more so in the skimmer section, but when I look in the return section i see no bubbles.

 

[2quills]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Al&Burke http:///t/382874/my-tank-build-diary/640#post_3413873
I am kind wondering myself - but if it is coming off the third baffle and like you said with these smaller sumps the return might be too close to the baffles. It might be just the case of putting a fourth baffle in so the water is running under the baffle (or removing the third baffles) an extra baffle could be added with the weather strip trick that Saxman should in a thread, I think it was Saxman!!!
Another trick or idea would be to put an elbow on the intake of the return pump and have it turned down to draw water directly off the bottom of the tank.

 

[scott t]

Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///t/382874/my-tank-build-diary/640#post_3413878
Another trick or idea would be to put an elbow on the intake of the return pump and have it turned down to draw water directly off the bottom of the tank.
Yes That is why when i reinstalled the pump i have it turned on end so that the part where the intake is at is on the bottom of the sump. I thought that would help the problem but it has not.

 

[2quills]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Scott T http:///t/382874/my-tank-build-diary/640#post_3413882
Yes That is why when i reinstalled the pump i have it turned on end so that the part where the intake is at is on the bottom of the sump. I thought that would help the problem but it has not.

Ok. so lets think about this for a minute. Larger bubbles are easy to see and they rise to the surface fast. Tiny micro bubbles can sometimes be hard to see and actually remain suspended in the water column for quite a while. So perhaps it could still be micro bubbles making their way to the pump traveling along with the flow of things. Micro bubbles would be coming from the skimmer and not the intakes of the drains coming from the tank to the sump. Try some filter floss or filter pads in the bubble trap baffles just to test and see if that stops the issue. If it does then you know it's an issue with to fast of flow through the sump. If not then the problem has to be somewhere else. Something with the returns or return line itself. That would be my next logical step.