What kind of powerhead is running the UV sterilizer? Is there any chance it is sucking air and dumping it into the 3rd chamber ?
BTW, another Kelowna reefer here guys !!

The snapper is too big at full tilt, cut it back to 1/3 or so, the pump is designed to do that and will be fine.

Keep the foam blocks in and run your sump lower...this will make sure NO water spills over the first baffle plate and all has to go under the plate and through all the foam.( therefore getting rid of the micro bubbles that the socks didnt catch)

This will also be your indicator that the foam is getting clogged, as the water in the first section will start to spill over the first baffle...right now its running like the foam is clogged....this is tellin me your flow is way too high, and/or your sump water level is.

Likley when you have the micro socks and your flow is right, you can remove the foam.

If micro bubbles are coming into the third chamber, your flow is too much or water is coming "over" the first plate...or possibly a leak in your intake side of your pump.(seems youve already considered this)

Micro socks on the exit pipes.

You dont need a high "sump to tank" turnover rate...keep it low enouph to provide the tank with adequate surface skimming and thats all, your main tank flow will be provided by "in" tank powerheads or closed loops.

Any pumps or fluval exit lines NEED to be returned to the first or second chamber...not near the intake for the return pump....fluvals constantly spit air.

Try putting an elbow and a small piece of pipe onto the inside of the intake bulkhead, and place the intake to an area of the sump that is less likley to have air bubbles. (usually a corner)

Marc.

Captain Hemo, The powerhead doing that is an 802. the output is in first chamber.

Marc,

With the snapper at 1/3 on both lines, there is alomst no flow. yes, after a day or two the bubbles would dissipate. but there would be next to no flow in the tank.

there is no fluval running on the system at all.. in the pic its just hose running from a 802, through a uv steralizer, and back to the tank.

I had a lengthy phone call with Marc from Hidden reef already, and tried some stuff. It was hard because obviously if anyone could "see" the setup, im sure they would see the problem, or have a great fix to it. He suggested some foam blocks that are used in the sumps, and it was just accidently forgotten, so i should be seeing that soon.

I am unable to find the socks to fit this sump here in kelowna so im gonna have to order them up.

Microbubbles do go into the third chamber, however, not because water flows over the first weir, they just go through the entire sump .

Im positive there is no leak in the pump side of the plumbing. I used an eniter can of the weldon 705 yesterday.

My main tank flow is now the problem. when i bought this, i bought it because i did not want to use power heads anymore, and was told this would be the route to take.

Arghh. the frustration.....
:morning:

Sent you another PM. As alway Marc (Superfudge) has some excellent technical advice. I wasn't aware that the Snapper pumps were okay to run throttled back to 1/3 flow.

Glenn

...as long as you throttle them back on the intake, and not the ouput.

Now im confused. I was told that i throttle them on the output of the pump, Never the intake of it. hmmm

I'm an idiot. Still working on my first cup of coffee....that's what I meant. SORRY! :redface:

LOL

phew. me 2

Wow, a day or two ? they should dissapate in less than a half hour.

Oh, ok. none the less they should also be returned to the first or second chamber.

These will make a world of difference for you im sure.

This still is the route to take,but it is impossible to get the flow on any reef tank up to snuff through the return pump alone.
if it was a reef ready set up you purchased, likley it has only one or two at most 1" drains....these can account for at most about 6-700 gph on average each with a passive flow. on yours that means about 1/3 of your snapper is being used.
Any more is too much and will cause problems.
safe to say most reef tanks will be a minimum of 20x turnover rate...youd never achieve this with a return pump.
So, you WILL need additional in tank current, i would consider using tunze`s or koralia`s, vortechs to achieve the additional flow you need.

So with these in place return pump flow is only enouph for surface skimming.(no oil slick on top).

What about a closed loop?