Micro Bubbles Help - calgary
 

I've had my 120 up and running for the past year or so and can't seem to rid my tank of Micro- bubbles. Im running a Mag 9 return and Im sure the return line isn't sucking air. After speaking with a fellow member, I think the culperate might be my skimmer. The skimmer dischrages into one compartment then water travels through 2 more compartments including a set of baffels before it hits the return pump but the bubbles still make it through. Then end up in the return pump then into my display.
A free adult Coris Wrasse to anyone who can tell me how to sort this out or come over and fix this problem.

I live in South Calgary.

best,
derek

can you put a filter sock over the skimmer outlet that will help diffuse some of the bubbles this is what i had to do to get them to stop in my tank after i upgraded skimmers...

Ive got one. It's a Hydor 600 skimmer which comes with a sock.

can you add more pvc to the outlet where the sock is.. have it come down and put a 90 degree elbow that is half in and half out of the water with the sock on it there ...hard to explain maybe i will take a pic of mine to show you waht i mean if that would help

read

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavitation

may not be feasable, but it is a phenomenon how ever .

If it's not too much trouble, that would be great.

Okay, I read the whole thing and understand that my pump might be generating bubbles, but how does a guy stop them?

heres the outlet for my deltec i took the sock off so you can see the pvc half in half out of the water i found this to have the least amount of bubbles come out of the outlet then the sock does the rest
Hope this helps

http://i893.photobucket.com/albums/a...photo35037.jpg

first, I would turn off your skimmer for awhile and see what the micro bubble's do.

if they start to dissapate I would put the problem to your skimmer. If they keep going at full pace, I would start looking at the return pump. Perhaps borrow one from someone else and hook it up to see if the return pump is creating the bubble's. If it persist's perhaps check your plumbing for minute leaks that may be letting air into the system.

also what is the model of your skimmer ?

Can't believe I've been running this for a year and never thought to turn off the skimmer and see if it's the problem:biggrin:
It's a Hydor 600

It's super tight in my sump so Im not sure if this set up will be possible, Ill try it out though,
thanks

You can fix pump cavitation by throttling back the outflow of your return pump. This is what I have to do on my 120G with my reeflow. Just make sure you close off the outflow and not the intake. If this works you can either leave it as is or upsize your return plumbing.

Dont think my mag 9 has a restrictor on it. I do however, have a gate valve on the return line. Should I close that a quater turn?

yes closing the return line would work via the gate valve. This could also do 1 of 2 things, slow flow through the sump, thus allowing micro bubbles more time to settle out, and decrease the likely hood of the cavitation. There for you would be effectively eliminating 2 possibilities. Which is not always the best if your looking to get to the route of the problem.

But on the upside, i think you have enough info at this point to figure it out. Let us know how it works out im interested myself.