1200 gph overflow bubble problem

[Tonyscoots84]

hey guys i was wondering if anyone had any ideas to stop all the micro bubbles comming from the overflow into the sump... its comming down at 1200gph and im still ending up with microbubbles in my main tank.. i want as much flow as possible so i was wondering if i can do anything other then use a filter bag to stop the bubbles... i have 3 bubble traps and its just traveling to fast...

i dont want to cut the flow down
i dont want to use a filter bag

im out of ideas :sad2:
any ideas and concepts that you no would be greatly appreciated...

thanks
tony

 

[joseney21]

place the the drain as far away from the bubble traps as possible (gives them more time to rise)

 

[TimberTDI]

T,

Is there anyway that you can place some kind of bucket, pail, or even one of your mom's tall rubbermaid containers under the hose where the drain comes out? The container should be about an inch above your sumps waterline. I've found this to work in the past.

Steven

Sidebar: T, why do you have so much flow going through the sump?

 

[joseney21]

do you still have the bulkhead with the strainer sticking out of the back wall??

 

[fritz]

Try pushing less volume through your sump. I'm not a big fan of high volume returns I think powerful pumps are best for closed loops. When you use a return pump for circulation it causes problems and wastes electricty (IMO.)
I prefer using smaller pumps to push less water through the sump and use the saved juice on lighting or circulatory pumps. Some people argue that your sump should only see 3x-5x your system volume in an hour. I keep mine around 7 times an hour.

 

[Tonyscoots84]

thanks for the advice so far guys... im seeing that i should possibly cut my return in half and my oveflow as well.. i didnt want to do it but its looking like i have no choice unless someone no's something :biggrin:

 

[regal]

I use the eggcrates to create a platform for the micron filter to sit on right before my return pump intake. The idea is to make as big of a platform as possible to put a big sheet of micron filter so the water has to get throught the pad and you don't have to change/clean the pad so often. It worked for me after trying everything else like bioballs, foam block etc., even with barracuda pump wide open.

 

[Tonyscoots84]

pretty good idea regal... thanks bud..

 

[delv]

Can you modify the sump? Got a pic ture? Depending on your overflow you can set up a tuned semi siphon....they work well...reduce bubbles and can handle quite a bit more flow than a simple gravity fed overflow. They do require a bit of additional plumbing.

HTH's,
d.

 

[herman]

Amiracle makes the sumps described above. The one problem with them is that if the pad gets clogged the entire thing can get quie messy. Amiracle solved this issue by adding channels if and when it does clog and overflow.

The one issue with high flow sumps is that the bubbles do not have time to flow to the top and dissipate. There are several things you can do.

1. add an acrylic box that is high enough. the drain pipes should go in here. Some of the bubbles will go but not all.

2. widen the baffles to minimum an inch from each other with an over under over pattern.

3. on the intake of the pump use the cylindrical filters similar to the ones that come with magdrive pumps.

The combintion of the above should solve your problems.

But being that the tank is a 75g and you having already enough flow from the Tunze and the Seio, you could just get a smaller pump. Save money to get more corals

 

[MO~IDOL]

Hey Tony this's how I set up my sump....hope it'll help
no filter bag, 3 baffles for my sump (20g 30x12x15)


btw: you got some carzy flow man

 

[fritz]

Nice diagram!

I don't think this setup will work with high flow like T has though. Looks like the sumps that World Class Aquarium sells. I had one but I had to modify it to handle 700 GPH without allowing bubbles through. When I had mine setup like you suggest the bubbles got partially sucked through the first baffle in a large stream. Once through there they went right along the surface, over the second baffle and got sucked right into my pump and up into the tank.

What I ended up doing was cutting out the first baffle section entirely and doing an "over, under, over" baffle system before my pump. Now it can handle almost 800 GPH without any microbubbles.

Oh Tony! I forgot another trick! My drain is setup like the outlet of an ASM/ER skimmer. The drain has two 90 degree elbows so that it comes back up towards the tank and then has a sponge on it just like a ER skimmer. I find this also greatly decreases the bubbles. My skimmer's intake is placed right where the drain water comes out so it takes in most of the bubbles as well.


T, just get a ball valve!

 

[MO~IDOL]

Thanks fritz...I copy the miracal mud EcoSystem when DIY the sump. I only have 600gph flow never have bubbles issue. but 1200gph I'm not sure...

if u drill some hole on the drain pipe it def. reduce a lot of noise and back pressure
my over flow dain also gravity feed to my DelTec skimmer with a 90 degree elbows drain

keep in mine the long the water travel through the sump more microbubbles dissipate

 

[vanceny]

Get a section of 4-6" pvc pipe that is at least an inch above the water line and drill some holes on the bottom. Place the drain line into that. Most of the bubbles will travel to the top and water will flow out the bottom.