Tiny bubbles in return

[Anonymous]

Help!

Since I have setup my tank approx 9 months ago, I have had this problem....

75 Gallon oceanic glass tank with a Little Giant pump returning water from the sump. No matter how tight I make the hose clamps, I get tiny bubbles in the return water. The bubbles are NOT coming from the Protein Skimmer in the sump.

Any ideas?

My problem is that it doesn't look too good in the tank, and, I seem to get accumulations of bubbles under rocks, corals, etc.

Thanks!

ss

 

[Anonymous]

That is a tough one. Obviously the first thought is the skimmer, but you seem sure that's not it. The only other things I can think of are a hole in plumbling somewhere, or an area in the sump where your water thrashes about a bunch, i.e. spills in from the overflow. In a 200gal. I had years back I had the same issue, turned out that the overflow spilled straight down into the bottom of the sump, once I addes some glass plates at the top of the sump to reduce the turbulence in the sump I got a big reduction in the bubbles. By the way, does any one know if the bubbles are harmful to any corals? I get quite a few from my HOB Knop and I can't stand to have that giant black box in my tank.

 

[Anonymous]

Placing a sponge on the output or intake in the sump may help you out.



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[Anonymous]

Are you sure it is not your skimmer, I just moved my skimmer return for that same reason. clouded tank by playing in sump so i dont know how well it worked, let you know tomarrow.

 

[Anonymous]

I occassionally have the same problem with my Little Giant and power heads. Calcium and gunk deposit on the magnet of the impeller or within the impeller housing which cause it to stick, rub, or vibrate which can cause microbubbles to form. Clean your impeller and its housing and see if that helps.

 

[Anonymous]

Well, if you check out my site..I reduced bubbles with my methods about 90%...but the 10% is still annoying as heck and I can't get rid of them. So if 10% is annoying, you can imagine how many I had before. It is definitely the skimmer, when I turn my venturri off, the bubbles will eventually dissipate.
http://web.tampabay.rr.com/lazydasy/keithreef

Go to the sump-mod page. If anyone has other suggestions on how to get rid of bubbles almost entirely, please let me know and email me!

At this point, I am thinking about setting up a refugium under the stand with some Red Mangrove in a baby wipe container, a little pump to push water through it, then back to the sump with a return to act as the phosphate and waste removal. Any thoughts of this instead of a skimmer along with 60 lbs. of live rock and a 2" bed of live sand?

Appreciate any input on this, cause I am gonna go nuts over these darn bubbles!!!

Keith