A few problems...

[Bio Ball]

This is my first post here and I am sorry in advance that it is long, but I want to give as much detail as I can think of.

I have had some problems and done tons of homework but still can't weed them out, maybe some of you can help.

Fist of all let me tell you about my set-up. I have a AGA RR 120 w/ 30 gal sump. Mag 9 return, and about 4000 gph circulation in the display by means of power heads. I do water changes every 12-14 days with RO water mixed for 24 hrs with Reef Crystals salt. Tank inhabitants include 150# LR, bare bottom, numerous softies, a few LPS, and a few small fish. Water quality is tested weekly and the results are as follows:

Calcium = 460-480 ppm
Alkalinity 3-4 meq/L
Salinity = 1.024- 1.026
Temperature= 81-83F
pH= 7.9(night)-8.2(day)
Phosphate= undetected
Ammonia= undetected
Nitrates= < 5.0

The main problem I am having is micro bubbles in the display. They are coming from the sump by means of the inflow and skimmer. On the inflow in the sump I have a DIY bubble tower flowing into a large sock (changed every 2 days), then the water flows to the skimmer, then through a bed of LR then 5 baffles (over/under/over/under/over) to the mag 9 return. I have filter pads in 3 of the 5 baffles. I can see the bubbles making their way to the return pump. I have throttled back the return pump to about 400gph, I also installed an elbow on the return pump facing down so it only takes the bottom 3/4" of water. I keep the sump water level even with the top of the highest baffle the water goes over (about 8"), so there is very little waterfall effect in the sump. I am out of ideas on how to solve this.

The second problem I am having is small particulate in the display, despite the flow in the display, the filtering measures I have taken in the sump, and the frequency of water changes, I am not sure what else to try. But this takes a lot away from the look of the tank. This is in addition to the bubbles, not the same thing. I can turn off the return pump for an hour and still see this in the water column.

My third problem is my calcium reactor, I set it up months ago and tested daily to dial it in, but every 2-3 days the pressure to the bubble counter drops below the amount needed to bubble out. I have the main valve completely open (1100psi) and the working pressure (gauge on the right) set to about 20, after a day or so it will drop to 5 and the bubbles will stop, after I open the working pressure knob more then it will start bubbling again for a few more days. I have replaced all the tubing and fittings. I never have to touch the needle valve. I have the effluent drip at about 40 drips/min and the CO2 at 14 bubbles/min.

I am interested in any help I can get.

 

[Ne0eN]

1. Bubbles - try outputting your skimmer into a 150 micron sock.
2. Particulate -try using activated carbon in an active device (e.g. Phosban reactor) It's cheap and pretty effective.
3. Why do you even need a ca reactor? (unless you're planning to grow SPS corals)

 

[Bio Ball]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13095123#post13095123 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ne0eN
1. Bubbles - try outputting your skimmer into a 150 micron sock.
2. Particulate -try using activated carbon in an active device (e.g. Phosban reactor) It's cheap and pretty effective.
3. Why do you even need a ca reactor? (unless you're planning to grow SPS corals)

The output of the skimmer can not be directed into a sock, it is an Urchin skimmer, but I did put filter media around the output.
There is a DIY carbon reactor running about 150gph, carbon is changed about every 14-20 days
The ca reactor is more to automate calcium, KH as well as strontium to the tank. My KH was impossible to get above 4dkh w/o it

 

[Sk8r]

The urchins are hard to corral. Try setting it in a dish/bucket of some sort that easily and peacefully overflows down about half an inch and see if that helps. You could also try surrounding the skimmer with cheatomorpha algae (must NOT get into your intake pump) that will break up bubbles. I'd have microbubbles wall to wall, but I routed my flow back to chamber one, and chamber two of the sump is stuffed with cheatomorpha.

you could even set the urchin up above the sump in a bucket with a spillway or tube that would send it cascading down into the sump. And into a fuge...which would have other bennies to your tank.

 

[roadcrew]

how do you have your return pump plumbed? you might have a small leak in a connection, might be water tight but not air tight.

 

[SWINGRRRR]

How olds is the tank if I missed it? The micro bubbles and floaties will subside with age, if its brand new, <2 months or so.

 

[Rendos]

How wide are the spaces between the baffles? The narrower the space, the more turbulent the water will go through them. The wider, the calmer it will be...hence fewer microbubbles getting to the return pump.

 

[Bio Ball]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13095605#post13095605 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sk8r
The urchins are hard to corral. Try setting it in a dish/bucket of some sort that easily and peacefully overflows down about half an inch and see if that helps. You could also try surrounding the skimmer with cheatomorpha algae (must NOT get into your intake pump) that will break up bubbles. I'd have microbubbles wall to wall, but I routed my flow back to chamber one, and chamber two of the sump is stuffed with cheatomorpha.

you could even set the urchin up above the sump in a bucket with a spillway or tube that would send it cascading down into the sump. And into a fuge...which would have other bennies to your tank.

I will give the cheato a try.

how do you have your return pump plumbed? you might have a small leak in a connection, might be water tight but not air tight.

All the plumbing is glued PVC.

How olds is the tank if I missed it? The micro bubbles and floaties will subside with age, if its brand new, <2 months or so.

Tank is about a year old, I have had these problems since I converted everything from my 55 which also had the same problems.

How wide are the spaces between the baffles? The narrower the space, the more turbulent the water will go through them. The wider, the calmer it will be...hence fewer microbubbles getting to the return pump.

The baffles are spaced about 1.5" apart, and the unders are 1.5" above the bottom.


I really appreciate all the feed back

 

[Bio Ball]

morning bump

 

[Cheetos&Cocopuf]

If you run loc-lines, try positioning them so the joints are all under water as they can leak air. Especially when new.

 

[Bio Ball]

I got the micro bubble problem almost completely solved by cutting a mid slit in the last baffle. Took the filter pads out from between the baffles, and opened the pump full throttle, looking good so far.

I think I am having a problem with the particulate because I have so much rock, it might be getting trapped then blowing out little by little, I will have to try to find a way to get more flow behind the rock work. There is almost 160# in this tank.

Still thinking about this ca reactor.