Alpha 170 micro-bubbles

[mnchartier]

I am having a hard time getting rid of micro-bubbles coming out of the output on the skimmer. I have adjusted the the nozzle and continue to get the bubbles. I made sure that the pump was clean. While at it I wanted to test something out and I removed the silencer from the adjustment tube the micro-bubbles went away. I am thinking there is something clogging the silencer but I am unsure if it comes apart and dont want to break it.

So do you think it is the silencer or is it something else?

 

[bayoupr]

The top part of the silencer comes apart. Inside is a form sponge that is hollow in the middle which deadens the aif sucking. Take a fine blade knife and work it in between the white top and the red body. Thbottom of the silencer that sits on the stand pipe does not come off. What level of water is the skimmer sitting in? These Alpha's sometimes can take a month to break in which you will get some bubbles from time to time.

 

[mnchartier]

Thanks, it in 8.5" of water. I will try the silencer but when I woke up there was some bubbles coming out the output but not too much.

 

[bayoupr]

Thats the level I ran it in. Sometimes when it wasn't skimming much it did that. How many turns do you have the nozzle turned out. I found that 2-2.5 work pretty good. I ran it as much as 3 turns out but found it produced more micro bubbles. You could raise it another 1/2" and close the wedge pipe some more. That will probably help also.

 

[Jeremy B.]

Try putting the skimmer in 9.5" of water and see if this helps any, with the adjustable nozzle 2 full turns out from the the closed position.

 

[mnchartier]

Right now I have it in 8" and I have the wedge pipe about 7-% closed and only 1/4 turn on the nozzle, and I have a little bit of micro-bubbles. It still skims great but would like the bubbles to stop.

I will see what I can do about the 9.5".

 

[mnchartier]

I could only get up to 9 1/8" on the height due to the way my baffles are. I have the wedge pipe about 85% closed and I could only go about 1/4 turn on the nozzle. I have minimal bubbles coming out the output and every once in a while I get bubbles under the bubble plate.

 

[Jeremy B.]

You only have the nozzle 1/4 turn open?

 

[mnchartier]

Yes, if I open it more then i get a a mass amount of micro-bubbles and I can see the bubbles in the body well under the bubble plate.

 

[mnchartier]

ok, when I was working on raising the level up to 9.5" I noticed that something did not sound right. So I took the silencer apart (I did not before I just started with the sump level) and there was some dried salt that was on the sponge where the pipe from the top touches the sponge. So now it is in the 9 1/8" depth and I am out to 2.5 turns on the nozzle and I am so happy now. I have no bubbles at all and probably the thickest head of foam I have seen yet. Thanks for all of your help.

 

[bayoupr]

Good to hear. If you want you can pull the sponge out. It is there to help silence the air, but I ran it without it and didn't notice any difference.