Custom In-Wall 150 Project
- Thread starter conda
- Start date
conda
New member
Well, not much has changed, I still have the microbubbles and over half of my snails died.
RIGHT SIDE OF TANK:
LEFT SIDE OF TANK:
LOOKING FROM SIDE OF TANK:
MAYBE SOMEONE CAN ID THIS THING FOR ME:
I've been trying to figure out what grew on the rock in that last pic. It looks like a fan that moves alot with the current. It is also hollow.
RIGHT SIDE OF TANK:
LEFT SIDE OF TANK:
LOOKING FROM SIDE OF TANK:
MAYBE SOMEONE CAN ID THIS THING FOR ME:
I've been trying to figure out what grew on the rock in that last pic. It looks like a fan that moves alot with the current. It is also hollow.
melev
Well-known member
I can't believe you are still dealing with microbubbles. I've changed the way I make bubble towers now, and it allows more water to flow out the base. http://melevsreef.com/pics/06/03/new_tower.jpg
I would suggest you break out a tooth here and there, to allow more water to flow out so it doesn't overflow the tower as your pictures indicated in the past.
If you still see microbubbles in the return section, then the bleeder valve you have set up should probably be put in the skimmer section instead of near the return pump.
Keep in mind, if the return section is bubble-free, then microbubbles are occuring somewhere between the return pump and the returns in the tank, and NOT in the sump.
I would suggest you break out a tooth here and there, to allow more water to flow out so it doesn't overflow the tower as your pictures indicated in the past.
If you still see microbubbles in the return section, then the bleeder valve you have set up should probably be put in the skimmer section instead of near the return pump.
Keep in mind, if the return section is bubble-free, then microbubbles are occuring somewhere between the return pump and the returns in the tank, and NOT in the sump.
conda
New member
I don't know what the deal is with the microbubbles, but they just keep cycling through the tank and never go away. I have no clue why there are there or how to get rid of them. But I did fix the plumbing where the bubble tower does not overflow anymore.
bheron: The temp fluctuates between 79 and 81, never outside of that range. And yes, I always use RODI. I'm assuming the snails were just bad from where I got them since all of the ones I took from my 55 are still alive.
The lighting is 2x150 w/actinics--560w total. It's actually pretty bright in person, the pics I took are probably not exposed properly. There are some dim spots since the light is on top of the tank and not hung yet, I still need to hang it.
Anyway, if anyone can offer suggestions on how to get rid of the microbubbles, please do, it really makes the tank look dirty.
BTW, my wife has been bugging me to get some bigger fish that move around more. What size fish can go into my 150? It is 5' long, 2' deep, 2' high. Any suggestions?
bheron: The temp fluctuates between 79 and 81, never outside of that range. And yes, I always use RODI. I'm assuming the snails were just bad from where I got them since all of the ones I took from my 55 are still alive.
The lighting is 2x150 w/actinics--560w total. It's actually pretty bright in person, the pics I took are probably not exposed properly. There are some dim spots since the light is on top of the tank and not hung yet, I still need to hang it.
Anyway, if anyone can offer suggestions on how to get rid of the microbubbles, please do, it really makes the tank look dirty.
BTW, my wife has been bugging me to get some bigger fish that move around more. What size fish can go into my 150? It is 5' long, 2' deep, 2' high. Any suggestions?
conda
New member
I can't remember, I calculated it and posted it somewhere in this thread. I think it was around 900-1000 gph.
On a side note, we got some serious thunder storms this morning and the power went out twice. It tripped my two 20A GFCI circuits and shut the tank down for good. Luckily I check it before leaving for work and reset the breakers. I'm seriously thinking of getting rid of the GFCI breakers--they pop too easily.
To top that off, once I turned the breakers back on and the pumps started back up, the return blew a billion new microbubbles back into the tank. :eek2:
On a side note, we got some serious thunder storms this morning and the power went out twice. It tripped my two 20A GFCI circuits and shut the tank down for good. Luckily I check it before leaving for work and reset the breakers. I'm seriously thinking of getting rid of the GFCI breakers--they pop too easily.
To top that off, once I turned the breakers back on and the pumps started back up, the return blew a billion new microbubbles back into the tank. :eek2:
rdmpe
New member
Here's a nice one that sold recently http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=816590
melev
Well-known member
See, that simply doesn't make any sense at all to me. You need to determine the exact area where microbubble are occuring, and stop that source.
I turn off my return pump every day to feed the livestock, and when I restart it, I get a billion bubbles as well. These dissipate within a couple of minutes.
Again, do you see any microbubbles in the return section being sucked in?
I turn off my return pump every day to feed the livestock, and when I restart it, I get a billion bubbles as well. These dissipate within a couple of minutes.
Again, do you see any microbubbles in the return section being sucked in?
Ocean Image
Premium Member
I think the first determination would be to assess which system the micro bubbles are coming from....the sump return or closed loop. I would suggest turning off the closed loop for a day to check.
Either way, I'm thinking that you have a small leak somewhere in the plumbing allowing air to enter. IME it usually occurs right at the pump intake/outlet and is more prone with threaded fittings, which you have a lot of. After figuring which system is causing the bubbles, use the black pipe leak tape (found near the hose barbs and such at HD or Lowes) and wrap one fitting per day until they're either all done or the bubbles have stoped. Once you figure out which fitting is causing the problem you can permanently fix it.
Either way, I'm thinking that you have a small leak somewhere in the plumbing allowing air to enter. IME it usually occurs right at the pump intake/outlet and is more prone with threaded fittings, which you have a lot of. After figuring which system is causing the bubbles, use the black pipe leak tape (found near the hose barbs and such at HD or Lowes) and wrap one fitting per day until they're either all done or the bubbles have stoped. Once you figure out which fitting is causing the problem you can permanently fix it.
conda
New member
Well, the microbubbles are definetally coming from the overflow pipes. I do not see any bubbles going in, maybe a few but not many, and tons of bubbles and microbubbles coming out.
Then the microbubbles flow from the skimmer section, where the water enters, through the baffels and into the return pump.
Any suggestions?
Then the microbubbles flow from the skimmer section, where the water enters, through the baffels and into the return pump.
Any suggestions?
melev
Well-known member
The return section is IN the sump, where the return pump is located. The overflow on the tank will not be filled with bubbles.
If you have microbubbles in the return section of the sump, the best solution is to slow your return pump down. This reduces how quickly the water travels through the sump.
You might turn off the skimmer and see if that has any effect on the microbubble issue 10 to 15 minutes later. If you see microbubbles still, the skimmer isn't part of the problem.
If you have microbubbles in the return section of the sump, the best solution is to slow your return pump down. This reduces how quickly the water travels through the sump.
You might turn off the skimmer and see if that has any effect on the microbubble issue 10 to 15 minutes later. If you see microbubbles still, the skimmer isn't part of the problem.
conda
New member
Microbubble Update
Microbubble Update
Well, I think I finally got the microbubbles under control. At least they are starting to go away.
What I had to do was three things:
1. What Marc suggested, slow my return down as slow as I could.
2. Since the microbubbles were getting from the skimmer section, where the water enters the sump, through the baffels then into the return section, I filled the baffels with black filter foam--the kind that covers a return pump. Now the microbubbles cannot get through to the return.
3. I don't know if this helped, but I turned off the closed loop pump for now.
The bubbles are still there, but significantly less.
The microbbles are still being created by the pipes entering the sump. I'm not sure what to do about this, but this weekend I am going to remove the Durso pipes to see if they may be tuned wrong or something.
Hopefully, I can get the bubbles to go away and eliminate the source. For now, I have a very slow flow rate and no CL.
Microbubble Update
Well, I think I finally got the microbubbles under control. At least they are starting to go away.
What I had to do was three things:
1. What Marc suggested, slow my return down as slow as I could.
2. Since the microbubbles were getting from the skimmer section, where the water enters the sump, through the baffels then into the return section, I filled the baffels with black filter foam--the kind that covers a return pump. Now the microbubbles cannot get through to the return.
3. I don't know if this helped, but I turned off the closed loop pump for now.
The bubbles are still there, but significantly less.
The microbbles are still being created by the pipes entering the sump. I'm not sure what to do about this, but this weekend I am going to remove the Durso pipes to see if they may be tuned wrong or something.
Hopefully, I can get the bubbles to go away and eliminate the source. For now, I have a very slow flow rate and no CL.
melev
Well-known member
Your closed loop has nothing to do with this. Go ahead and resume its use.
The microbubbles will indeed come out of your drains, because the purpose of a Durso is to allow some air to mix with the water as it falls down quietly into the sump.
Your sump should be able to handle normal flow, but I think you are exceeding it. All you need is 5x the volume of the display (150g), so you need a return pump that pushes up 750gph. Aren't you moving more than that?
How high is the water level in the return section? Is it almost as high as the baffle (9")? If you have it running around 8", that should work. You can check and see if putting an elbow on the intake of your pump might help, but it must have 1" of clearance between the elbow and the base of the sump. Alternately, you might try putting some LR around the intake to act as yet one more obstacle.
I'm starting to think your sump is really too small, unfortunately. Or your flow is too great. It really should have worked just fine, but you've pretty much proven that isn't the case, in this particular setup.
The microbubbles will indeed come out of your drains, because the purpose of a Durso is to allow some air to mix with the water as it falls down quietly into the sump.
Your sump should be able to handle normal flow, but I think you are exceeding it. All you need is 5x the volume of the display (150g), so you need a return pump that pushes up 750gph. Aren't you moving more than that?
How high is the water level in the return section? Is it almost as high as the baffle (9")? If you have it running around 8", that should work. You can check and see if putting an elbow on the intake of your pump might help, but it must have 1" of clearance between the elbow and the base of the sump. Alternately, you might try putting some LR around the intake to act as yet one more obstacle.
I'm starting to think your sump is really too small, unfortunately. Or your flow is too great. It really should have worked just fine, but you've pretty much proven that isn't the case, in this particular setup.
conda
New member
The return pump is a Mag18, and I calculated over 1000gph when the bleeder is fully closed.
The water level fluctuates since I do not have an auto top off yet and I fill it to the baffel, 9". I was thiking about adding an elbow also, I will try that this weekend too. The pump can be easily raised on some eggcrate if it is too low.
I was also thinking of adding something like Randy (rdmpe) has in his thread to handle the microbubbles. At least I think he was the one that created it.
The water level fluctuates since I do not have an auto top off yet and I fill it to the baffel, 9". I was thiking about adding an elbow also, I will try that this weekend too. The pump can be easily raised on some eggcrate if it is too low.
I was also thinking of adding something like Randy (rdmpe) has in his thread to handle the microbubbles. At least I think he was the one that created it.
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