Horrible Micro Bubbles, Any Suggestions

[reefjunkiechez]

Hello Reef Central!
My name is Chez and i am new to the forums and this is my first post!
I started my 92 Gallon Corner Reef Tank 4 months ago. The tank currently has some Softies and a couple Zoo's and for fish i only have a pair of clownish. I was planning on ordering some LPS and even my first SPS corals and the rest of my fish on my list until i ran into a problem. The Outtakes in the main tank are spitting out micro bubbles like crazy. So obviously the bubbles are originating from the sump. The main source of the bubbles is coming from my AquaMaxx EM200 Protein Skimmer but i have no idea how to fix it... also i dont know how the bubbles are passing through 2x sponges and 2xbaffles. Thank you for taking the time to read this and any suggestions would be appreciated.



Main Tank

Outtakes Microbubbles
http://s750.photobucket.com/user/re...ef Build/20140215_173255_zps779b1bec.jpg.html

Sump
http://s750.photobucket.com/user/re...ef Build/20140215_182124_zps30d2c6a4.jpg.html

Protein Skimmer Outtake
http://s750.photobucket.com/user/re...ef Build/20140215_175031_zpsd5e07fe8.jpg.html

Baffle
http://s750.photobucket.com/user/re...ef Build/20140215_173332_zps4c24afcf.jpg.html

 

[reefjunkiechez]

Does anyone have any skimmer advice??? :sad2:

 

[stan zemanek]

Unfortunately it looks as if the sump is way to small for that skimmer, or your return pump is way to big for the sump. what is the GPH of that pump. If its to big the pump will suck any micro bubbles right past the sponges. Is there anyway you can get the skimmer to empty into another filter sock?

 

[stan zemanek]

The other thing i just noticed is that last baffle before the return pump is very high off the bottom of the sump floor. it only needs to be about an inch up. it looks as if its nearly 3 inches up.

 

[reefjunkiechez]

I understand the sump is small. With the odd shape of a 92 gallon corner aquarium the cabinet space is small. The return pump is at 2,100GPH and im not sure what the skimmers pump is rated and i tried putting netting around the outtake and it popped lol how would you advise i put a filter sock around it? And the sump was a eshopps reef sump so i did not construct it could i add on to it or add a third baffle?
Thanks

 

[myram]

You really don't have a bubble baffle in it, so the micro bubbles are going right into the return pump and into the tank.

You want 3 baffles, about 1/2" apart, and the middle one about 1/2" off the bottom of the tank.

Check out the corner tank thread in the reef section...........lots of great ideas there.

Steve

 

[Jeff000]

You really don't have a bubble baffle in it, so the micro bubbles are going right into the return pump and into the tank.

You want 3 baffles, about 1/2" apart, and the middle one about 1/2" off the bottom of the tank.

Check out the corner tank thread in the reef section...........lots of great ideas there.

Steve

This.

You want, over-under-over.


Also, they are called returns, not outtakes.

 

[stan zemanek]

2100 GPH on a 92? Your pushing the water through the sump way to fast the bubbles don't have time to disperse.

 

[cvcoda]

2100 GPH on a 92? Your pushing the water through the sump way to fast the bubbles don't have time to disperse.

+1

That's crazy return flow for your tank