Micro bubble question

[njhadfield]

I have been in the hobby for about 4 years now, and I have a 90 gallon reef tank and have been dealing with micro bubbles ever since. I have a 40 gallon sump just belowe the tank and always thaught it was my protien skimmer putting micro bubbles back in the the sump. I made my own sump and put in 4 baffles to help with the bubbles but that did not work. I have a pse 1000 protien skimmer which I know is not the best but it works. I just put a 90 degree attachment on the output of the skimmer and now the water flows into a 4 inch 200 micron sock to help stop the bubbles. I also have a 7 inch sock as well for the return from my tank to the sump. I have tried to prevent the micro bubbles returning to my tank as much as possible. What am I doing wrong? The only thing left would be my return pump which is a mag 1200 pump going verticle staight into my tank with only 1 90 degee arm. Could there be somthing going on between the pump, ball valve and the 2 arms that disperce water back into my tank. I currently see no mico bubbles in the sump, only in tank. I even dummed the flow down to about 200 gallons per hour in to the tank hopping to stop the breakup of the bubbles.

 

[tkeracer619]

A pump can cavitate and create bubbles. It would take a pretty hefty restriction on the intake of the pump.

If you have locline my best guess is that this is causing it. The stuff can get salt creep in the fittings and cause it to suck air in.

 

[zaheda]

I gave up with micro bubbles on my 110 gallon.

 

[TheFishMan65]

I posted in your other thread.

How far is the last drop over the last baffle? If it is too big it could be producing bubbles.

If there is a pinhole lean in the return plumbing the water flow could suck in air and create micro bubbles. Assuming it is PVC can you paint another lay of solvent on?

It is usually best to give a few days before repeating the thread somewhere else.

 

[njhadfield]

depending on how much water I put in the sump, the depth can range from 4 inches to 14 inches depending on when I replenish the sump. I did not use any lock lines. Since my pump is submerged in water, I used a 3/4 pbc attachment from the pump to 3/4 rubber threaded tubing. Then 18 inches up from the pump, I have ball valve and continues with threaded rubber tubing back up to the tank. I used this approached so that any time I see some build up of detritus or anything that looks nasty in the lines I could dissemble the lines and clean it out.

 

[TheFishMan65]

Assuming you get bubbles even with a minimum drop then I am betting on an air leak in the return.

Is the threaded tubing going into a threaded joint. I have pool hose for a return that I forced over 1 inch PVC. I had to use a hose clamp to keep leaks from going down the inide slit they use to make if so flexible. I had to really tighten it down So can you post a picture of the the tubing and maybe the joint?