microbubbles in display driving me crazy! help please!

[sabazerehi]

i just set up a 135g and there are a lot of microbubbles in my display. from what i can tell it's from the water pouring into the return section, it's pretty high flow and it's causing a lot of bubbles that the mag 9 sucks up and chops up into smaller microbubbles.

here's a pic:

<a href="http://s840.photobucket.com/albums/zz330/sabazerehi/?action=view&current=IMG00484-20101224-1927.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i840.photobucket.com/albums/zz330/sabazerehi/IMG00484-20101224-1927.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s840.photobucket.com/albums/zz330/sabazerehi/?action=view&current=IMG00485-20101224-1928.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i840.photobucket.com/albums/zz330/sabazerehi/IMG00485-20101224-1928.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

the drain pipe is also very noisy and turbulent, creates a lot of bubbles, however there's a bubble trap before the water flows into the fuge section and that catches most of the bubbles.

i'd like to "T" that off or try the "bubble killer" and quiet it down and minimize the bubbles as well, but i don't think that's the main problem.

i do understand that this is also a new system and maybe i need to give the sump more time to break in, but i still feel like it's pretty bad regardless, but you guys let me know.

any advice or suggestions for the two problems??

 

[Fishamatank]

Are you using some kind of stand pipe? Reducing flow through the sump will help, you can add a ball valve on the output of the pump.
A filter sock will catch a bunch of bubbles as well.

 

[reefermad619]

What type of drain do you have?

 

[gonpostal]

What size is your sump? I used an Eheim 1262 (similar GPH to Mag 9) for my 90 gallon, but the sump was only 24x12x16, or about 20 gallons. I had a gate valve on the output of my pump, and I had to cut down the flow substantially to get rid of the microbubbles. I now use the same pump wide open in a bigger sump on my 120 gallon tank, and no microbubbles. If you have a smaller sump, I'd suggest restricting the flow with a valve.

 

[Reef Bass]

If you just set up your plumbing, microbubbles will reduce in quantity in the coming week. However, if you are creating lots of them, they may not disappear altogether. One approach to reducing microbubbles is to use baffles in the sump.

 

[FranktheTankTx]

From the pic, that's not a very big drop from the Fuge to the return water level. My best guess is that your return pump is too strong. It looks like you have a ball valve on the return line... I suggest slowing it down a little until you see the bubble problem go away.

How far apart are your baffles in the bubble trap?

While many suggest 1" apart... I recommend no less than 1.25" apart. It's possible that your return pump is sucking them right thru the bubble trap & the strong flow is creating more as the water falls over the final baffle to your return section.

 

[smoyer]

yeah some will reduce over time and a bubble trap with baffles would of help

 

[Znut Reefer]

You can also use a filter sock to help with the micro bubbles. Baffles are needed as well.

 

[Cahooligan]

I used a large filter sock on my return and it got rid of all of my microbubbles

 

[sabazerehi]

there's a durso pipe in the overflow, the sump is a 20g

there's a gate valve on both the drain and the return, so i should try to turn the flow down?

i've used filter socks in the past, i'm just not very good with keeping up on changing them, that's why i wanted to try the bubble killer or something on the drain to help minimize the bubbles.

here's a full picture of the sump if it helps.

<a href="http://s840.photobucket.com/albums/zz330/sabazerehi/?action=view&current=DSC06006-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i840.photobucket.com/albums/zz330/sabazerehi/DSC06006-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

there's only two baffles after the skimmer sections (skimmer is not on yet), someone suggested wedging in some acrylic baffles, how exactly would that work though? or is just as simple as it sounds lol

thanks sooooo much for the help guys!!

 

[JDMhoes]

it looks like your return side has it overflowing into that side..Which is causing bubbles getting sucked into the return pump..It would help if you have another baffle in the return side so the flow rises into the return pump section.

 

[gonpostal]

+1. It's kind of hard to tell from that pic, but it looks like you have the overflow and the return pump in the same chamber. If so, that's your biggest problem. They should be in different chambers of the sump with a bubble trap between them. That's a pretty small sump for that tank. Even if you move your return pump, you may still have to reduce the flow or use a filter sock. IMO, If you can swing it, you may want to think about getting a bigger sump. I had the single overflow and the return pump at opposite ends of my 20 gallon sump, and there was a baffle, a middle chamber and a bubble trap in between. I still had to reduce the flow.

 

[shaggss]

do a search for "Herbie" or "Beananimal" overflows. Completely silent and NO MICRO BUBBLES!!!

 

[sabazerehi]

jdmhoes- thanks so much for the suggestion, i think that is my main problem, and i think i'm going to try wedging in another baffle (maybe 2) so the water is rising up into the return instead of falling.

gonpostal- the drain and return are in different sections of the sump, and i do agree it's too small and i'm going to keep a look out for a good sump to upgrade too, although i'm in no rush right now.

shaggs- thanks for the suggestion, i'll take a look at those too, although my main problem with the return is that the water is flowing to fast and spilling into the return section which is causing large bubbles that get sucked up by the return.

so what do you guys think of this:
- i'm going to turn down the flow for the drain and the return and see if that helps
- meanwhile, i'm going to get some acrylic cut and try to wedge in another baffle so that the water is rising into the return section
- also going to try the "bubble killer" method for the drain, or "T" off the drain so it doesn't cause so many bubbles in the drain section and it'll be quieter as well.

thanks!!!

 

[sslak]

Your problem is the sump itself. You should have a bubble trap baffle between your 'fuge and your return.

Here's mine:

After the water leaves the 'fuge, it goes over the baffle like yours, but then it has to go UNDER the last baffle. This prevents bubbles from entering the return section, as they are all forced to the top as the water passes under the bubble trap.