Microbubbles on purpose

worm5406

worm5406

Not afriad to admit wrong
Team RC
I can not find the thread....

Someone had posted a video and conversation about how they put microbubbles in their tank on purpose.

I was looking to restart this conversation and even get some other opinions on what people think.

Basically, until I can find that thread, injecting air in the return pump to create microbubbles to airate the tank.

Think of it like the bubbles created by the surf near the beach.

Anyone remember the thread?
 
I dont think I ever saw the thread but what would the benifits be to this? As I know there are filters to stop the micro bubbles from making it to the return pump in the sump area
 
Not that specific one but look back through the totm articles because one reefer injected bubbles into his display.
 
There is a youtube video that shows the same effect. I was hoping to find an update to see how it is going and see if it is viable. I already do it now by accident when I mess with my return pump or do a water change and fill onto the return pump intake.
 
It is. I have also read the micro bubbles attach to other floating items and can help bring it to the top / overflow and pull it out of the system / DT.

The Micro bubbles only run once a day / every few days for a few minutes. So it is not continually pushing micro bubbles into the system.
 
I ran a whole system based off just a surge pump. Rod of rod's food also had one going for many many years. Mine had micro bubbles in the tank 100 percent of the time. Never found a coral which could not grow due to bubbles. If it wasnt so loud I would still run the surge tanks.
 
Bubbles in the tank from splashing overflows, airstones, venturi's on powerheads, etc. are ok...other than the resulting salt creep from the splashing. Air injected on the intake side of the pump is a great way to get supersaturation and cause gas bubble disease in your fish.
 
I remember when J. Weatherson (his tank was linked by Kafudafish on post #3) started this topic, and it has been discussed in the SPS forum a few times. That is where you can probably find it. The topic is also very popular in local California forums like fragroup.org, I believe that's where he is from.


Some of the reasons behind it is to make corals slime and spell impurities, push floating particles to the overflows, remove pests from corals and reduce co2 levels from the water column.

I have never done it, nor seen hard evidence that it does help.
 
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I cant remember his RC name but I know that the tank you are thinking about. It is in Salinas CA.
 
billsreef said:
Bubbles in the tank from splashing overflows, airstones, venturi's on powerheads, etc. are ok...other than the resulting salt creep from the splashing. Air injected on the intake side of the pump is a great way to get supersaturation and cause gas bubble disease in your fish.
Click to expand...

I understand. That is why I was wanting to see any followup and see how things were going.

There should be a happy medium with it. I mean not hourly... Once a day, every three days, maybe twice a week.. once a week..??

That is what I was trying to figure out. Maybe the long term results are not worth it at all. Just wondering. I saw it a while ago and thought it looked pretty neat.
 
maybe my google is broken but can someone elaborate on gas bubble disease?
rod kept his prize pair of onyx clowns in his setup with the surge tank and they are a pretty well know item around the chicago area. Me smells bs.
 
Timber77 said:
maybe my google is broken but can someone elaborate on gas bubble disease?
rod kept his prize pair of onyx clowns in his setup with the surge tank and they are a pretty well know item around the chicago area. Me smells bs.
Click to expand...

What did you search for? I hope you were not calling BS on Bill, he knows his stuff

Click here :thumbsup:

From what I have seen the injection of air , and as used by Weatherson, it is just for one minute every 3-4 hours. I'm not sure if that is enough to supersaturate the water with gas.
 
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Im saying in an aqurarium setting I dont see supersaturation to be an issue with any fish. Im a biologist and have been keeping reefs for over 25 years. 10 of which my main display was 100 percent fed by a 5 gallon and 3 gallon surges firing randomly. Always had tons of microbubbles, never had any fish or coral issues. Had many a person tell me the bubbles would kill the fish/corals...but in the real world did not have any issues. If supersaturation with air is a possiblity why wouldnt all tanks with protein skimmers be supersaturated?
 
Timber77 said:
why wouldnt all tanks with protein skimmers be supersaturated?
Click to expand...

25 years ago we used wooden airstones. No chance there, not enough pressure. When venturi's came around I was a little worried, but looks like still not enough pressure. Maybe if you have crazy delta across the venturi with a way too big pump.

I will say that you can kill fish with a suction side leak on a big pump. I always wondered about inverts. But nitrogen starts being real bad as low as 105% for fish. Though you really have to overpressure by very strong mechanical means. A dump bucket, or even a small amout of air in an impeller wont do it. You need to be on the verge of the impeller not pumping to do it.

--John
 
or even maybe a barometric chamber? (Which I do not live in... standard 15psi for me)
 
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