millions of tiny bubbles!!!

[ReefTECK]

okay, so we've all read about this "micro bubbles" how they aren't really micro, and they aren't exactly harmful to the tank. But seriously, can long term exposure to these bubbles all day, everyday be harmful or irritate corals/fish/etc.?

It's coming from the return line, its not from the skimmer, could it be a tiny, tiny tiny gap in a union seal? From a T fitting capped with a T ball valve that is not open or running into anything? not enough teflon tape on the threads somewhere?

It's driving me crazy!!! I think long term exposure to these bubbles will certainly irritate me!

thanks for your input,
andy

 

[BigEivlSquid]

If the union was leaking, water would be coming out, not air in. The reutrn pump might be cavitating, causing bubbles to form.

 

[Mappelbaum37]

more air bubbles then micro bubbles would irritate corals. I just hooked up a new protein skimmer, and its spitting out some micro bubbles, and the corals have never looked better. You'll see the string of air bubbles form on or near a coral, and thats where there would be irritation. I hate micro bubbles also. Especially when someone like me had a tank full of algae and every inch of algae was covered in air bubbles so it was so easily visible to see the algae!

good luck

 

[ReefTECK]

what is "cavitating," and what can I do to fix it. It seems like this is the only conceivable source.

 

[ReefTECK]

just got back from looking up cavitating on google, looks like there are a lot of various causes and possible solutions. But from what I gather, this occurs because of disruptions on the suction side. Could a strainer be intterupting flow and causing this to happen. Also the incoming flow over the partition adjacent to this flow is parallel with the pumps intake, I could turn the pump.

I'll start trouble shooting, throw me a bone if ya got an idea guys!

Check back later,
andy

 

[vanmo92]

I know they can be aggravating. But after seeing the # of micro-bubbles in nature (off of Kauai) I realized that there almost always are (at least in the spring) micro-bubbles everywhere on the reef. So I really dont think they will cause any long term harm.

 

[ReefTECK]

fair enough!

 

[downhillbiker]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12494199#post12494199 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ReefTECK
what is "cavitating," and what can I do to fix it. It seems like this is the only conceivable source.

cavitation is when the pump gets a negative pressure and actually makes bubbles, not from outside air, but rather negative air bubbles. this happens a lot with hydraulics, which is what i do for work, but can only be fixed with a bigger infeed hose.

if you are running it with a return, and no infeed hose to your pump it cannot be possible to cavitate.

i have lots of micro bubbles from my HOB skimmer, and this doesnt hurt corals at all, just doesnt look good, there are so many in my tank that it gets a good skim layer on the top of my tank and really bugs me, so i am installing a sump to house the skimmer.

 

[downhillbiker]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12494405#post12494405 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ReefTECK
just got back from looking up cavitating on google, looks like there are a lot of various causes and possible solutions. But from what I gather, this occurs because of disruptions on the suction side. Could a strainer be intterupting flow and causing this to happen. Also the incoming flow over the partition adjacent to this flow is parallel with the pumps intake, I could turn the pump.

I'll start trouble shooting, throw me a bone if ya got an idea guys!

Check back later,
andy

i would also turn the return pump so that it is furthest away from the overflow/bubble trap as possible. any bubbles from the overflow will be chopped up and make lots of micro bubbles.

if you are still getting bubbles you can either adjust the pump so that it is pumping less and therefore reduces the force of the overflowing water,

or add another baffle in there so the water doesnt fall quite as far when entering your return chamber. make that one significantly lower and give it a good inch (2" if you have it) away from the other baffle, so there is enough room for the water to build up.

 

[downhillbiker]

did you figure out the bubble problem.

 

[ReefTECK]

Sure enough! I got it reduced greatly since my difficulties last night. Thanks a bunch guys. But there is always room for improvment with the group of reef junkies here on RC!

So your suggesting though, that prehaps I screw a pipe into the prethreaded suction side of the pump, and that will prevent cavitation? Would it help to place an elbow on this suction pipe and aim the intake toward the floor of the sump?

The baffles do not cause a long drop and formation of bubbles...at least not regularly, when my evaporation gets down to the point right before the autotopoff switches I small amount of bubbles forming, but not the bulk of my problem.

You guys are great!

ltz,
andy

 

[downhillbiker]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12502667#post12502667 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ReefTECK
Sure enough! I got it reduced greatly since my difficulties last night. Thanks a bunch guys. But there is always room for improvment with the group of reef junkies here on RC!

So your suggesting though, that prehaps I screw a pipe into the prethreaded suction side of the pump, and that will prevent cavitation? Would it help to place an elbow on this suction pipe and aim the intake toward the floor of the sump?

The baffles do not cause a long drop and formation of bubbles...at least not regularly, when my evaporation gets down to the point right before the autotopoff switches I small amount of bubbles forming, but not the bulk of my problem.

You guys are great!

ltz,
andy

no the pipe is bad. i was saying if you have one take it off. i was saying that you should turn your pump inlet 180 degrees away from the overflow though.

 

[ReefTECK]

Right on man! done and done, yeah I don't think its cavitating at all anymore, the remainder of the little bubbles in the water column, which are few and far between, are due to the basic and regular occurrence of bubbles/debris/etc.

Things are looking quite nice. Got new pics up on my thread recently, its floating around the Reef Discussion Forums right now.

ltz,
andy