New Tunze 9410 skimmer and microbubbles
- Thread starter ctopal
- Start date
It could be, in a new tank their can be a couple of causes that would make it worse and the new skimmer will also put out some microbubbles in an established tank until it breaks in which is usually complete after about 2 weeks.
1) The skimmer does need to break in.
2) New salt water will tend to have a very high level of dissolved gasses, even RO water at this time of year came from the faucet very cold, it was completely aerated at the treatment plant and as it warms up, it degasses and loses the excess dissolved gas, the skimmer encourages this process, basically the water is supersaturated with dissolved gasses and is degassing.
3) New salt water and various medias and additives contain surfactants, substances that act like detergent in a sink of water, they make the water more slippery so bubbles travel further and stay smaller. Stress coat and dechlorinator especially can aggravate this issue in new tanks.
4) You will want to have some space and ideally a bubble trap between the skimmer and return pump, a slower flow through the sump will also be a big help, some bubbles will always exit the skimmer and they need to rise out before they get to the return pump.
1) The skimmer does need to break in.
2) New salt water will tend to have a very high level of dissolved gasses, even RO water at this time of year came from the faucet very cold, it was completely aerated at the treatment plant and as it warms up, it degasses and loses the excess dissolved gas, the skimmer encourages this process, basically the water is supersaturated with dissolved gasses and is degassing.
3) New salt water and various medias and additives contain surfactants, substances that act like detergent in a sink of water, they make the water more slippery so bubbles travel further and stay smaller. Stress coat and dechlorinator especially can aggravate this issue in new tanks.
4) You will want to have some space and ideally a bubble trap between the skimmer and return pump, a slower flow through the sump will also be a big help, some bubbles will always exit the skimmer and they need to rise out before they get to the return pump.
