sump to display tank

[Maxi]

My mag 5 is throwing some air bubbles about every 5 seconds into the water. It never did this before.. until I had my little issue with the sump.

So, it is throwing off little bubbles and they annoy me because if I turn on the koralia 2, they'll start accumulating with the flow.

any idea what is causing this?

 

[thewashcaps]

What is the water level in your sump sounds like to me that the mag 5 is sucking air!

 

[kfisc]

Agreed- do you see a little eddy or whirlpool above the pump intake at any point?

 

[Maxi]

There is no whirpool or anything. The water level is well covered over the mag 5.

 

[Phyxius]

I agree with the pump sucking air somehow in the sump. It would be the only way if its a in sump pump and blowing water into the display.....
Is it covered with at least a few inches of water? Is there a large drop of water in the sump near the pump that would cause air bubbles like over a baffle? Is there air bubbles in the sump water to start with from the returns dumping into it?

Micro bubbles can make their way back into a tank from either of these things. If it was a external pump it would be possible it was sucking air from the intake line but you stated it was in sump.

 

[kdc527]

I think maxi was having trouble with the water level in the sump. Iagree it could be sucking air. Did you move your skimmer into the section where the return is it could be micro bubbles.

 

[crvz]

the other option would be air getting into the plumbing somehow, but that's unlikely if it's cyclic (I'd expect it to be constant).

 

[pillpusher]

You might just check your joints in you return line. If you have any fittings where the flow would be passing from the male into the female fitting a small leak in the seal would cause it to siphon air instead of leaking. If you have fittings you might just check.

 

[Maxi]

It fixed on its own.. I'm guessing the pump was breaking in again, I think it was because I lifted it out of the sump while it was on yestarday.. lol.

 

[Everyones Hero]

Mine seems to do it when the water level starts getting low. There will still be 2 or 3" of water over the pump but it still gets the micro-bubbles. Once I top it off it stops. The bubbles aren't constant either. It's like they'll build up & then just all get pushed into the tank.

 

[crvz]

yeah, it may have had an air bubble in the housing from being out of the water. glad it was a simple solution.