Tunze 9002 Skimmer: Microbubbles

[nattarbox]

Hi there,

My 9002, which has been running without issue for close to a year now, recently developed a microbubble issue. The bubbles are coming out of one of the vent slots on the bottom snap plate of the skimmer body. I took it apart to check all the fittings inside and everything appears normal.

Is there something else I should check? Nothing else has changed in regards to the tank or skimmer that I know of, so I'm not sure why this is happening.

Thanks,
Nat

 

[rvitko]

Assuming nothing changed with the skimmer, for example this started before you took it apart and changed anything. The likely culprit is one of the following three issues.

Excessive KH, a KH above 14 dKH will shift the carbonic equilibrium so CO2 will degass at the point of a pressure change (skimmer pump)

Supersaturated O2 levels, if you have a lot of algae growth or very fast growing soft corals or recently did a big water change, especially if the new saltwater was recently mixed and started off very cold (likely given the weather) the oxygen level could be above what could dissolve in saltwater at the given temperature, so it is degassing at the point of the pressure change (skimmer pump) or the water is already saturated to the point that the oxygen added by the skimmer bubbles is degassing at the skimmer.

Some surfactant was added, surfactant are like detergent, the change the surface tension of the water and change how bubbles are suspended and travel, any sort of stress coat, vitamin, slime algae killer, or even a new floss pad or cartridge (phenols used in production cause this).

 

[nattarbox]

Thanks, I'll wait it out and see what happens.

 

[nattarbox]

Looks like whatever was causing the issue has begun to dissipate. I noticed this morning there were fewer bubbles coming out of the bottom vents, and much more foam going up the neck of the cup.

 

[rvitko]

Good news, keep me posted.