Tunze 9004 - Micro bubbles...Help!

[gorally]

The black tube is for fresh water. There is nothing running at the moment. Later will be replaced by osmolator. I did shutoff the MP10 and the picture on top is with it shut off. The water has been running for 3 days. I can wait a few more days if thats the case. I am not going to return it as I like the design. I might even try to drop that in my main tank to see if any bubble showing.

Thanks Roger. Sorry for hijet the thread Scotia.

 

[scotia-reefer]

Roger - If you can send me a return label that would be great. What shoudl I expect out of sending it to you? Will you fix and send back? How long will that take? PM me for my info.

 

[meow?]

scotia-reefer,gorally

Might I ask both of you a question when you started your 9004 skimmer up did you dial your air from closed to open or open to close? I found if you go from close to open you do get a great deal of bubbles out of the bottom (waterflow chasing the bubbles out of the bottom). If either of you haven't sent it to Roger yet put that thing back in the tank and open that air up for a day. There maybe a good chance those bubbles won't be around on the second day. Can't guarantee it but this has worked for me

 

[gorally]

Hi Meow, are you referring to the air tube adjustment? If I open up the air for a day, the cup will overflow in no time. May be I didn't fully understand the direction and theroy. Can you explain a bit more.

Thank you.

 

[meow?]

gorally,

This is taken from the pdf under the section of Commissioning

Turn the air adjustment screw (1) open completely.
It is possible that a newly operated skimmer requires
a start-up phase of a few hours up to a day. In case
of aqueous foam the air adjustment screw must be
closed somewhat

http://www.tunze.com/fileadmin/gebrauchsanleitungen/x9004.8888.pdf

So my interpretation of the above is you start full air and close by increments. It's possible that if you have left the skimmer to dry out. It will need time to slime over again before you achieve zero bubbles.

 

[gorally]

Thank you Meow. will give that a try.

 

[meow?]

update? :bigeyes:

 

[gorally]

probably the combination of new water and open up the air intake. I can see there is significantly less bubbles than before. Will check the next couple days but looks promising.
Thank you Meow and Roger.

 

[SAreefer]

I am also frustrated with this skimmer, same issues as posters above. Microbubble in the display "leaching" from the bottom of the skimmer, I have tried everything (including the stuff mentioned in this thread), my system has been running for a while so nothing on there and my skimmer is performing as expected no complaints there but I will have to remove this POS if i cant sort out the micro bubble issue.

I have taken a video of the bubbles being released and really hope someone can help me with a solution

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UghET5Pk2e0 (please switch quality to hd to see the micro bubbles)

 

[rvitko]

The video says it is private and not viewable.

1) Start the skimmer with the air fully open, starting it with the air closed will result in a higher water flow and the added air moves at a much higher velocity. It is critical, air is fully open and adjusted after being powered up.

2) Make sure no strong flow hits the skimmer.

3) Make sure a cord or hose is not keeping the housing from closing fully.

4) Make sure the pump is secured and facing up (needle wheel to the cup).

5) Some bubbles can be expected for the first 2-3 weeks, they will go away if everything above is followed.

 

[SAreefer]

Thank you roger, apologies for the privacy settings the video should now be public (as I mention just change the settings to hd to view the bubbles more clearly)

I can check all the above off the list, it might just be me not giving the tank too much notice (this a newish display tank in our store) but I didnt notice the issues with water clarity(bubbles) the first week or two, not to say it wasnt there.

All the above suggestions I can tick off my already checked list, flow from the single vortech pump in this 4ft tank is at the lowest in the whole aquariumin the corner the skimmer is located and I cant imagine it hes enough power in the back corner to be drawing out the air bubbles.

 

[rvitko]

Some additives can cause bubble issues so if you changed an additive a couple weeks ago this could also be a culprit. Is it possible the small rectangular plug that says TUNZE is missing at the bottom of the pump? Are you sure it is clipped into the front housing securely. The bubbles seem to be propelled more than I have seen in any other complaint, I am used to just a few bubbles exiting side seams or just coming up from the bottom, these seem to be streaming away so I am puzzled by the dramatic propulsion of the bubbles. Have you tried adjusting the depth of submersion as well?

 

[Mipster]

Hi there, My skimmer is doing this exact same thing as in the video with it flowing out the bottom. I don't do any additives, the pumps in my tank shouldnt be the issue from where they're placed, and the pump is installed properly. When i first got this skimmer it had a faulty pump which my local LFS replaced for me and then tested the new one to be sure it was working properly. I have been running this tank for about 2 and a half months. originally there was no mirco bubble problem, it all started a couple weeks ago and the only thing that has changed is a few more corals and a new fish. I also have this problem that when water gets just a slight bit lower then where i keep it a popping noise starts like it's trying to suck in more water even though the water level is about 1/3 - 1/2 way up from the bottom of the intake. adding more water fixes it till it drops again. opening the air intake also fixes it but then the cup fills up in less then an hour. I'm not sure really what i'm supposed to do about all this. My LFS runs this product in many of their tanks and they swear by it. I've been meaning to go in to talk to them about it but between my work schedule and their strange and sometimes inconvenient hours of operation that hasn't been an option. Really hoping for some insight here guys. Mine looks exactly like SAreefer's video

 

[rvitko]

Bubbles exiting the bottom will usually be related to one of 3 things.

Too low of a water level- this does need to be fairly consistent for the skimmer to work properly and I would recommend topping off daily or installing an ATO.

Starting the pump with the air closed even partially. Always start the skimmer with the air fully open and close from their as needed. If the pump starts with the air restricted, the water flow is higher and then air is added to that higher water flow and the bubbles travel further and faster.

The skimmer is not fully broken in, this generally takes 2-3 weeks.

 

[Mipster]

I always keep the water lever topped up usually filling it a few times a day, so shouldnt be that one. I tried doing a water change and letting the water clear before turning on the skimmer with the air intake fully open but all that did was cause the cup to fill half way before i could dial it back enough. it's still spewing mirco bubbles. and the skimmer's been running over 2 months so it should be well broken in by now

 

[rvitko]

I am sorry, I don't have any other tips, it is generally going to be one of these things. The only other possibilities are high dissolved oxygen and this will be obvious as the bubbles get worse the longer the lights are on. Or, a surfactant additive (any vitamin, stress coat, dechlorinator, medication, algaecide). Both will be water chemistry related and ceasing the use of whatever additive is causing it should end the problem after a couple weeks, or in the case of high dissolved oxygen, a shorter photo period and thinning algae and fast growing corals should solve it.

 

[necessary_evil]

Res-ing a 4 year old thread. I am having a lot of micro bubbles from my skimmer. I have it set in the first (overflow) chamber of my IM 40. I just pulled it out of my IM 30 and the only thing I did was open it up and scrape out the calciferous tube worms from the inside.

After getting feedback on my lack of skimmate I've got it dialed in a producing nice foam. However its now spewing micro bubbles into the water. Suggestions? I am not currently dosing any product.

 

[rvitko]

Can you see if the bubbles come from the top, bottom or sides? The location of the source gives me a lot more to work on. Most bubble issues not related to new salt mix or additives will be due to depth and air adjustment, never have more than half the intake submerged, never close the air more than 1/3rd of the way. If the air has been closed a lot, unplug it, raise it so 1/4-1/2 of the intake is submerged and open the air all the way. Plug it back in, work with depth first and close the air as little as possible. It sounds contrary to logic but as you restrict air, you increase water flow so the bubbles are traveling on a lot stronger water flow and more exit. If everything was reassembled correctly there are not many other possibilities, what usually gets assembled incorrectly is the plate with the pump on it is seated too low, that plate has notches that line up with the side locking tabs and it sits so the top of the plate is in line with the top of the skimmer back, the perforated bottom plate goes into the second groove from the bottom, not the very bottom, these are the main areas I see reassembly mistakes that can cause it to not close properly so bubbles exit, mostly the sides, top is always too deep, bottom is usually air is too restricted.

 

[necessary_evil]

Micro bubbles from the ride have been fixed. It seems to have been the skimmer cup not being aligned due to the bracket that guides the air line and power cord from the top of the unit being loose.

Question though. You mention always staring the unit wide open then closing down the airline. We'll every time I shut down my return it's going to change the water level in the rear chamber and I have to shut off the skimmer. Suggestions to help keep the skimmer in tune with daily shut downs?

 

[rvitko]

If the pump starts with the airline restricted and then is adjusted further open, you start with the high initial rater flow and add more air and it can take hours for the skimmer to settle down and land at the intended setting as the water flow stays higher until enough air is ingested. During this time bubbles exiting will be worse. This skimmer, like most skimmers is designed around a fairly static water level with minimal variation. I would probably suggest stopping the skimmer anytime the return is stopped as that high water level may also lead to salt creep quickly building up in the air intake. That would likely address both issues.