Can't stop the bubbles!

Drewbaby · 04/18/2010, 05:11 PM

So my refugium and my skimmer are creating tons of bubbles. I have a mega flow 4 sump and the skimmer is in the first chamber and drains into the same chamber. Then there is a filter sponge that separates that chamber from the next. The second chamber holds my return pump which is tee'd into my refugium. The refugium drains back into the first chamber. I had it draining into the second chamber but the bubbles were so bad. I had to shut both the refugium and the skimmer off because the bubbles are so bad. Is there anything I can do to make my setup bubbleless??

Garbis · 04/18/2010, 05:20 PM

Try putting the skimmers output and the overflow in a filter bag maybe this will help u reducing the bubbles...and if u can set up a bubble trap in ur sump...

lordofthereef · 04/18/2010, 05:51 PM

Is this newly setup? If so I would give it a week or two to settle itself. It is fairly normal for a new (or well cleaned) skimmer to be throwing bubbles into the system before a slime coat develops.

Drewbaby · 04/18/2010, 06:16 PM

The skimmer was setup for about 2 weeks with no problem. Then when I finally got it dialed in to skim the way I want it started with the bubbles. I thought maybe it just needed to settle in but it didn't stop and my display turned into a giant airbox. I ended up losing a blue reef chromis and my tomini tang started to show signs of stress so that's when I shut off the skimmer and stopped the flow into my refuge. I don't want to run the tank without any filtration for too long.

Drewbaby · 04/18/2010, 08:01 PM

I can't figure out what to do to stop the bubbles?

Drewbaby · 04/19/2010, 07:25 AM

Anybody have any other suggestions?

sowellj · 04/19/2010, 08:40 AM

Could you post some pictures?

sslak · 04/19/2010, 08:49 AM

Do you have the baffles set up double for a bubble trap?

You should have one baffle the water flows over, and another for it to flow under. All the bubbles rise to the surface before the return chamber.

Notice all the bubbles in the drain chamber and the refugium, but they are all gone by the return chamber. You can actually see them between the baffles rising up to the surface.

hardywood · 04/19/2010, 09:14 AM

i suggest double baffle in the first chamber. im not sure it will eliminate the the bubble but it will reduce the bubble for sure

Drewbaby · 04/19/2010, 09:46 AM

this is the only picture I have right now. It's just a pic of the sump so you can see what the baffles are like. There is only a short one then the sponge then a tall one but there isn't one for the water to flow over before it flows under through the sponge

sslak · 04/19/2010, 10:48 AM

I don't really understand how that one works...which section is which?

It looks like you have the drain section with bio-balls on the left..

Is the right section the return?

If it is, the baffles are not really ideal...it should flow over, then under as in my picture above. It looks like the first baffle doesn't really skim the water surface because the water level is always above the baffle height.

You could make that short baffle higher I think? Maybe just but a taller baffle right up against it so it goes over it then under the 2nd one?

Otherwise as others have said a filter sock etc. may help but thats one more thing to clean/get clogged.

Drewbaby · 04/19/2010, 01:33 PM

Steve your right about the layout of the sump. It's not my first choice for a sump, but it came with the tank. If I were to start over I would build my own, but the way the stand is built I'm really limited. Would butting up a taller piece of acrylic to the short piece create the desired bubble trap with the way it's setup? If so should I remove the sponge or leave it in to catch any larger particles that could foul the return pump?

04/18/2010, 05:11 PM	#1
Drewbaby Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: FL Posts: 874	Can't stop the bubbles! So my refugium and my skimmer are creating tons of bubbles. I have a mega flow 4 sump and the skimmer is in the first chamber and drains into the same chamber. Then there is a filter sponge that separates that chamber from the next. The second chamber holds my return pump which is tee'd into my refugium. The refugium drains back into the first chamber. I had it draining into the second chamber but the bubbles were so bad. I had to shut both the refugium and the skimmer off because the bubbles are so bad. Is there anything I can do to make my setup bubbleless??

04/18/2010, 05:51 PM	#3
lordofthereef One reef to rule them all Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Leominster, MA Posts: 5,299	Is this newly setup? If so I would give it a week or two to settle itself. It is fairly normal for a new (or well cleaned) skimmer to be throwing bubbles into the system before a slime coat develops. __________________ "A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself" ~ Josh Billings Visit My Home page for current build thread (click my user name and select "Visit LordoftheReef's Homepage" in the drop down menu!

04/19/2010, 08:49 AM	#8
sslak Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,705	Do you have the baffles set up double for a bubble trap? You should have one baffle the water flows over, and another for it to flow under. All the bubbles rise to the surface before the return chamber. Notice all the bubbles in the drain chamber and the refugium, but they are all gone by the return chamber. You can actually see them between the baffles rising up to the surface. __________________ Steve Current Tank Info: 58 Oceanic/20g Sump/250w XM 20k/2x39w T5 True Actinic 03/2010 Reef Octopus NW Cone Skimmer

04/19/2010, 10:48 AM	#11
sslak Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 1,705	I don't really understand how that one works...which section is which? It looks like you have the drain section with bio-balls on the left.. Is the right section the return? If it is, the baffles are not really ideal...it should flow over, then under as in my picture above. It looks like the first baffle doesn't really skim the water surface because the water level is always above the baffle height. You could make that short baffle higher I think? Maybe just but a taller baffle right up against it so it goes over it then under the 2nd one? Otherwise as others have said a filter sock etc. may help but thats one more thing to clean/get clogged. __________________ Steve Current Tank Info: 58 Oceanic/20g Sump/250w XM 20k/2x39w T5 True Actinic 03/2010 Reef Octopus NW Cone Skimmer

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04/18/2010, 05:20 PM	#2
Garbis Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: LEBANON Posts: 45	Try putting the skimmers output and the overflow in a filter bag maybe this will help u reducing the bubbles...and if u can set up a bubble trap in ur sump...

04/18/2010, 06:16 PM	#4
Drewbaby Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: FL Posts: 874	The skimmer was setup for about 2 weeks with no problem. Then when I finally got it dialed in to skim the way I want it started with the bubbles. I thought maybe it just needed to settle in but it didn't stop and my display turned into a giant airbox. I ended up losing a blue reef chromis and my tomini tang started to show signs of stress so that's when I shut off the skimmer and stopped the flow into my refuge. I don't want to run the tank without any filtration for too long.

04/18/2010, 08:01 PM	#5
Drewbaby Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: FL Posts: 874	I can't figure out what to do to stop the bubbles?

04/19/2010, 07:25 AM	#6
Drewbaby Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: FL Posts: 874	Anybody have any other suggestions?

04/19/2010, 08:40 AM	#7
sowellj Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: greenwood, sc Posts: 712	Could you post some pictures?

04/19/2010, 09:14 AM	#9
hardywood Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 17	i suggest double baffle in the first chamber. im not sure it will eliminate the the bubble but it will reduce the bubble for sure

04/19/2010, 09:46 AM	#10
Drewbaby Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: FL Posts: 874	this is the only picture I have right now. It's just a pic of the sump so you can see what the baffles are like. There is only a short one then the sponge then a tall one but there isn't one for the water to flow over before it flows under through the sponge

04/19/2010, 01:33 PM	#12
Drewbaby Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: FL Posts: 874	Steve your right about the layout of the sump. It's not my first choice for a sump, but it came with the tank. If I were to start over I would build my own, but the way the stand is built I'm really limited. Would butting up a taller piece of acrylic to the short piece create the desired bubble trap with the way it's setup? If so should I remove the sponge or leave it in to catch any larger particles that could foul the return pump?