Bubbles bad?

567234ta · 03/28/2011, 10:50 AM

Not quite understanding why bubbles are a bad thing in the water. Im building my own 40 gallon sump tank filter under a 150 gallon tank and have been reading as much as i can about it.

I read many ways to get rid of bubbles in the water like baffles and stuff but i dont understand why they are bad.
Im currently setting up a 150 gallon brackish tank, plan on running around 1.018 sg. for 4 puffers. I will be setting up my 215 salt tank this summer though which im really looking forward to having setup. This is my first time with saltwater, but ive been keeping koi for some time.

ryan820 · 03/28/2011, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 567234ta

Not quite understanding why bubbles are a bad thing in the water. Im building my own 40 gallon sump tank filter under a 150 gallon tank and have been reading as much as i can about it.

I read many ways to get rid of bubbles in the water like baffles and stuff but i dont understand why they are bad.
Im currently setting up a 150 gallon brackish tank, plan on running around 1.018 sg. for 4 puffers. I will be setting up my 215 salt tank this summer though which im really looking forward to having setup. This is my first time with saltwater, but ive been keeping koi for some time.

I don't know if there is a biological reason for why they might be bad but I can say aesthetically, if you compare a tank to one with micro bubbles and one without, the one without looks a lot better to me personally-- a lot better.

My Protein Skimmer (octopus 1000) puts loads of micro bubbles into my tank if the water level begins to get too low. I cannot stand them but I don't have an auto top off yet so it can go a week without having a gallon of fresh water put in and as the water level drops, more bubbles appear.

duncantse · 03/28/2011, 11:09 AM

Bubbles are more of an asthetic thing. IMO, they can't harm fish.

567234ta · 03/28/2011, 03:17 PM

Ah okay that makes sense. I was thinking maybe they promote some kinda bad algae or something but i couldn't find any info about it. Made me wonder if i should be running my wall of bubbles for my puffers LOL

Tank Time · 03/28/2011, 03:30 PM

As long as the bubbles don't cloud the tank and block the light for the coral you are ok. If it bothers you you can install bubble traps in your sump (which requires draining your sump and installing baffles). If its your skimmer creating the bubbles then you can try some foam around the outlet to reduce them. GL

567234ta · 03/29/2011, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tank Time

As long as the bubbles don't cloud the tank and block the light for the coral you are ok. If it bothers you you can install bubble traps in your sump (which requires draining your sump and installing baffles). If its your skimmer creating the bubbles then you can try some foam around the outlet to reduce them. GL

I haven't built the filter yet so i will add some baffles. Thanks

jcw · 03/29/2011, 07:20 PM

Apparently, microbubbles can cause problems depending how they are produced.

Microbubles from a protein skimmer, not a problem.

Air entrainment from a leak on the intake side of a return pump can cause nitrogen supersaturation and gill emboli.

I'm just regurgitating what smarter people than I have said. I don't know why it's not more commonly seen.

MBMtech · 03/29/2011, 07:50 PM

I'm getting light microbubbles from my return into my tank. I can't figure it out to stop them to save my life.....

Mouse · 03/29/2011, 08:05 PM

Bubbles = salt creep

njjetfan · 03/29/2011, 08:40 PM

I think the whole micro bubble thing is really overblown... There is no proof they affect any of organisms in the tank, but they are aesthetically unpleasing.

rysher · 03/29/2011, 09:04 PM

well, there's plenty of microbubbles when the waves hits the reef,,,,and i havent heard of a fish/corals dying cause of microbubbles in the reef.

HanoverFist · 03/29/2011, 11:10 PM

Can't they harm seahorses? Only reference I ever heard regarding bubbles and livestock.

needmore-reef · 03/30/2011, 02:27 AM

lots of bubble can irritate SPS corals, but will not harm any fish

in fact many public aquariums have returns that produce lots of bubble just to help reduce co2.

micro bubbles can cause salt to build on everything.

Uncle Salty 05 · 03/30/2011, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcw

Apparently, microbubbles can cause problems depending how they are produced.

Microbubles from a protein skimmer, not a problem.

Air entrainment from a leak on the intake side of a return pump can cause nitrogen supersaturation and gill emboli.

I'm just regurgitating what smarter people than I have said. I don't know why it's not more commonly seen.

I was told many years ago by the most experience reefer I know that microbubbles can produce embolisms in fish that cannot escape them and are exposed to them long term.
Fish on a reef can escape them and do not get long term exposure to them.

Not to mention they look bad and cause salt creep as stated above.

cloak · 03/30/2011, 11:08 AM

I've gone out of my way to make sure my powerheads would inject a burst of bubbles into my tank every 15-20 seconds or so. I did this for months on end and didn't see any adverse effects from either fish or corals. Here's an avatar I used to use where you can really see this. This was way too many bubbles for my taste, but it was real easy to dial it down and make sure it would only come from one side.

KafudaFish · 03/30/2011, 11:53 AM

I have microbubbles in my tank and I don't have any issue with them.

But yes there has been research looking at the effects of microbubbles on fish especially at the larval stage.

The researchers saturated the water though.

Sorry I don't have a citation it has been a while since I read the paper.

03/28/2011, 10:50 AM	#1
567234ta Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Fort Smith AR Posts: 579	Bubbles bad? Not quite understanding why bubbles are a bad thing in the water. Im building my own 40 gallon sump tank filter under a 150 gallon tank and have been reading as much as i can about it. I read many ways to get rid of bubbles in the water like baffles and stuff but i dont understand why they are bad. Im currently setting up a 150 gallon brackish tank, plan on running around 1.018 sg. for 4 puffers. I will be setting up my 215 salt tank this summer though which im really looking forward to having setup. This is my first time with saltwater, but ive been keeping koi for some time.

03/29/2011, 07:20 PM	#7
jcw Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: elmhurst, il Posts: 1,778	Apparently, microbubbles can cause problems depending how they are produced. Microbubles from a protein skimmer, not a problem. Air entrainment from a leak on the intake side of a return pump can cause nitrogen supersaturation and gill emboli. I'm just regurgitating what smarter people than I have said. I don't know why it's not more commonly seen. __________________ I don't think Coral can live very long under Sun light. It's too yellow. ...get yourself some LED's. -eznet2u Current Tank Info: 125g DT, custom 30g sump, ATB elegance, eheim 1260, mp40 (too many failed wetsides), gyre 150 (love it)

03/29/2011, 08:05 PM	#9
Mouse UnRegistered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Rio Linda CA Posts: 739	Bubbles = salt creep __________________ Somedays it just isnt worth gnawing through the straps...... Current Tank Info: 125g > < this close to being set up

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03/28/2011, 11:09 AM	#3
duncantse Fish Advisor Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 1,604	Bubbles are more of an asthetic thing. IMO, they can't harm fish.

03/28/2011, 03:17 PM	#4
567234ta Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Fort Smith AR Posts: 579	Ah okay that makes sense. I was thinking maybe they promote some kinda bad algae or something but i couldn't find any info about it. Made me wonder if i should be running my wall of bubbles for my puffers LOL

03/28/2011, 03:30 PM	#5
Tank Time Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Edmonton, Alberta Posts: 27	As long as the bubbles don't cloud the tank and block the light for the coral you are ok. If it bothers you you can install bubble traps in your sump (which requires draining your sump and installing baffles). If its your skimmer creating the bubbles then you can try some foam around the outlet to reduce them. GL

03/29/2011, 07:50 PM	#8
MBMtech Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: North Carolina Posts: 76	I'm getting light microbubbles from my return into my tank. I can't figure it out to stop them to save my life.....

03/29/2011, 08:40 PM	#10
njjetfan Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 57	I think the whole micro bubble thing is really overblown... There is no proof they affect any of organisms in the tank, but they are aesthetically unpleasing.

03/29/2011, 09:04 PM	#11
rysher Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Location: Location Posts: 577	well, there's plenty of microbubbles when the waves hits the reef,,,,and i havent heard of a fish/corals dying cause of microbubbles in the reef.

03/29/2011, 11:10 PM	#12
HanoverFist Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Phoenix, Az Posts: 626	Can't they harm seahorses? Only reference I ever heard regarding bubbles and livestock.

03/30/2011, 02:27 AM	#13
needmore-reef Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 425	lots of bubble can irritate SPS corals, but will not harm any fish in fact many public aquariums have returns that produce lots of bubble just to help reduce co2. micro bubbles can cause salt to build on everything.

03/30/2011, 11:08 AM	#15
cloak Moved On Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 14,854	I've gone out of my way to make sure my powerheads would inject a burst of bubbles into my tank every 15-20 seconds or so. I did this for months on end and didn't see any adverse effects from either fish or corals. Here's an avatar I used to use where you can really see this. This was way too many bubbles for my taste, but it was real easy to dial it down and make sure it would only come from one side.

03/30/2011, 11:53 AM	#16
KafudaFish Cyprinius carpio Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 4,496	I have microbubbles in my tank and I don't have any issue with them. But yes there has been research looking at the effects of microbubbles on fish especially at the larval stage. The researchers saturated the water though. Sorry I don't have a citation it has been a while since I read the paper.