Micro Bubbles

[jesusq]

Hello,

I'm setting up a new tank 120 Gallons. I have a 30 Gal sump with a mag 9.5 and a reef octopus. The tank is new, just installed base rocks and water this past weekend, but after adding the water and shortly after adding reefcrystal salt, I notice an abundant of micro bubbles. The skimmer is going crazy continuously skimming and even though I have bubble traps on the sump and I not notice any, there's a lot of micro bubbles coming out of the returns.

What could cause all of these micro bubbles?

Could it be the salt? I notice it right after adding the salt, but it was shortly after adding water, and I'm using the bulk reef 5 stage RODI.

Help...

[bertoni]

Have you added anything like a water conditioner? Also, any new plastic equipment might cause some foaming for a while.

[jesusq]

I've only added water and salt. The rocks were microrocks which are dry rocks and I cleaned the tank with water and vinegar prior to adding rodi water.

[bertoni]

I would guess the bubbles (if they are bubbles) are caused by a mold release agent or the like on some plastic piece of equipment, but an air leak somewhere might cause the problem. I'd likely just wait a bit, unless the bubbles are spreading the salt around.

[bigfish14]

I had a micro bubble problem for the longest time in my 40B tank that I could not figure out. It turned out that my return pump was the problem. I had a mag 9.5 in a 15 gallon sump. The pump was way to powerful and created a lot of microbubbles. I switched to an eheim compact 2000 with 298gph flow and I have not had microbubbles since. It doesn't sound like that is the case with your tank though

[csauer52]

Are any of your plumbing lines sucking air?

[jesusq]

no, it's not coming from the plumbing, it's the skimmer, or something is wrong with the water.

The skimmer is making a large amount of bubbles that it comes out into the sump.

[csauer52]

can you adjust the amount of air being sucked into the skimmer?

[jesusq]

No, I can only adjust the flow, and it's at it's lowest, and the amount of bubbles is just tremendous. I believe it might be something on the water.

I washed the tank with vinegar for four days, I rinsed the dry rock and filtered the water for two days through a rodi filter and only added salt. But I feel something is wrong, there's just too much bubble.

Nothing is new, I had everything set up before I moved and then put it on storage for about four months and now I'm re-setting everything up, everything looks good in my eyes. Could there be any trace of vinegar left behind that could cause this? I rinsed everything well (according to me I thought I risensed everything well) but think I may left some traces of vinegar behind.

I orginally filled the tank with regular water, put four gallons of vinegar and let it run for four days. Then I emptied the tank, rinsed everything, including the pluming and then filled it back up with RODI water.

[csauer52]

Well, hard to say for sure but if you can I would try to make an adjustment on the airline feeding the skimmer. Can you add some sort of valve inline to make fine adjustments? Other than that it's hard to tell without seeing it. What kind of skimmer?

[Bugger]

try turning off your skimmer
did that make a change
then try turning of your return pump
does that stop the bubbles
is your return tied into a chiller?
check the connections
I had the same problem with my tank for the longest time I never found the problem but I just set back up my tank a week ago and I dont see any bubbles it might just be ar is getting sucked into your return try taking the ystem apart and puting it back together it might also be what Btoni said

[chrislPa]

Just pulling straws here but check your impellar on your mag and see if it might have a nick or piece out of the magnet. I could be wrong but I think that would cause bubbles as the impellar turns.