Millions of Micro bubbles HELP!!!!!

220gallon · 09/02/2006, 02:13 AM

Hello Everyone,

I have a 250 gallon setup with a wet/dry sump and the skimmer is in the sump. I had the bubble problem under control when I had a fish do a nemo and kill the pump. So I went and got a new pump which is the same one as the one that died. Now I have millions of micro bubbles in the whole tank and it has been 3 0r 4 months running. At first I thought it was just because it was new but by now it should have calmed down I would think.

The dirty water goes into the filter system via two overflow boxes and then the skimmer is in the clean water taking the water there and going thru the skimmer and drops right back down into the clean part of the sump and then get sucked out of the sump by the pump and gets blown back up to the tank as clean water with a million micro bubbles. I can take pics of everything if needed.

Any HELP would be great. If I can not get it fixed I am thinking of changing the whole filter system and skimmer out to something that will cause less micro bubbles.

Thanks in advance.

Vegas RN · 09/02/2006, 02:22 AM

nothing is blocking the plumbing or leaks. just a thougt. good luck

220gallon · 09/02/2006, 12:27 PM

No leaks as far as water coming out anywhere and seems to have plenty of water flow like normal.??????

dcombs44 · 09/02/2006, 01:36 PM

Is the skimmer in the same chamber of the sump as the return pump? If the skimmer is causing microbubbles and not being given any time to disperse, the return pump is simply grabbing the bubbles from the skimmer and spitting them right back into the tank.

scooters reef · 09/02/2006, 01:39 PM

Double check any connections you had to change to get the new pump in. A small leak on the return may not leak water, but instead act almost like a venturi and pull air in. If nothing else has changed at all, that's where I'd look first.

09/02/2006, 02:13 AM	#1
220gallon Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: York, PA Posts: 63	Millions of Micro bubbles HELP!!!!! Hello Everyone, I have a 250 gallon setup with a wet/dry sump and the skimmer is in the sump. I had the bubble problem under control when I had a fish do a nemo and kill the pump. So I went and got a new pump which is the same one as the one that died. Now I have millions of micro bubbles in the whole tank and it has been 3 0r 4 months running. At first I thought it was just because it was new but by now it should have calmed down I would think. The dirty water goes into the filter system via two overflow boxes and then the skimmer is in the clean water taking the water there and going thru the skimmer and drops right back down into the clean part of the sump and then get sucked out of the sump by the pump and gets blown back up to the tank as clean water with a million micro bubbles. I can take pics of everything if needed. Any HELP would be great. If I can not get it fixed I am thinking of changing the whole filter system and skimmer out to something that will cause less micro bubbles. Thanks in advance.

09/02/2006, 02:22 AM	#2
Vegas RN Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 286	nothing is blocking the plumbing or leaks. just a thougt. good luck __________________ I'd rather beg for forgiveness than ask for permission.

09/02/2006, 01:36 PM	#4
dcombs44 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 2,913	Is the skimmer in the same chamber of the sump as the return pump? If the skimmer is causing microbubbles and not being given any time to disperse, the return pump is simply grabbing the bubbles from the skimmer and spitting them right back into the tank. __________________ Current Setup: 10 Gallon Skimmerless Zoanthid Tank Lighting: Single 175 Watt Metal Halide (14,000 K Hamilton Lamp) Filtration: 10 gallon sump/refugium and Phosban Reactor Return: Mag Drive 700 Controller: ReefKeeper Lite (Basic Version) Circulation: TBD Age of System: Build is in Progress

09/02/2006, 01:39 PM	#5
scooters reef Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Pensacola, FL Posts: 1,124	Double check any connections you had to change to get the new pump in. A small leak on the return may not leak water, but instead act almost like a venturi and pull air in. If nothing else has changed at all, that's where I'd look first. __________________ Current Tank: 270G Miracles (84x30x25)

09/02/2006, 12:27 PM	#3
220gallon Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: York, PA Posts: 63	No leaks as far as water coming out anywhere and seems to have plenty of water flow like normal.??????