SEIO820 Creating MicroBubbles??

[sticky]

I just adjusted everything in my ref, now there are little to no microbubbles in the ref, however I am still getting MicroBubbles in my main tank?? It looks like this may be coming from the powerhead, but I am not sure if it is just blowing the MicroBubbles out as it takes them in.

My antisiphon hole is below water level by about 2 inches and is not taking in air, my powerhead is about 6 inches underwater and while it will occasionally create a vortex, it only shows on the surface maybe 1/4 to 1/2 inch in size then goes away in a couple of seconds without ever reaching the powerhead.

I checked the baffle for the return pump and I have to study for several minutes to locate any microbubbles so I can eliminate that.

The last thing I think it could be is the actual external return pump causing air pockets/bubbles to form.

The question is how to I correct this issue?

Is there something I can do the Seio or the pump to stop or eliminate them as possibilities?

Thanks

[davejnz]

Unless that vortex is getting sucked into the SEIOS intake,then i doubt the pump is your problem.Shut it off for a while so you can confirm it.Most likely,the bubbles are making there way through the sump to your return pump.There's a couple things you can do to stop them,do you have a pic of your sump?

[sticky]

Give me about 10 minutes and I will post some pictures of it

[sticky]

Skimmer and first baffle
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f133/insult/Aquarium/Bubble%20Reduction/100_0531.jpg

Baffle with LR and a filter I adapted to help reduce bubbles
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f133/insult/Aquarium/Bubble%20Reduction/100_0536.jpg
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f133/insult/Aquarium/Bubble%20Reduction/100_0535.jpg

Return pump baffle
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f133/insult/Aquarium/Bubble%20Reduction/100_0533.jpg
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f133/insult/Aquarium/Bubble%20Reduction/100_0534.jpg

[sticky]

Here is the return PVC in the main tank
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f133/insult/Aquarium/Bubble%20Reduction/100_0538.jpg
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f133/insult/Aquarium/Bubble%20Reduction/100_0537.jpg

You can't quite see the microbubbles because they are mixed in with "pods"??

[davejnz]

Nice Sump,it looks to be free of microbubbles at your return area.Did you unplug the SEIOS to confirm if it was the source of the bubbles?

[sticky]

Yes, I am giving some time and keep checking to see if the bubble amount increases or decreases.

I worked hard on that ref and it is driving me insane as to where the microbubbles are coming from!

[davejnz]

LOL,I know the feeling.I've learned to deal with them in my tank.

[sticky]

Well I think I may have fixed it. I did some creative thinking and came up with a possible solution. The lights when out on me when I was in the midst of finishing up, but tomorrow I will take photos and post them and tell you what I did.

So far after just setting it up, the Microbubbles were cut in half and the amount kept dropping rapidly.

[sticky]

Well it worked, I have very few microbubbles left, and I believe those will go away with some time.

First I cut/drilled and mounted my M820 opposite ends of my return pump tunze style, then I adjusted in the intake on the back
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f133/insult/Aquarium/Bubble%20Reduction/100_0545.jpg
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f133/insult/Aquarium/Bubble%20Reduction/100_0546.jpg

Next I modified the return pump. I put a T in the pipe with a 45 on the bottom and a put sponge in the T bottom so that the airbubbles will get caught in that port, collect, then just rise right to the surface.
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f133/insult/Aquarium/Bubble%20Reduction/100_0547.jpg
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f133/insult/Aquarium/Bubble%20Reduction/100_0548.jpg

[sticky]

Next I placed sponge at the pump bulkhead with LR piled around it
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f133/insult/Aquarium/Bubble%20Reduction/100_0549.jpg
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f133/insult/Aquarium/Bubble%20Reduction/100_0550.jpg

I then placed sponge between the skimmer baffle and the refugium to catch just about anything that comes in that area.
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f133/insult/Aquarium/Bubble%20Reduction/100_0551.jpg
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f133/insult/Aquarium/Bubble%20Reduction/100_0552.jpg
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f133/insult/Aquarium/Bubble%20Reduction/100_0553.jpg

[sticky]

This has just about eliminated the microbubbles from the system, when I do get them, they usually come out of the T and float right to the surface. There are just some sand debris floating about, pods, and some left over shrimp that the cleanup crew hasnt caught yet.

[jerryc]

Sounds like it works

But be careful of all those sponges Thea can be a nitrite factory if not
cleaned ever few days

[davejnz]

I agree with Jerry,sponges are a bad idea in reef tanks for a number of reasons.First off,they filter particulates/food itens that corals/inverts can use.Secondly,they area good medium for the growth of bacteria.This bacteria is responsible for converting Ammonia all the way to Nitrate.The end result is high Nitrate levels in the water.You will have to clean them at least twice a week.If you must use them,buy duplicate sponges that you can alternate on a bi-weekly schedule.After cleaning the old sponges,soak them in freshwater with just a capful of bleach for a couple hours to kill the bacteria.Then remove them,rinse them thouroughly and let dry.

[sticky]

I hope I don't have to keep the sponges in place. After my Ich problem, Once I get tank settled down and cleaned up again I would like to be able to remove all but the 1 sponge infront of the bulkhead. I am going to try removing them 1 by 1 until I get down to zero if possible and just use the LR piled up around the bulkhead. I have to admit 1 thing about the sponges it cleared up my sandstorm in a matter of no time with sponges catching the debris.

[sticky]

Well after thinking, planning and working on ideas this is what I came up with

Created Baffles and use a natural type of filtration. With my new setup I have tons of room in my refugium as well the cheato now acts as a microbubble filtration system.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f133/insult/Aquarium/Bubble%20Reduction/100_0654.jpg
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f133/insult/Aquarium/Bubble%20Reduction/100_0655.jpg

Just a simple little PVC/Egg Crate stand now puts my cheato where the overflow from the ref heads into the next baffle creating a nice filters. Now there are NO SPONGES in my tank to worry about.

Maybe this will help some of you, or maybe some of you have already done this.

[jerryc]

Looks like a good setup and no sponges is always good