Any conditions under which Nyos 120 does NOT produce micro-bubbles?

[dmreefer]

I've had one running in a brand-new tank since April, and so far I've never been able to fully escape micro-bubbles. It seems as though the pump is actually more powerful than it needs to be when operating within their recommended water height within the sump.

Do I need more fish/livestock? Do I need a specific dKh? Clearly in order to go out the door as a product, the manufacturer had to have had some condition that worked well...

As seen in the attached picture, the micro-bubbles are more than just an eye-sore, the cumulative effect over time actually produces skimmate within the sump's skimmer chamber. Don't let the picture fool you, this is not live bubbly big bubbles, but stagnant accumulating micro-bubbles that now requires a separate pump to agitate and re-mix the water.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Clownfishy]

Could it be the height you have the skimmer at in the water? I get a little after cleaning but then it settles down

 

[dmreefer]

Could it be the height you have the skimmer at in the water? I get a little after cleaning but then it settles down

Thanks, I have it at the exact recommended depth, but I've found a way to raise it an inch, which makes the pump work a little harder in order to maintain the same column, and it seems there is some improvement. Possibly raising it one inch further might fix the issue enough for me to not replace it with something else.

By the way, reducing the air only makes the job easier for the pump, which ironically makes the problem worse until you cut off the air completely. So without a mechanism to adjust the speed of the pump, raising/lowering the skimmer is my only viable adjustment.

 

[dmreefer]

Could it be the height you have the skimmer at in the water? I get a little after cleaning but then it settles down

After studying this a bit I have a theory, that maybe they have a flaw in their pump design for American power. This is because it consistently draws 26W instead of the 8W they advertise.

@Clownfishy (since you're using UK power) if you have your Nyos 120 around the "recommended" water depth, could you place your finger onto the air intake so that it completely cuts off air and lets the pump run unimpeded? Does the water level rise almost enough to spill directly into the cup?

Mine does so even with the gate opened completely wide, which leads me to believe the pump is overpowered for the size of the skimmer.

 

[Clownfishy]

After studying this a bit I have a theory, that maybe they have a flaw in their pump design for American power. This is because it consistently draws 26W instead of the 8W they advertise.

@Clownfishy (since you're using UK power) if you have your Nyos 120 around the "recommended" water depth, could you place your finger onto the air intake so that it completely cuts off air and lets the pump run unimpeded? Does the water level rise almost enough to spill directly into the cup?

Mine does so even with the gate opened completely wide, which leads me to believe the pump is overpowered for the size of the skimmer.

@dmreefer, Hi apologies for the late response. Yes, it overflows into the cup almost immediately. I have just checked the the wattage and mine is running at 11.1 watts so more than the 8 watts but certainly not the 26 watts you are seeing. Just for info, do you have the outlet pipe open so the gap faces towards the pump. I have tried taking a picture to illustrate

what I am trying to say in words!

 

[dmreefer]

@dmreefer, Hi apologies for the late response. Yes, it overflows into the cup almost immediately. I have just checked the the wattage and mine is running at 11.1 watts so more than the 8 watts but certainly not the 26 watts you are seeing. Just for info, do you have the outlet pipe open so the gap faces towards the pump. I have tried taking a picture to illustrate

what I am trying to say in words!

Thanks for the update! Yeah, my gate is fully lined up and open, and 11W would be nice for me. Oh well.