Carbon dosing byproducts?

[swiss1939]

When dosing vinegar/sugar and iron citrate to reduce phosphates and nitrates.. what is the byproduct of the bacetrial breakdown of those elements? I ask because I am using a power filter in tank to polish the water, which requires filter to be replaced every 3 days or the power filter starts spewing micro bubbles constantly out its output. I am wondering what these micro bubbles are? I assume they are the byproduct of the bacteria which breaks down both the phosphate and nitrate. Filter gets excessively dirty over 3 days as the bacterial load increases to the point that the output starts spewing micro bubbles.

Are these micro bubbles oxygen, carbon dioxide or something else entirely? Originally thought it was copepods getting sucked up and blown out cause by day 3 the filter is a feeding/breeding ground for copepods and amphipods.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I do not think the effect you are seeing is from any breakdown product of the specific organics you mention, or O2 or CO2 (assuming the vinegar is distilled white vinegar and not a colored vinegar that may have many other organics in it besides acetic acid).

Increased bacterial growth getting caught in your filter might be expected, and i do not know if the clogging alone causes the bubbles, or surfactants created by the increased bacteria allow easier bubble formation.

 

[swiss1939]

Thanks! So its probably just some effect of the filter media getting less porous due to doing its job!

Appreciate the advice again!

 

[Chaz D]

the bubbles are a result of cavitation. Pressure differences between the filter material and the pump intake.

 

[taricha]

I am wondering what these micro bubbles are? I assume they are the byproduct of the bacteria which breaks down both the phosphate and nitrate.

I'd bet on randy's answer. The bacteria can form film or slime which can make air bubbles easier to form.

 

[swiss1939]

I'd bet on randy's answer. The bacteria can form film or slime which can make air bubbles easier to form.

You guys are probably right. I switched to a thinner filter media and noticed the time to constant micro bubbles was just over a day compared to 3 days with previous much thicker material. So now i am testing using more of the thinner material wrapped over itself a few more times to see if that extends the saturation point which leads to constant bubbles. My next test is to use straight poly fill instead of the polyester filter fabric formed into flat sheets of various thickness to see how that affects the time frame to constant bubble production.