Does anyone here use the bubbling method?

[Be102]

So I came across a few posts on here about using an air stone and a powerehead to create small micro bubbles and that it can help with the stability of our tanks considering they stick to organic matter.

I was wondering if anyone here does anything similar and if so how?

do you just put an air stone and a little powerhead in the sump and hope the bubbles make it through the return and tank then back through the overflow?

Looking to hear how people running theirs and if there are any downsides?

 

[Silent]

Can't stand microbubbles in the tank.
Microbubbles in my skimmer is cool.
Microbubbles in the sump during medication treatment is good.

 

[SMSREEF]

I tried it for a few days, but stopped because Bubbles = salt creep all over the place, plus it seemed to irritate my corals. I put a wood air stone in with my return pump.

Later I put the wood air stone in my filter sock and covered it with floss so the bubbles didn’t spray all over. Did that for a few months but didn’t notice any real difference in the tank so no longer use it.

why not just get a protein skimmer? It will be more controlled and you won’t have the salt creep all over.

 

[Hersheyb]

Method is called bubble scrubbing. Did it for awhile.. for 6-7 hours every night didn't really see a different.

 

[Brett S]

It seemed to be super popular for a little while a few years ago. I tried it as well, for longer than I care to admit, with no results other than massive amounts of salt creep.

 

[John08007]

Sounds like a poor man's protein skimmer. Don't see any benefits, when the bubbles pop the organic material goes back into the water, in a skimmer its pushed into the cup for disposal

 

[Brett S]

Sounds like a poor man's protein skimmer. Don't see any benefits, when the bubbles pop the organic material goes back into the water, in a skimmer its pushed into the cup for disposal

As I recall the theory was that the organic matter would be brought up to the surface by the bubbles which would then allow it to go through the overflow and then be taken out by the skimmer. But like I said above, I really didn’t see any noticeable results.

 

[Dark_Knightt]

I had(still have a small amount) of cyano in my tank but its a 20g with a powerfilter so I couldnt exactly put anything in the sump, but I decided to take my powerhead and put it slightly out of the water so that lots of micro bubbles are created. It worked out, but its very loud and makes it hard to be in my room XD . I also decided to get an airstone (battery powered) because I live in northern Ontario where we get power outages a few times a year due to the snow and ice so it would be good to keep the oxygen in the tank once the power goes out. *That reminds me I should get a battery powered heater as well)

 

[vetteguy53081]

Be careful with this as it can also promote Popeye

 

[SMSREEF]

Be careful with this as it can also promote Popeye

Hey Vette, how does that happen? Air damaging the eye and then bacterial secondary infection? Or another mechanism?

 

[Brett S]

That reminds me I should get a battery powered heater as well)

There is no such thing. Heaters take way too much power.

 

[Be102]

To the people thinking I’m suggesting it as an alternative to a protein skimmer.. I am not.. I still run a skimmer! I just came across some old threads when reading about using gfo and activated carbon and thought it could be an easy alternative / addition

 

[Dark_Knightt]

There is no such thing. Heaters take way too much power.

Oh well thats good to know. Before i go into an LFS and ask for one and make a fool of myself XD