Help! Microbubbles! But from where?

esloan88 · Jun 10, 2017

My 45 gallon tank is experiencing micro bubbles. They aren't present constantly but randomly a huge jet of them will come out of the return and into the tank. Sometimes it happens once a day, sometimes multiple times an hour.

I have a Aquac Remote HOB skimmer and a CPR wet/ dry filter. I thought it might be the skimmer, so I unplugged it for awhile but it still happened.

I have filter floss, a poly filter pad and Marine Pure Cermedia spheres in the wet/ dry filter.

I can not figure out what is causing this. I know a regular sump and refugium is better than the wet/ dry but I got this used and running it this way until I can get a sump. I've never heard of wet/ dry filters causing bubbles anyway.

Anyone have suggestions? I'm stumped.

Brew12 · Jun 10, 2017

esloan88 said:
My 45 gallon tank is experiencing micro bubbles. They aren't present constantly but randomly a huge jet of them will come out of the return and into the tank. Sometimes it happens once a day, sometimes multiple times an hour.

I have a Aquac Remote HOB skimmer and a CPR wet/ dry filter. I thought it might be the skimmer, so I unplugged it for awhile but it still happened.

I have filter floss, a poly filter pad and Marine Pure Cermedia spheres in the wet/ dry filter.

I can not figure out what is causing this. I know a regular sump and refugium is better than the wet/ dry but I got this used and running it this way until I can get a sump. I've never heard of wet/ dry filters causing bubbles anyway.

Anyone have suggestions? I'm stumped.

Are you sure you are maintaining a high enough level in your wet/dry filter?

esloan88 · Jun 10, 2017

Brew12 said:
Are you sure you are maintaining a high enough level in your wet/dry filter?

Yep. I keep it filled to the water level line. This morning I topped it off and started to feed and got about 5 jets of bubbles from the return in the space of 30 minutes. I have an ATO, I just haven't had time to set it up. But even with it completely filed to water line, I'm getting bubbles.

esloan88 · Jun 10, 2017

Anyone have any suggestions?

justingraham · Jun 10, 2017

What pump and what size plumbing are you using?

Also any salt creep showing up on your return plumbing?

esloan88 · Jun 10, 2017

justingraham said:
What pump and what size plumbing are you using?

Also any salt creep showing up on your return plumbing?

Plumbing is 1 inch, I believe. I know either the return or flow into the filter is one inch and the other one is 3/4 inch.

Pump is a rio, I believe
I don't see any salt creep.

Here's a picture of the filter.

Bdog4u2 · Jun 10, 2017

If your return pump is to strong for the water level it might suck a little Air in every once in awhile.

esloan88 · Jun 10, 2017

Bdog4u2 said:
If your return pump is to strong for the water level it might suck a little Air in every once in awhile.

I don't think it is and i make sure the chamber is full to the water line

Bdog4u2 · Jun 10, 2017

esloan88 said:
I don't think it is and i make sure the chamber is full to the water line

It doesn't matter if it's filled to the line if the pump is to strong. my pump will suck Air 5-6 inches above it so I keep my water level above the recommended level

Mal11224 · Jun 10, 2017

The water level in your return chamber looks a little low. Also, have you cleaned your pump recently. I only get microbubbles after I've turned my pump off for tank maintenance and it comes from water sitting in the return pipe. Once the flow regulates, it's fine.

justingraham · Jun 10, 2017

esloan88 said:
Plumbing is 1 inch, I believe. I know either the return or flow into the filter is one inch and the other one is 3/4 inch.

Pump is a rio, I believe
I don't see any salt creep.

Here's a picture of the filter.

I'm trying to figure out what's going on in there.
Drain back left? But it looks like it has to much flow and the water is spraying everywhere?

Is that a hob filter on the left?

Also ur water level looks extremely low in the back compartment.

Just because it says water line doesn't mean it is correct.

I would shut off your return pump and let all the water drain back into the sump. When this is done add water almost to the top of the sump. Turn your pump back on and when it's done settling grab a sharpie or a piece of tape and that's your water line as you know that if you have the water any higher then this ur sump will overflow.

It also looks like the sump was already drilled for an external pump so that's prolly why the water line is marked where it is.

I personally think it's ur pump making a vortex and sucking in air Rios are powerful and need to be covered in water

Alfrareef · Jun 10, 2017

I go with the vortex theory... and what's the problem with some bubles?

justingraham · Jun 10, 2017

Alfrareef said:
I go with the vortex theory... and what's the problem with some bubles?

Bubbles aren't bad but air going thru a return pump is

Alfrareef · Jun 10, 2017

justingraham said:
Bubbles aren't bad but air going thru a return pump is

What's the real impact, after all?

Brew12 · Jun 10, 2017

Alfrareef said:
What's the real impact, after all?

The bubbles can cause cavitation which can pit the blades on the pump impeller.

Alfrareef · Jun 10, 2017

Brew12 said:
The bubbles can cause cavitation which can pit the blades on the pump impeller.

Cavitation! And what's the problem? Reduce impeller life time? It should be a burp for the pump...

Brew12 · Jun 10, 2017

Alfrareef said:
Cavitation! And what's the problem? Reduce impeller life time? It should be a burp for the pump...

For cheaper pumps it probably isn't much of a problem. Cavitation can eat up an expensive pump fairly quickly. I know.. sounds backwards, but its just the way it works.

trinisteve · Jun 10, 2017

I also get random bursts of mystery micro bubbles, been happening for years. Through the process of elimination I narrowed the cause down to a particular fitting.

esloan88 · Jun 10, 2017

justingraham said:
I'm trying to figure out what's going on in there.
Drain back left? But it looks like it has to much flow and the water is spraying everywhere?

Is that a hob filter on the left?

Also ur water level looks extremely low in the back compartment.

Just because it says water line doesn't mean it is correct.

I would shut off your return pump and let all the water drain back into the sump. When this is done add water almost to the top of the sump. Turn your pump back on and when it's done settling grab a sharpie or a piece of tape and that's your water line as you know that if you have the water any higher then this ur sump will overflow.

It also looks like the sump was already drilled for an external pump so that's prolly why the water line is marked where it is.

I personally think it's ur pump making a vortex and sucking in air Rios are powerful and need to be covered in water

Chamber on the left is the drain from the display tank. The thing on the left is a HOB Aquac Remora Protein Skimmer. Water flows from the display tank, into that chamber. It then flows over the top of the chamber and into the chamber in front. The chamber in front has filter floss, a bag of De-Nitrate, a bag of Phosguard and a bag of Purigen for the water to flow through. It also has a Polyfilter pad. In the bottom of the front chamber, there are Cermedia MarinePure spheres also. After that, the water flows into the return chamber, which is in the back right of the picture. From there, it goes back into the display tank.

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I am going to do what you suggest and turn the pump off and fill nearly to the top. I am also going to take out the pump and give it a thorough cleaning and check all the fittings for leaks that air could get in.

What is the best way to check for air getting into a fitting or the pipeline? Any ideas?

Thanks again everyone!

justingraham · Jun 11, 2017

Salt creep is a dead give away

If not put a couple drops of dawn in a water bottle and spray the return hose if you have an air leak you will have Bubbles