How often or do you change/clean the bubble trap material?

[RussC]

What is that stuff even called? its the material that's in the sump between the chambers to help eliminate the bubbles as the water overflows to the return. Anyway, I've not touched it. Figured I might need to clean it now and again. Do you? How? Why? Benefits of cleaning? There's got to be some life in that with copepods, etc. Hate to kill that.

 

[Thor2j]

Took mine out a long time ago. Have no problems with bubbles. It's a detritus trap.

 

[Crabs McJones]

What is that stuff even called? its the material that's in the sump between the chambers to help eliminate the bubbles as the water overflows to the return. Anyway, I've not touched it. Figured I might need to clean it now and again. Do you? How? Why? Benefits of cleaning? There's got to be some life in that with copepods, etc. Hate to kill that.

If you're referring to the black sponge material, I clean mine once a month. It gets clogged up with detritus from my refugium and reduces the flow into my return chamber. Benefits of cleaning it are better water flow, and if it is built up with detritus and you clean it, the detritus gets removed and doesn't break down into unwanted nutrients. I take mine out and give it a good spray down with a garden hose, then a rinse in RO/DI water and back in it goes : )

 

[Alfrareef]

What’s a bubble trap? A dirt trap?

 

[cracker]

I'd think a bubble trap are the walls between chambers in a sump .
A dirt trap is a spot in the sump where stuff from the tank tend to pile up( detritus) .

 

[RussC]

I'm going to clean mine tonight.

 

[RussC]

I'm going to clean mine tonight. I've got two spots in the back corners of my tank with algae. I think its a combination of low flow in those areas and some source of nutrients in an otherwise very low nutrient tank. I believe this sponge could easily be the source of nutrients. Especially since I've never cleaned it.

 

[P-Dub]

You mean this stuff or similar? Clean as needed generally, once a month or as the flow is reduced.

 

[P-Dub]

Crud. That didn't upload...
let's

try again...

 

[RussC]

Yep, that's the stuff. Mine is very similar. Its black, though.

 

[ca1ore]

Never used any mechanical media between the baffles of my bubble trap (it really doesn't need any). I'd be wary of any mechanical media that could potentially cause a water level back up.