Maxspect 130 blowing bubbles

[DracoKat]

Bumping up too. I gave mine a cleaning and put it back and it’s now blowing micro bubbles. Nothing changed setting wise or vent wise.

 

[csmaxspect]

Bumping up too. I gave mine a cleaning and put it back and it’s now blowing micro bubbles. Nothing changed setting wise or vent wise.

Hi, if this is the case, it's probably because there's some algae growing on the propellers or cages, and the bubbles is from the oxygen generated by the algae under light.

 

[DracoKat]

No algae, I had just given it a cleaning and it started happening after.

 

[Max93]

Icecap gyre in my tank for 9months same crap is happening, wish I would have just bought a different type of pump. Has there been a solution yet to stop the cavitation? Cleaning it did nothing for me.

 

[csmaxspect]

Icecap gyre in my tank for 9months same crap is happening, wish I would have just bought a different type of pump. Has there been a solution yet to stop the cavitation? Cleaning it did nothing for me.

Hi, please kindly have a check whether the pump is close to the surface? close to the air rocks? or is there too much light on it causing algea to grow?

 

[Max93]

Hi, please kindly have a check whether the pump is close to the surface? close to the air rocks? or is there too much light on it causing algea to grow?

it isn’t, it’s 6” below the water line.
I figured it though, if I run Any other mode other than gyre mode the bubbles go away. That stinks though because gyre mode is cool and all.

I wonder why this mode specifically creates microbubbles. I spent four hours yesterday messing with it, this morning tank is crystal clear.

 

[ReefEngineer]

it isn’t, it’s 6” below the water line.
I figured it though, if I run Any other mode other than gyre mode the bubbles go away. That stinks though because gyre mode is cool and all.

I wonder why this mode specifically creates microbubbles. I spent four hours yesterday messing with it, this morning tank is crystal clear.

Your observation is precisely consistent with mine! Gyre mode is the only mode that runs the propellers in reverse. Because the propellers are not symmetric and because, at least in my opinion, they were not designed properly in reverse/gypre mode boundary layer separation occurs resulting in turbulent flow and also areas of low pressure. This in turn ultimately leads to cavitation.

 

[ReefEngineer]

Would people mind listing which model gyre they are using and if they are using the newer "rugged" rotors? I'm currently running the XF130 and XF230 with the rugged rotors. I've done a lot of tests with the newer design rotors and am lucky enough to still have one of the originals. I'm fairly confident that when Maxspect redesigned the rotors the new rugged ones result in cavitation, a result of poor design principles.

As for the vibration noise I'm still battling that one but think it may be due to the magnet and/or the suspension system (the rubber sleave that goes over the internal magnet and supports the gyre pump). If I reach in and hold the gyre a few inches away from the glass it goes silent.

 

[ReefEngineer]

Icecap gyre in my tank for 9months same crap is happening, wish I would have just bought a different type of pump. Has there been a solution yet to stop the cavitation? Cleaning it did nothing for me.

I couldn't agree more about wishing I had bought a different brand of pump. Never again with Maxspect, Icecap by association.

 

[Max93]

I couldn't agree more about wishing I had bought a different brand of pump. Never again with Maxspect, Icecap by association.

I will share a further success story and another observation.
As long as I run my gyres I any mode, doesn’t matter which - as long as I let it do reverse mode at some point in its cycle the microbubbles get released from the pumps and the tank is no longer a microbubble tank.
The trick with these is to run them both back and forth in order to release the air that gets trapped inside. I still do wish I would have spent an extra couple hundred bucks and gone with 2 MP40s after all the trouble with a solution being so simple, but I actually supplemented my two gyres with two Octo 4s and now we are talking.

I think it is important that the manufacturer includes in its instructions a microbubble troubleshooting section where it specifies that you have to run the pumps forward and reverse in order to ensure the trapped air can be released. This would save a lot of time and effort from the hobbyist thinking it’s their skimmer, their filter socks, etc. etc.

 

[csmaxspect]

Hi, It might be because of too much light on the rotors and cages, leading to the algea growing on them, from which the micro bubbles have been generated.

 

[Max93]

Hi, It might be because of too much light on the rotors and cages, leading to the algea growing on them, from which the micro bubbles have been generated.

This definitely is another variable. I keep my pumps very clean however, but the overall solution in my experience has been to make sure the gyres run back and forth, not just one direction and the bubbles go away.

 

[ReefEngineer]

This definitely is another variable. I keep my pumps very clean however, but the overall solution in my experience has been to make sure the gyres run back and forth, not just one direction and the bubbles go away.

Hmm interesting. My gyres actually create the microbubbles only when in reverse mode. I have a video that shows the bubbles developing in a matter of seconds right after the rotors begin spinning. Given this I only run them in forward mode and haven't had a microbubble problem in well over a year.

Would people mind listing which model gyre they are using and if they are using the newer "rugged" rotors? I'm currently running the XF130 and XF230 with the rugged rotors. I've done a lot of tests with the newer design rotors and am lucky enough to still have one of the originals. I'm fairly confident that when Maxspect redesigned the rotors the new rugged ones result in cavitation, a result of poor design principles.