Micro bubble scrubbing a new trend?

johnyboy · Feb 2, 2017

Hey reefers,

I wanted to start a thread that gears towards micro scrubbing and everyone's experience. Including the how they go about this method , benefits and risks of the method. I been seeing this all over the internet and feel like it's starting to become a big trend. Personally I do not just follow trends, I like to do some research first and here other people's opinions and experiences especially when it comes to my aquarium. I've seen a lot of pros over the internet but also found a video stating that it raises alk a ton. I'm looking forward to hearing everyone's opinions and getting some more info on this topic!

Shaddow_wolf169 · Feb 2, 2017

Following seen it a lot too but I don't want all the bubbles on my tank

tj w · Feb 2, 2017

There's a huge thread on this discussion here already, let me try and get a link.

Cruz_Arias · Feb 14, 2018

This video actually explains it pretty well...

Cruz_Arias · Feb 14, 2018

tj w said:
There's a huge thread on this discussion here already, let me try and get a link.

This was the start in 2015... Bubbling was around with Elegant Corals well before it was publicized...

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/micro-scrubbing-bubbles.224373/

Cruz_Arias · Feb 14, 2018

It doesn't raise alkalinity... it raises pH up to the satisfied level of Alkalinity... Alkalinity is carbonates typically generated from Calcium Carbonate which is found in aragonite and coral skeletons and media utilized for calcium reactors. Kalkwasser is also another source of alkalinity.

What bubbling does is re-ionize the saltwater which CAN allow for the re-dissolution of Alkalinity in the system and makes the carbonates soluble again for the reef system.

johnyboy said:
Hey reefers,

I wanted to start a thread that gears towards micro scrubbing and everyone's experience. Including the how they go about this method , benefits and risks of the method. I been seeing this all over the internet and feel like it's starting to become a big trend. Personally I do not just follow trends, I like to do some research first and here other people's opinions and experiences especially when it comes to my aquarium. I've seen a lot of pros over the internet but also found a video stating that it raises alk a ton. I'm looking forward to hearing everyone's opinions and getting some more info on this topic!

Cruz_Arias · Feb 14, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley · Feb 14, 2018

Cruz_Arias said:
What bubbling does is re-ionize the saltwater which CAN allow for the re-dissolution of Alkalinity in the system and makes the carbonates soluble again for the reef system.

I hope you have a better explanation that makes sense to someone who understands chemistry, because that sure doesn’t. [emoji30]

Randy Holmes-Farley · Feb 14, 2018

johnyboy said:
Hey reefers,

I wanted to start a thread that gears towards micro scrubbing and everyone's experience. Including the how they go about this method , benefits and risks of the method. I been seeing this all over the internet and feel like it's starting to become a big trend. Personally I do not just follow trends, I like to do some research first and here other people's opinions and experiences especially when it comes to my aquarium. I've seen a lot of pros over the internet but also found a video stating that it raises alk a ton. I'm looking forward to hearing everyone's opinions and getting some more info on this topic!

It doesn’t raise alk.

Like any type of aeration, it may raise or lower pH. The effect drives the tank water toward equilibrium with whatever air is used for the aeration.

There’s no clear simple chemical benefit that I have ever heard articulated, relative to normal aeration.

If there is a benefit to corals , it may relate to flow and to bubbles attaching to mucous and potentially pulling it away from corals.

Cruz_Arias · Feb 14, 2018

Please feel free to read.

http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/full/10.1146/annurev.marine.010908.163834

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
I hope you have a better explanation that makes sense to someone who understands chemistry, because that sure doesn’t. [emoji30]

Scott Campbell · Feb 14, 2018

I run four TetraPond 5000 gallon air pumps on my 150 gallon aquarium, all with CO2 scrubbers. One of the air pumps runs into my skimmer, two run into my corner overflow and one is set up with a wooden diffuser in front of my refugium return pump. I ended up with four air pumps simply because each air pump I added further stabilized my pH. Instead of dropping from 8.3 in the day down to 7.7 at night, my pH now stays rather rock solid at 8.2 to 8.3 day and night. Whether or not the pH stability is worth the investment and extra effort is debatable (I would say probably not), but I was rather interested just to see what would happen if I took matters to the extreme. I have no idea what effect all these air pumps have on oxygen levels in my tank.

So I will confirm what Randy has stated - the only clear benefit I have noticed is holding pH in place. If there is any benefit to the wooden diffuser and the smaller bubbles running through a return pump, it might be slightly better pH stabilization for the same equipment. So maybe a bigger bang for the buck. But I can't say that with any great certainty.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Feb 14, 2018

Cruz_Arias said:
Please feel free to read.

http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/full/10.1146/annurev.marine.010908.163834

Thanks. I’m very familiar with CO2 ocean acidification issues. Low pH is problem for calcifying organisms.

But it says nothing remotely like what you posted about re-ionization of seawater, redissolution of alkalinity, or carbonate solubility all happening as you remove CO2. I daresay some of those phrases do not even have an understandable meaning. Re-ionization of seawater??? What is that?