Who still does micro bubble scrubbing on their reef?

[ReefStash Verified Sponsor]

Micro bubble scrubbing has been around forever... nothing new here. I've been using this technique since 2007 and it's great for getting detritus suspended and into your filter media for removal. The idea is that the micro bubbles get into every crevice of your tank and attach to detritus causing them to float to the surface and through your overflow.

I usually do this a couple of hrs before lights off and a couple times a week. Simply place an airstone under the intake of your return pump or powerhead. Great way to oxygenate your tank as well.

Anyone else?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

My issue with microbubbles (sometimes incorrectly called nanobubbles by reefers) has always been the false hype and claims, but detritus removal is certainly reasonable since it is essentially enhanced skimming (IMO).

What benefits do you attribute to detritus removal?

 

[WVNed]

Tucked into brain for later.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have for Dino eradication but try avoid doing it unless absolutely necessary

 

[ncjeepguy75]

I have been battling dying green hair algae that launched a dino outbreak...Don't ask me how but whatever, right....I keep my nutrients well above zero for both nitrate = 12.6 and phosphate = .08 or just even to .1...So I turned the heat up just a tad to 81 degrees, dosed microbacter 7 and put an airstone in the tank...and here we are...2 days later and very minimal brown stringy/snotty strands...I also see this turning some of the remaining green hair algae turning gray...So maybe there is something good with bubble scrubbing for a tank...

 

[Steve and his Animals]

I kind of see microbubble scrubbing as a mimic to aeration from heavy wave action in the wild. Beaches with heavy wave action are almost always very clean, which makes sense based on the currents alone, but I wonder if the bubbles do something like what they do in aquariums.

 

[ReefStash Verified Sponsor]

I kind of see microbubble scrubbing as a mimic to aeration from heavy wave action in the wild. Beaches with heavy wave action are almost always very clean, which makes sense based on the currents alone, but I wonder if the bubbles do something like what they do in aquariums.

That’s exactly what they do… the bubbles attach to detritus and even get into areas we can’t easily reach for export removal

 

[Doctorgori]

Honestly, I’m sorta skeptical, but then again just throwing this out there but I thought or remember freshwater tanks looking slightly “sparkly” when bathed in fine air bubbles.
I guess I’m saying if the effect actually ends up being “visual” only, or aesthetically better in the eye of the beholder the. I guess that makes it real enough fwiw

 

[DreadedNomad]

I have been battling dying green hair algae that launched a dino outbreak...Don't ask me how but whatever, right....I keep my nutrients well above zero for both nitrate = 12.6 and phosphate = .08 or just even to .1...So I turned the heat up just a tad to 81 degrees, dosed microbacter 7 and put an airstone in the tank...and here we are...2 days later and very minimal brown stringy/snotty strands...I also see this turning some of the remaining green hair algae turning gray...So maybe there is something good with bubble scrubbing for a tank...

How bad was your outbreak ? I was thinking about trying this if everything else fails. Haha

 

[ReefStash Verified Sponsor]

Now that the system is more mature I only do micro bubble scrubbing once or twice a month. The corals seem to love it and the SPS get rowdy during it. lol

 

[Uncle99]

Now that the system is more mature I only do micro bubble scrubbing once or twice a month. The corals seem to love it and the SPS get rowdy during it. lol

That is stunning!

 

[SeeFu]

I just tried this last night. when I do it, the return pump sucks up so much air that it no long moves any water through the return plumbing.

 

[ReefStash Verified Sponsor]

I just tried this last night. when I do it, the return pump sucks up so much air that it no long moves any water through the return plumbing.

Never had that problem before. Maybe try and turn the bubbles down some.