FAQs about Bubble Concerns; Dangers,
Damage
Related Articles: Plumbing Marine Systems, Plumbing Return
Manifolds, Refugiums,
Related FAQs: Bubble Troubles 1, Bubble Troubles 2, Bubble Troubles 3, Bubble Troubles 4, & FAQs on
Causes/Fixes: Diagnosing Sources,
Intake/Overflow Issues, Plumbing Issues, Pump/ing Issues, Discharge Issues, Biological Issues, & Solved Cases, & Marine Plumbing 1, Marine Plumbing 2, Marine Plumbing 3, Marine Plumbing 4, Marine Plumbing 5, Marine Plumbing 6, Plumbing 7, Plumbing
8, Plumbing 9, Plumbing 10, Plumbing 11, Plumbing 12, Plumbing 13, Plumbing 14, Plumbing 15, Plumbing 16, Plumbing 17, Plumbing 18, Holes &
Drilling, Durso Standpipes, Overflow Boxes, Plumbing Noise, Make Up Water Systems,
Pumps, Plumbing, Circulation, Sumps, Refugiums, Marine Circulation 2, Gear Selection for
Circulation, Pump
Problems, Fish-Only Marine Set-ups,
Fish-Only Marine
Systems 2, FOWLR/Fish and
Invertebrate Systems, Reef Systems,
Coldwater Systems, Small Systems, Large
Systems, Water
Changes, Surge Devices,
|
Aesthetics aside, organisms can be harmed, even
killed by too many fine bubbles presence
|
Gas Bubble Disease? Exophthalmia f' also --
6/17/08 Hi crew, I recently purchased a flame angel and placed him
my 20 gallon quarantine tank. I was using two Whisper 10 filters. The
next morning i discovered what i initially thought to be popeye.
However after reading your site i found that if it occurred only in one
eye it was likely the result of trauma. <Actually... can be
bilateral... one-sided is often mechanical/damage in origin, both-sides
from environmental, pathogenic causes> Therefore i added some Epsom
salt and hoped for the swelling to go down. However, the next day, i
found the flame angel to have a clear (air bubble) right above his eye
(not on the eye, but more like the eyelid), It seems to be gas bubble
disease. However, I'm not sure what may have caused this and what I
need to do as far as treatment. <Very likely this bubble is derived
from collecting damage... being brought to the surface too
quickly...> I replaced my two whisper 10 filters with a Emperor 280
hoping that the GBD was a result of lack of aeration. (Please note my
emperor is a 280 gph and adds lots of surface agitation-not sure if its
too much because i am getting air bubbles-is this also harmful? <Not
likely at all> I read about microbubbles causing bends in the
fish-but not sure if this can be caused by a hang on the back filter)
<Again... not the cause here> Please let me know what i can do to
help the little guy? <Really, just time going by, good care. The
area around fishes (and our) eyes is highly-vascularized... The
"trapped air" will be re-solubilized in time.> Also please
let me know if the Emperor 280 microbubbles will cause problems?
<Have... Not a problem. Microbubbles are much smaller, produced by
mixing air and water tog. at high/er pressures> not sure if surface
agitation bubbles from a hang on the back filter are dangerous or that
that microbubbles only apply to canister and return pumps? <No>
Thank you. <Welcome. Bob Fenner>
Micro-bubbles/gas-bubble disease
2/15/08 Hi, <Hello Ryan> I've been breeding marines
for a while and I recently set-up a 10 x 55g system to house the
majority of my common broodstock (clowns, Dottybacks etc.) and I
have been having a bit of a problem with micro-bubbles. I have
tried many things to try and rectify this problem and am starting
to suspect that I purely have too much flow going through the
system. I have 30,000 LPH at 2m head height, coming from a large
Onga (Aussie brand pool pump) magnetic drive pump. <Mmm... I
would use something else... you don't need the pressure this
device produces, nor to pay for it> I am going to order
another smaller (23,000 LPH) <Again, I'd look into
something with a different flow/pressure profile... see an outfit
that sells pumps for other purposes than pools> to see if this
fixes the problem but in the meantime I am concerned about the
broodstock I have already added to this system. How serious is
gas-bubble disease for marine fish <Very> and what kind of
exposure to micro-bubbles over what kind of period of time causes
this? <Just a small exposure in a period of minutes can be
deadly> Are can't seem to find a definitive answer. Even
on your 'bubble trouble' FAQ's one person is told
that micro-bubbles really are anything to be concerned about
where another is told that they could kill your fish. <Have
seen the latter on a few occasions... There are papers written on
the topic, gear devised to out-gas water...> I can't see
any obvious physical problems with my fish. The micro-bubbles
seem to come out different returns depending on what I fiddle
with and while it doesn't seem to bother some fish in others
it seems to really disturb the fish, decreasing their appetite
and causing them to withdraw into their tanks/decor. Thanks in
advance, Ryan. <Do look for "college level" general
texts on aquaculture... both the issues of gas embolism/disease
and aeration/gas saturation. Bob Fenner>
Re: Micro-bubbles/gas-bubble disease, ScottV,
your input as well please re Pump sel.,
pb 2/17/08 Hello Bob, Thanks
for your time, it's much appreciated. I have turned this
system off for the moment and just added a few hang-ons
filters/skimmers to the occupied tanks to keep them running and
added smaller pumps to keep the systems filters alive. I know it
wasn't an great idea to put fish in before I had all the
kinks worked out but as some of my original tanks were originally
in the area where the new system is now located I had to play
'musical tanks', setting the system up around the old
tanks etc, moving broodstock into the new systems tanks while I
plumbed and completed the system around it. So far only one fish
(of course a wild-caught spawning black ocellaris female :() is
still 'sulking' from this bubble problem, I'm hoping
she improves, any advise on this front? <Really, only time
going by... unfortunately. Stable, optimized conditions...
hope> To be honest picking a pump for this system was the
hardest thing I have had to do in that set-up. It's not
something I have had personal experience with and was not
something I had any luck researching in the usual places. The
Onga pump I did purchase is one recommended by one of the biggest
aquaculture companies in Aus and seemed comparable to a pump used
in a similar system in a LFS I frequent. <Mmm... much to state
here. Perhaps the gist of what I'd like to made known is
posted here: http://wetwebmedia.com/PondSubWebIndex/pdpumps.htm
and the Related FAQs link re above> I am having a hard time
understanding the difference between some of the flow rates of
these large pumps, one persons 30,000 LPH at 2m head height seems
very different to someone else's, is the best way to compare
them purely by the power consumption of a particular style of
pump? <Mmm, no my friend... Am wondering where we should start
in this discussion. "Power curves" are available for
most all pumps... But generally just knowing the approximate
volume of flow at a given/stated total dynamic head suffices...
My concerns are that you get good value in terms of what pressure
you really need (likely little, and are paying a premium for much
higher pressure) along with the usual need for chemical
inactivity, long-life/service... The higher pressure coefficient
too often figures into induced air-entraining issues (e.g.
microbubbles) as well... Do read the above citation... and
we'll chat further> Would something like a ReeFlo
Hammerhead pump of 335w rated at 22,040 LPH at 0 head height be
more what I am looking for, that brand is the only one I found
reasonable info on but I thought they size was too small.
<Mmm, for what application/s?> The system is set-up on two
levels with the top level being around 7ft off the ground and the
bottom about 3ft. I am using 40mm pipe for the incoming lines and
25mm-50mm for the of the outgoing. Other pumps available to me
are the Lifeguard Seahorse's, RK2's, <Ahhh! These I am
very familiar with... re-packaged Baldor's... from some
friends/associates from many years back... I do strongly
encourage your looking into this line. VERY reliable, quiet,
energy-efficient (this last is extremely important)> and
LINK's, none of which I was able to find much info on, if
any. I had hope to put a reasonable amount of flow through this
system, I plumbed it to take it <Mmm, actually, some of the
returns/drains, at 25mm, are not all that large> but even in a
system like this is it better to follow the general rule of reef
tanks and have the majority of the flow in the tank coming from
internal pumps and the like? <Mmm, no... definitely not.
Commercial concerns almost never rely on these secondary
systems> Thanks again for the help, I was so tempted to ask a
few of these questions while I was doing this but they seemed
like things I should have known. <An excellent idea to check
ones assumptions/understandings with others of similar
background, interest... who can/will help. I do hope our Scott
Vallembois will chime in here, as he and Eric Russell are most up
to date in terms of these issues> On another note, I'm not
sure if you remember but a while ago I sent some pics of my
Mccullochi Clownfish to include in the clownfish section, <Ah,
yes> I think you replied at the time. Since then I have had
some small success and raised some offspring, if pictures of the
first tank-bred Mccullochi's are of any interest I would be
happy to send a few over. <Thank you for this kind offer.
Unfortunately, due to so much travel, I only keep freshwater
nowadays> I could also replace the original pic with a nicer
one with a nice anemone backdrop:), I sent a couple of examples,
maybe not the best ID shots but a couple of my personal
favourites. Kind Regards, Ryan Dwyer. <Am going to run this as
our pic of the day. Cheers, Bob Fenner>
Re: Micro-bubbles/gas-bubble disease, ScottV, your input as
well please re Pump sel., pb 2/17/08 Hello Bob, Thanks for
your time, it's much appreciated. I have turned this system
off for the moment and just added a few hang-ons filters/skimmers
to the occupied tanks to keep them running and added smaller
pumps to keep the systems filters alive. I know it wasn't an
great idea to put fish in before I had all the kinks worked out
but as some of my original tanks were originally in the area
where the new system is now located I had to play 'musical
tanks', setting the system up around the old tanks etc,
moving broodstock into the new systems tanks while I plumbed and
completed the system around it. So far only one fish (of course a
wild-caught spawning black ocellaris female :() is still
'sulking' from this bubble problem, I'm hoping she
improves, any advise on this front? <Really, only time going
by... unfortunately. Stable, optimized conditions... hope> To
be honest picking a pump for this system was the hardest thing I
have had to do in that set-up. It's not something I have had
personal experience with and was not something I had any luck
researching in the usual places. The Onga pump I did purchase is
one recommended by one of the biggest aquaculture companies in
Aus and seemed comparable to a pump used in a similar system in a
LFS I frequent. <Mmm... much to state here. Perhaps the gist
of what I'd like to made known is posted here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/PondSubWebIndex/pdpumps.htm and the
Related FAQs link re above> <<This pump can work, but is
unnecessarily expensive to run. I have walked into many the LFS
that could save upwards of $400+ per month in my estimation
solely by choosing different pump than the use.>> I am
having a hard time understanding the difference between some of
the flow rates of these large pumps, one persons 30,000 LPH at 2m
head height seems very different to someone else's, is the
best way to compare them purely by the power consumption of a
particular style of pump? <Mmm, no my friend... Am wondering
where we should start in this discussion. "Power
curves" are available for most all pumps... But generally
just knowing the approximate volume of flow at a given/stated
total dynamic head suffices... My concerns are that you get good
value in terms of what pressure you really need (likely little,
and are paying a premium for much higher pressure) along with the
usual need for chemical inactivity, long-life/service... The
higher pressure coefficient too often figures into induced
air-entraining issues (e.g. microbubbles) as well... Do read the
above citation... and we'll chat further> <<I have
added a few links with examples of the flow charts mentioned at
the end of this correspondence.>> Would something like a
ReeFlo Hammerhead pump of 335w rated at 22,040 LPH at 0 head
height be more what I am looking for, that brand is the only one
I found reasonable info on but I thought they size was too small.
<Mmm, for what application/s?> <<I would encourage
you to invest in two smaller pumps for redundancy's sake. If
one goes out you will still have one up and running while it is
repaired. You will also likely manage to get more flow for less
power consumed this way.>> The system is set-up on two
levels with the top level being around 7ft off the ground and the
bottom about 3ft. I am using 40mm pipe for the incoming lines and
25mm-50mm for the of the outgoing. Other pumps available to me
are the Lifeguard Seahorse's, RK2's, <Ahhh! These I am
very familiar with... re-packaged Baldor's... from some
friends/associates from many years back... I do strongly
encourage your looking into this line. VERY reliable, quiet,
energy-efficient (this last is extremely important)>
<<The Baldor based pumps are hands down my favorite for
high flow vs. power input (very quiet and reliable to boot). Also
consider looking at the Dolphin line of pumps, they do offer a
great variety of flow biased pumps. Keep in mind what you have
going on is not what would be considered a high pressure
application from a pump's point of view. You will want to
look toward the more flow biased offerings rather than pressure
biased. As Bob stated, you will just waste power and money using
the pressure rated versions here.>> and LINK's, none of
which I was able to find much info on, if any. I had hope to put
a reasonable amount of flow through this system, I plumbed it to
take it <Mmm, actually, some of the returns/drains, at 25mm,
are not all that large> <<A 25mm (inner diameter) drain
will only accommodate around 1150 LPH safely. The larger 50mm up
to about 4600 LPH, there is a huge difference. You will want to
cut your cumulative flow down to about 12000 LPH or drill
more/larger drains.>> but even in a system like this is it
better to follow the general rule of reef tanks and have the
majority of the flow in the tank coming from internal pumps and
the like? <Mmm, no... definitely not. Commercial concerns
almost never rely on these secondary systems> <<This
brings my attention back to where all this flow is being
processed. How large is your sump/filtration tank? Regardless of
how much flow you run through it you should be able to set it up
to not return micro bubbles to your tanks. If it is simply too
small to disperse the bubbles, cutting the flow back roughly 25%
will likely not do the trick. You may need a larger sump area or
need to rework whatever you have to keep bubbles out of your
return. Something as simple as a filter sock over the drain lines
can work wonders in getting these bubbles out. Also be sure that
the end of each line is submerged, if it is draining into the
sump above the water level it is just adding to the problem. Also
be sure that all your plumbing connections are actually
watertight. A return can appear watertight (not leaking) because
it is actually introducing air into the line rather than leaking
water out of it. The closer to the pump, the more likely this
scenario is to be playing out, at the pvc/pump joint in
particular. Do also be sure that any pump's intake is
unrestricted. If you need to control flow from the pump, do so
from the output end.>> Thanks again for the help, I was so
tempted to ask a few of these questions while I was doing this
but they seemed like things I should have known. <An excellent
idea to check ones assumptions/understandings with others of
similar background, interest... who can/will help. I do hope our
Scott Vallembois will chime in here, as he and Eric Russell are
most up to date in terms of these issues> On another note,
I'm not sure if you remember but a while ago I sent some pics
of my Mccullochi Clownfish to include in the clownfish section,
<Ah, yes> I think you replied at the time. Since then I
have had some small success and raised some offspring, if
pictures of the first tank-bred Mccullochi's are of any
interest I would be happy to send a few over. <Thank you for
this kind offer. Unfortunately, due to so much travel, I only
keep freshwater nowadays> I could also replace the original
pic with a nicer one with a nice anemone backdrop:), I sent a
couple of examples, maybe not the best ID shots but a couple of
my personal favourites. Kind Regards, Ryan Dwyer. <Am going to
run this as our pic of the day. Cheers, Bob Fenner> <<I
hope this helps out, the links below should help also, there is
much good information regarding pump flow and how to choose/apply
on the Reeflo site in particular. The RK2 offerings are very
similar to these. Good luck, Scott V.>><Thank you Scott.
RMF< http://www.reeflopumps.com/flowbiasedpumps.html
http://www.azponds.com/new%20sequence.htm#Dolphin http://www.reefaquarium.com.au/index.php?p=productMore&iProduct=112
Re: Micro-bubbles/gas-bubble disease/Pumps and Plumbing
2/18/08 Hello Bob, Scott, <Scott with you again.> Thank
you both for your help, and your quick response, it's not
every day you get two experts helping you out. <Very welcome
Ryan.> My black ocellaris female I mentioned seems to becoming
more outgoing but still hasn't got her appetite back, I'm
just hoping an unrelated problem isn't the cause of this
behavior and that I should be treating her with something. <It
does sound as though she is improving, give it time.> Out of
my options for pumps it seems as though the RK2 range seems the
best one, it's just trying to work out which one is the best
for this situation. <OK, these are good pumps.> I should
have been more detailed in my description on my system but felt
like my reply was too long as it was. When I said my outgoing
plumbing is 25-50mm I meant that it came out of 25mm bulkheads
into 50mm pipes, as seen in pic 1. <I see, in this case it
appears you will be limited by the cumulative flow in the
50mm.> This pic shows one side of the system, the 6 other 55g
tanks run along the wall to the left. One thing I am going to
change to the plumbing in that pic is to add a 'breather'
to each side which can apparently help with my issues. <It
will prevent the drain lines from siphoning. I would also drill
put a siphon break on each individual drain. Looking at your
setup it would be easy enough to drill through the top of each
screen just tight enough for a small piece of tubing. Run that
3-4' down (you may need to slide it up and down to find just
the right spot) into the drain line and it will break the siphon
in the line. This is not necessary at low flows through the
drains, your setup will aspirate itself to some extent since the
drains are exposed to the atmosphere.> The incoming pipes run
in a similar way, through 40mm then to 25mm with a ball valve on
each tank to regulate the flow. I had also plumbed a couple of
lines to supply a couple of bio-ball chambers in the sump, a DSB
and an extra output to bleed any extra flow back to the sump if
the flow was too much. <OK> My sump was originally 6ft by
3ft in size; its main draw-back was it was only 14 inches high. I
had a real hard time tracking down anything in the dimensions I
was looking for. I had a spare 6ft by 2ft tank and I kind of wish
I had used that now, but it was a little too tall for my liking.
I am going to be setting up a number of systems like this one
(once I get this one working well) and for them I think I'll
have to get something custom made, just wish I had been patient
enough to do that for this system. When I started to suspect the
size of the sump was the cause of my bubble problems I plumbed
another 3ft by 2ft by 20inches tall tub into the 6ft one and ran
my outgoing plumbing through this first, to hopefully baffle the
problem. Each line running into the sump is submerged. I do have
a lot of pre-filter baffling the flow but if I still see bubbles
after downsizing the pump I'll try and attach filter socks. I
originally was a little concerned about trying to block so much
force directly. With both of the tubs joined together is this
still considered on the small size for the amount of flow?
<No, we are dealing with a fair amount of flow, but the
bubbles should be able to be dispersed over this run through the
sump. I would skip the filter socks, bad communication on my
part. I threw that out there as a fix for most home aquarists. In
your case I would consider something mechanical such as foam on
the return end of your sump to catch any bubbles that make it
through the run of the sump. Of course a thorough bubble trap
towards the return end helps too!> One of the first things I
tried to do to solve the problem was to find a possible air holes
drawing water into the incoming lines, concentrating around the
pump. I very carefully plumbed the incoming lines with high
pressure pvc glue so I couldn't see how any air could get
sucked in around such a seal so I suspected the pump itself, or
the bulkhead from the sump where this glue wasn't used. From
what I could tell this wasn't the problem, I even sealed
these fittings with silicone and saw no difference. <All are
possible causes and were worth mentioning, it sounds like we are
on the same page.> With all this in mind would you think a RK2
2120 (23,100 LPH) would be too powerful? <No, not when head
pressure/plumbing runs are accounted for. These pumps also do
well with throttling back if need be (on the output side); they
will even use a little less power this way.> Is the RK2 214C
(13,500) a better option? Any other major problems with my
design? <Do drill the siphon breaks/install the
'breathers'' . This will help your situation. You may
also consider replumbing the drains. The way the four tanks
appear to be configured in the picture you are going to be
limited to 4600lph through them, the flow capacity of the 50mm
line gravity fed, likely less with the run and fittings. You will
want either a larger line to combine the drains coming off the
tanks into or limit each 50mm line to input from four 25mm
drains. This will double the flow capacity in these four tanks,
follow the same principles in the other six.> Thanks again for
your help. Kind Regards Ryan Dwyer. <Welcome, do keep us
posted on how things go, Scott V.>
Re: Micro-bubbles/gas-bubble disease/Pumps and
Plumbing 2/20/08 Hi Scott, <Hello again Ryan.> Things
seem to be improving here. My female black ocellaris is now
eating hungrily again, which I am very happy about. I got
extremely lucky getting a wild-caught black ocellaris pair in the
first place and I certainly can't replace them. This has
seemed to have put this pair off spawning, but at least they are
alive. <Great to hear the situation has improved.> Thanks
for your input on my system design, I was concerned I may have
made some major stuff ups but it seems I didn't do too badly.
Makes it much easier to plan for my future set-ups with your
advice on board. I have added one 'breather' to each
arm/stand of the system, should I have added one to each side of
each arm/stand? <You will want to aspirate the line in some
way anywhere the gravity fed lines travel down any significant
amount to keep the system draining consistently.> This has
improved things considerably, I started the system back-up just
to see what difference it made and for the first day I got
minimal bubbles, like what you would see if you added a new
hang-on skimmer to a tank. Today after running for a day the
amount of bubbles are increasing, I think it must be an
accumulative affect. I have ordered the RK2 23,100 so I am
figuring with this drop in flow I should see the last of these
nasty bubbles. <Can you throttle your current pump back to
test this first?> Thanks for the advice on the siphon breaks,
I saw it mentioned in the FAQs and tried to just cable tie the
hose to the side of the screen, you way works a lot better. I
think I might have to re-plumb the drains, I am getting a bit of
water bubbling up through the bottom standpipes if the total flow
through that line is too great. I'm not sure if I should wait
to see how the new pump goes, or just re-plumb it while I swap
the pumps over. <Either way, replumbing is not the most fun
thing in the world, but at least it is not too difficult.>
Thanks again for your input. Kind Regards, Ryan Dwyer.
<Welcome, do let us know how it all sorts out, Scott
V.>
|
Curious Pump Issue -- 11/22/07
Hello All, <<Greetings Jackie>> I hope you and your
families have a wonderful Thanksgiving. <<Thank you>> I
have a question related to my return pump which is a Mag Drive 9.5.
<<Okay>> The pump has been in use for approximately 1 year.
A couple of days ago I noticed it is expelling a large amount of tiny
bubbles into my main tank. Do you know what would cause this to happen?
<<Mmm, I've used this brand of pump for many years with good
reliability (though I recently made a switch to the Ocean Runner line
of pumps for some applications)'¦if the pump is
'submerged' this is likely due to air intrusion somewhere along
the plumbing line, rather than any particular fault in the pump itself.
A joint/junction somewhere may have worked loose and is 'sucking
air' much like a venturi functions (only takes a very small
pin-hole). It will take a bit of investigative work on your part to
find the fault. One tactic for finding the air leak is to smear a bit
of silicone grease around each joint 'one-at-a-time' to see if
the bubbles stop>> Also, should I be concerned about the health
of my inhabitants? <<In my experience, unless the bubbles are
very small and very profuse they are likely more of a nuisance to you,
than anything else>> Thanks, Jackie <<Happy to assist.
EricR>>
Protein Skimmer and stress? Adding a
Skimmer 8/7/07 Hello from Tennessee WWM crew! <Hello> I have
a two year old system (36g) and have finally bought a protein skimmer
(AquaC remora)! <I think you will be happy with this unit.> I
connected it to my tank today and of course I have some microbubbles.
However my fishes seem to be freaking out and hiding. Will this stress
them out and cause a death? <Doubtful, they will get use to it.>
If so, what do you think should be done? <Nothing, give them a
little time.> My other question is....probably an obvious no
but...Can I alternate the skimmer between that tank and my 125g? The
specs are for 20-80 gallons for the skimmer but hopefully you will
grant me permission to alternate them??? <You could, although it
will be underpowered for the 125, but I'm not sure why you would
want to. Really both tanks would benefit from their own full time
skimmer.> <Chris>
Bubble in Tang's Eye...GBD? - 08/27/06 Hi,
<<Hello Deb>> I have a tang who had tiny air bubbles in her
eye, then the next day the tiny bubbles became two larger one then the
next day they merged into one big bubble. <<Can't say
I've ever seen this before...still, is possibly the result of an
injury or environmental condition>> Is this the same as POPEYE,
or is this something different? <<Something different, as
stated. Popeye infections generally affect BOTH eyes>>
Also I see that Epsom salt is recommended for Popeye, <<Mmm, not
really...a true Popeye infection would require an antibiotic treatment,
but the Epsom Salt may prove beneficial in this case>> if this is
what she has can the Epsom salt be added to my tank with the other fish
or should she be put into a smaller tank. <<Separation/quarantine
would likely make it easier to observe/treat this fish, but the Epsom
Salt can be added to the display tank if you so wish (a level teaspoon
per ten gallons actual water volume is recommended)>> Also how
long can you use the Epsom salt? <<As long as perceived
necessary...will not need to be re-dosed until you perform a water
change>> She is eating but her balance seems off and she looks
like sometimes she bumps into things. <<Indeed...peripheral
sight/field-of-view is affected, though the loss of "balance"
may indicate another problem...emphysematosis, Gas Bubble
Disease>> Can tiny micro-bubbles in tank cause this or is this
just something that fish just get? <<Ahh, yes...is this an issue
in your system? If so, definitely remove the tang for
treatment...and see here about rectifying the bubble situation in your
display: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bubtroubfaqs.htm
>> I thank you in advance for your help. <<I'm happy to
assist>> I Love this fish and will try anything I can to help
her. Deb <<Remove the tang and treat as described...and fix your
bubble problem. Regards, EricR>>
Yucky Surface Scum! 8/24/05 I have a 55 gallon
reef tank; and do weekly water changes of 10%. But after a
few days a film covers the top of the water trapping in air bubbles and
the things. What is this film that keeps appearing and how
do I get rid of it? Thanks, S. Montgomery <Well, it's hard to be
100% sure, but the surface film is probably some sort of collection of
organics, which tend to accumulate at the water/air interface. This is
one of the best reasons to employ an overflow that pulls water from the
surface down into the sump and into a protein skimmer (drawing
"raw" water from the surface helps increase protein skimmer
efficiency). You can employ some sort of surface skimming (depending
upon the type of filtration system that you employ), as well as
aeration or a water return that disturbs the surface, to help displace
this material into the water column for easier removal. Hope this
points you in the right direction. Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>
- Bubbles and Dump Buckets - I've been reading
your site, and in great detail. There's so much useful stuff here,
it will probably take me months to go through it all! Anyway, another
question for the crew! I had been toying with a small turf scrubber for
a reef tank (strictly supplemental to a skimmer/refugium setup), and
had been contemplating having the surge fall into a far end of the tank
through a confined open air sheet. Splash out wouldn't happen,
but... I've now been reading through the part of your site where
people go on and on about bubbles, and... Am I to take it that my idea
for helping oxygenate the tank (open air fall) was maybe not such a
good idea? <In the case of a dump bucket system, you don't have
anything to fear from micro bubbles.> Anyway, I'm having second
thoughts about the turf scrubber, but I still want some kind of surge
device, ala Carlson. Should it return under the water, instead of
splashing into it? <Splashing is just fine. In my opinion, the whole
micro bubble issue is overblown - it is a genuine problem and does
occur, just not as often as some folks make out, so that a large
portion of the posts you may have read are really about the aesthetic
issues of air in the water and the perceived problem of micro bubbles
rather than an actual problem.> I'd seen net photos of some turf
scrubbers that had some very heavy surges. They appeared bubbly. I was
simply assuming that bubbly was okay. No, eh? <Bubbly in this case
is fine.> Joe p.s. I'm okay with the noise. :) <Cheers, J --
>
Over filtering and aerating Hello, and thanks for
all the advice I have taken from your archives over the last 6 months!!
<Hi Frank. Thanks for researching before writing in and glad our
site can help.> I currently have a 20 gallon marine tank with 15lbs
of live rock, 1 Clarkii clown, 1 false percula and a saffron blue
damsel. All parameters I currently test for are normal ( i.e. ammonia
0, nitrite 0, pH 8.3,nitrate 0, SG 1.022 and temp 78 degrees) and I
perform a 15% water change weekly. <Ok, sounds good so
far...> The tank has been running for 6 weeks <Has
the tank finished cycling? That isn't very long. but do keep an eye
on those water tests to be sure, as your canister filter might help
keep levels in check during the process.> My main question concerns
my external canister filter (Fluval 404), I use this as a means of
filtration and a power head. I have been currently turning the flow
rate up to max after feeding in order to clear debris and provide a
load of gas exchange and water movement, the water gets quite bubbly
all over the face of the tank. <lots of air bubbles are not good all
over the tank, you might want to keep that down.> The fish all
swim to the top of the tank and swim against the current, so my
question really is, can you overdo the water movement and aeration??
<Yes, if your tank is filled with tons of bubbles then your fish and
corals can get sick and or die from the micro- bubbles. as for water
movement. You can have too much if it pushes the fish into the glass.
as long as there are places to go without strong currents that seems
ok. However it's a lot better to have a turbid flow (water mixing
[?] from all directions) then a flow from one side as it helps
keep things stirred up and its more like the ocean. Maybe build a
manifold out of PVC (read Anthony Calfo's no more powerheads
article on the FAQ's) to better distribute the flow. but the
massive filtration is a plus for a small tank. Be sure to clean the
filters in the canister weekly as well in old tank water.> Another
quick question, should I be testing for calcium or adding any other
trace elements? <Yes if you want your live rock or corals to grow
well, though the makeup saltwater has most trace elements besides
calcium.> Thanks for any help you can give. Frank from Glasgow,
Scotland <Good luck and hope this helps> <Justin
(Jager)>
Help! bubble trapped in fish! Hi crew!
<Rebecca> I want to thank you in advance for your help! Y'all
are a life-saver for those of us trying to hone our skills as novice
aquarists. <Welcome> I have a serious problem! I just hooked up a
Aqua C Remora protein skimmer to my 46 gallon tank. As predicted, the
skimmer is putting out a small amount of microbubbles, but nothing
unbearable (I think). All of my fish are doing well except for my
golden goby, who seems to have taken a liking to eating the bubbles! He
has a visible air bubble inside of him and I'm afraid that he's
headed for fishy heaven if I don't intervene in some way! My mom
told me to try to feed him a pea because they make her fart, but
I'm fairly certain they wouldn't have the same effect on a
fish! <May work, worth trying> Is there anything I can do for the
little guy? He's still eating and hanging out on his various
perches on my live rock. <You might try adding a bit of Epsom Salt
(a level teaspoon per ten gallons of actual water volume) to the system
to see if this too will "move him"> How can I help
him? <Not much else to do... hopefully "this too shall
pass"> Thanks!! Becky <Bob Fenner>
Air bubbles and fish spots... Hello crew! I just
want to say thank you for all the time and support that you and your
crew provide to these questions. I've been looking
online for the answers to these questions, but I can't find the
answers to my specific questions. First, I have fine air
bubbles returning to my tank clouding the water. I know,
don't say it; I have spent days reading the past
FAQ's. My particular problem is that periodically (every
20 minutes or so), a surge of bubbles enters the
tank. It's like the air is building up in the pump, then
it spits it out. <Yikes, not good... can be dangerous to your
livestock... there is an intake leak... somewhere... that you should
look, listen for and fix... a spray bottle of water, a length of
tubing... for spritzing on lines, fittings, the pump volute... and the
tubing for listening for intake "hiss"...> I have
siliconed all my joints before and after the pump and still
microbubbles. I don't have bubbles entering the sump so
it is not coming from there. I'm really out of ideas as
where this air is coming from and how to solve the problem. <With
someone helping, try pressurizing the line (blocking the
discharge/s...) you may see water seep to shoot out of the intake
source... otherwise try wicking a napkin/paper towel along the entire
intake line... for water> I have a 150 gallon with 100
sump below. Second question is not a problem, I'm just
curious if you have seen this before and what it is... At night, I
often use the flashlight to see all the different life forms
emerging. I have six green Chromis and when I shine the
flashlight on them, they have large 1/8 inch spots on the
fish. During the day, they have no spots and they are
healthy. Disease free for months. Have you
observed this before? Normal? Should I be
concerned? Thanks for your input in
advance. Dan <Likely what you observe, describe
well here are "nocturnal markings"... changes in the fish
themselves that may aid them in the wild in avoiding piscivorous
predators. No worries. Bob Fenner>
Tiny Bubbles- Big Troubles? I have been reading
about skimmers, etc. making tiny bubbles in tank..... How big of an
issue is getting bubbles in your tank (apart from aesthetics')..? I
can't seem to find any reference as to problems with bubbles, and I
would think that it would not do any harm to have some in your
tank.....in fact, right before lights out (for my fish), I turn on the
venturi to create bubbles for approx: 10-20 minutes....it seems to
create a nice "wave" effect in the tank and stirs up debris
etc.... Is this practice bad...? Jess <Well, Jess- the practice may
not be bad, but the big concern about microbubbles or other bubbles in
the tank is the potential for them to become "trapped" in
sessile inverts and corals, potentially irritating or damaging them.
The "danger" of this happening may be somewhat overstated,
but it is a good practice to avoid activities that could cause
irritation to inverts. I'd make sure that you don't see a lot
of bubbles accumulating on your inverts. If this does not appear to be
a problem, then I wouldn't be overly concerned. Just use your good
judgment, and all should be fine! Regards, Scott F>
Tiny Bubbles- Large Headache Hello to all <Hi
there! Scott F. here!> I have finally gotten my 55 gal corner bow
and 20 gal sump up and running. It was a long irritating struggle, but
I think I have won. The Iwaki md30rxlt is in the basement and after a
lot of experimenting the noise from the 2 - 1" overflows is down
to a mere trickle. You hardly notice the noise at all.
<Sweet! That's a great accomplishment!> The last issue that I
have been dealing with is bubbles. After I got it running there were
tiny bubbles everywhere. You could hardly see through the
water. I changed the design of the sump slightly and now
most of them are gone. How many of these micro bubbles would
it take to be harmful to my future inhabitants. Do I need to
do some more experimenting before ordering my live rock? I
can actually live with it the way it is now. I just would
like someone else's opinion on whether or not it is harmful to the
fish. The water is clear, but you can still see these micro
bubbles all through the tank. <Well, excessive microbubbles in the
water can potentially be a problem to sessile inverts and corals, by
settling on them and interfering with their feeding and elimination
processes. I would not be overly concerned about the potential for
problems with the live rock, per se, but I'd look for the source of
the bubbles to try to isolate them and eliminate that source. Often,
microbubbles can be reduced or eliminated by re-checking all plumbing
connections, creating a baffle to reduce the spread of the bubbles, and
re-evaluating the circulation within the tank.> Thank you and good
night Bryan Flanigan <Good luck, Bryan! Keep at it! Regards, Scott
F>
- Gas Bubble Disease? Restocking after Tragedy -
Howdy y'all! I recently lost a 5" Saddleback Butterfly,
3" Coral Beauty Angel, 4" Lyretail Anthias, and a 3"
Firefish Goby. <I'm sorry to hear of your losses.> I moved
about a month ago and went from a 55g that had been running for a year
to a 125g. The move went rather well, and I managed to have the 125
running for a week prior and moved all the water from the 55g into the
new tank along with LR and the inhabitants. All the critters were doing
super UNTIL last week when I started running a sump I
created using an old 50g with acrylic dividers that created a sump and
refugium area. From the start my tank was filled with micro-bubbles. I
spent all that day attempting to correct the problem, and did to a
certain degree I thought by the time the lights turned off. Low and
behold the next day the bubbles were back with such a fury there was
barely 6" of visibility in the tank. After another day of trying
to correct the problem I succeeded, but I believe it was too late.
Within 5 days I lost 4 fish with the Butterfly holding out the longest.
All fish showed rapid gill movement, frayed fins and a slight bloating
of their entire bodies. I am assuming this was GBD and not poisoning
from something in the sump, as both my shrimp survived and molted a
week later (it was due) and my Bar Goby also made it through and seems
to be doing fine although a little shy lately. <For GBD you should
also see actual bubbles that look as if stuck to the fish, these are
actually gas bubbles under the skin.> I let all the PVC cure over 24
hours and rinsed it thoroughly...any ideas? <My guess is combined
stress along with perhaps too much 'air' in the form of bubbles
complicated things in the tank, in a way rarifying the water making it
difficult to breath, but perhaps not the actual gas bubble disease.>
While still in mourning I have begun to plan the restocking of the tank
and would either a Passer Angel or Maculosus Angel as the centerpiece.
I'm really at a loss for what other medium/small species I should
be considering. <Many choices.> It's a 125g with Tunze
skimmer, 75lbs of LR, 50g sump contains mechanical/chemical filtration
and 25g fuge with 4" DSB and various algae. No wet/dry or other
biological at this time. Was considering adding another 50lbs of LR or
getting some type of wet/dry system within the next few months. What
might you recommend? <Go for the live rock, skip the wet/dry.>
Thank you very much for your time, you guys are such a tremendous help!
E <Cheers, J -- >
Tiny bubbles Hi WWM crew! This is me from
Guatemala, the land of eternal spring! <cheers! Carlos> This is
my question. Often the main pump in the sump capture little bubbles
originated in the sump due the internal turbulence... when the pump
capture this bubbles, the pump brake it in myriads of tiny bubbles that
you can see in the main tank... those bubbles can affect in some way
the life in my tank? <yes... called "microbubbles" the
aspirated air is whisked through the impeller and can cause some
problems with animals in the system. Stuck to invertebrates they can be
irritating and in rare cases they cause supersaturation of oxygen and a
condition like Nitrogen "bends" in divers for the fishes.
Prevent the bubbles by installing a baffle of glass before the pump
intake or keeping a large coarse foam block on the pump intake (and
clean weekly)> Thank you! Carlos DÃaz <best regards,
Anthony>
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