BubblTrb Dangers F

FAQs about Bubble Concerns; Dangers, Damage

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> <<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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