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Micro bubbles!!!!!!!!!!!

R

raider77

I can't figure out how to get rid of these micro bubbles and it's really starting to annoy me. They're coming from my 3/4 seaswirls. I tried cutting back on the flow coming out of them but nothing helps.Maybe the problems is not with them could be somewhere else. Any suggestions would greatly appreciated.
 
MikeNapoli

MikeNapoli

What kind of plumbing is going to the seaswirl .. if it's pvc that you glued yourself then you have a hole/flaw in your gluing which is letting in air. Other than that I can't think of anything. Hopfully someone else can help a little better.
 
H

hayabusa2003

Check your plumbing. If it's threaded connections, make sure it's tight. I use teflon tape on them. If the air is coming in from one of your glued connections, you can use some vasaline around the joints as a temporary fix...once you've isolate the leak..you've gotta cut and reglue.

microbubbles can also come from your pumps. Make sure you're not throttling the intake of the pump (all valves used to control flow should be installed at the pump outlet). If the pump can't suck up water as fast as it needs to, this causes cavitation within the pump and you get air bubbles like crazy.

When I had my problem, I turned off everything, let the water settle, and then turned on a pump at a time to see which flow is causing the bubbles.

Good luck!
 
R

raider77

Billy I am available anytime just stop by or give me a call.

I don't have pvc it's some sort of black ribbed hose.I believe it's luaguna pond hose.

My skimmer is not in the same compartment as my return. The sump is sectioned into 3 the skimmer is it's own area then it's the return area and then the refugium. Carlo if look through some of RichT's post you'll find a picture and diagram of my sump.
 
R

raider77

I stopped the micro bubbles but I had to turn one of the sea swirls off. The other ones runs perfectly fine until I turn the other back on. What is causing the other sea swirl to create these bubbles?
 
RichT

RichT

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
there has to be a micro hole somewhere in the fittings of that sea swirl it seems
 
Phyl

Phyl

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Agreed. Try redoing all of the fittings on the second seaswirl with RainRShine
 
Phyl

Phyl

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
PVC glue. But if there are no fittings then that nixes that. How is it connected to your pump then? Hose? Do you have any pictures of this?
 
C

Carlo

Based on what you just answered it sounds like it could be caused by cavitation. Is the inlet side of the return pump restricted in any way? Is it near the side of the sump?

What size pump is it?

Carlo
 
R

raider77

Here are some pics of the set up.Let me know if they help any.
[img
newtank-09.jpg
 
Phyl

Phyl

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Looks like cavitation is a good possibility. I would have liked to have seen you come out of the sump with 1-2 sizes up from the pump intake (so if it is 3/4" then I would have gone to 1.5"), especially with that elbow between the pump and the sump.
 
C

Carlo

Do you have the ability to rotate the 90 degree elbow (bottom/middle pic) that's on the intake of the pump or is it cemented in place?

I'm thinking you could be getting of a vortex going there that is reducing the flow into the pump and causing a slight bit of cavitation giving you the bubbles.

Carlo
 
R

raider77

Phyl said:
Looks like cavitation is a good possibility. I would have liked to have seen you come out of the sump with 1-2 sizes up from the pump intake (so if it is 3/4" then I would have gone to 1.5"), especially with that elbow between the pump and the sump.


Is it too late to change it?
Click to expand...
 
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