Bubbles are driving me crazy

[Ilia]

I have an above the tank refugium and am getting many bubbles into the main tank. Is there any way to stop these bubbles? I have tried putting small pieces of polyfilter but it does not work. Please help.

Ilia

[Reefland]

How does the refugium get fed water (from the tank or sump) and how does the water drain to the tank (gravity)?

[Ilia]

The refuge gets water from the tank through a mini-jet 606 and the water is fed back into the tank by gravity through a bulkhead.

Ilia

[MasterBlaster]

I have the same set-up, along with the bubbles, also. They don't bother me so much because it is only in one corner.

If you block the fuge overflow you are going to restrict/stop the critters from entering the main tank.

You don't want that.

[Ilia]

It's not only the appearance of the bubbles that bothers me but it's that when they pop water gets on the trim of the tank.

Ilia

[Reefland]

So you have a bulkhead at x level which happens to be the water level in teh refugium (actually the water level is half the bulkhead or less? If so, the bubbles are obviously coming from the mixture of air and water coming out the output into the tank. I don't have any suggestions on preventing it with it set-up like that. I'll dig around and see what I can come up with.

Scott Z.

[Ilia]

Thanks.

[Reefland]

Well after a bit of searching, I have found one possible solution.

If the flow through your refugium is not too great (~250 - 300gph) you can modify your drain from the sump to allow the air to escape. Basically you would take a piece of PVC stright out from your refugium drain bulkhead. At the end of it, add a T. To the bottom side of the T, take a piece of PVC and extend it well into the water column of your main display tank (a bit unsightly but maybe can be concealed by rock), cut it so it is around half way into your water column. At the top of the T, add a cap and drill a small hole through it.

The concept here is that the air bubbles entering the pipe will be able to flow upwards and escape the hole in the cap thus reducing the amount being returned into your tank. I have attached a drawing of this which will help you get a better idea; you'll have to pardon me for not having AutoCAD or using a 3D Rendering program.

Good luck,
Scott Z.

[MasterBlaster]

If it's any help, my outlet is allways submerged 2 to 3 in. below the water level of the main tank. I have a minimum amt of saltwater creep from the bursting bubbles, I think submerging the outlet helps to diffuse the bubbles somewhat. It also helps as a muffler to keep the noise down.

You might try completely covering that little zone where the bubbles burst. You might have to be a little inventive with that one.

[Ilia]

Thanks guys, it looks like I'm going to the laboratory.

Ilia

[Ilia]

I was trying to make a pvc tube for the water today but had to quit. It just looks too ugly. Can I just fasten a mesh material to the end of the pipe? I'm really not worried about bugs getting back to the tank. The piont of the fuge was to lower my nitrates to zero and it worked. So would it be a good idea to put mesh on the end of the tube? I tried before but I put the mesh on the bulkhead itself and not the pipe that's in my tank.

Thanks,
Ilia

[Reefland]

I personally don't think that mesh would diffuse the bubbles and it could easily get clogged and cause a great big mess. If your not concerned with feeding the tank from the refugium why not go a safer method and plumb it to the sump instead of the display? It would take a bit more powerful pump due to the added head pressure but it would fix your problem by allowing the bubbles to diffuse through your baffles in your sump.

Just a thought,
Scott Z.

[Ilia]

I only wish that I had a sump.

[Reefland]

Ummmmm......

Not too sure how to help out then. Hey, I tried!

I'll do some more digging around and see what I can come up with.