Yet another question

[orion]

We have our protein skimmer all hooked up and seems to be running great! The only issue is that we're having a lot of air bubbles coming back into the ref tank (and thus cycling up into the display). Any hints or suggestions on how to stop these annoying micro-bubbles? We've tried adjusting the flow from the skimmer but it only seems to make it worse..... DOH!

[finch6013]

this may happen for a week or a few weeks while the skimmer breaks in and gets a slime coat and cleans all the production oils out.

[finch6013]

you can take the skimmer and run it in a bucket with vinigar and water for a day or so and its been said to help clean the oils out.

[Saltfinsax]

Yea mine took a couple days, you can try and put a outlet lines in a cloth bag to slow them down.

[orion]

Thanks for the reply! Unfortunately, this is not the case as we bought the skimmer used. :( Anything else that could cause it??? Or will it still need to get the oils out from sitting unused?

[Danik]

my skimmer outlet goes to filter sock, it solved the bubble problem for me.

[finch6013]

I think it may still need to get a slime coat built up. I have really tore down and cleaned my skimmer before and it made micros for a day. Maybe post what skimmer you have and someone can help.

[reef165]

an 90 deg elbo on the return pump so the water coming into the pump is being sucked up from the very bottom of the sump, and the filter sock trick helps alot! I've also had a pinhole in the plumbing before that acted like a ventury that sucked air into the plumbing insted of leaking.

[orion]

The skimmer is a SeaQuest protein skimmer (though not sure of the model?). We quit using the bottom input because it was putting bubbles straight down into the over-flow tube (and back into the ref tank). The top nozzle has been turned to go straight up so that the bubbles go up and not straight down into the drain tube.

 

[reef165]

I would put the ventury on the upper inlet and then inside the skimmer body put a tube down into the center tube in the skimmer body all the way down to within about 1 inch of the bottom then whare the ventury is now use it as your return water and try to get one of those gate valves from rick that he just got and put it on the out coming water to adjust the skimmer

[Rick]

Where your outlet comes out you can put a container to make the water overflow similar to what a baffle would do to reduce the micro bubbles.

 

The 2 gate valves I got (the rest are all ball valves) are probably going to end up on my drain lines next time I work on them. They're 1 1/2" which is overkill for this skimmer anyway.

[CA2OR]

my skimmer outlet goes to filter sock' date=' it solved the bubble problem for me.[/quote']

 

This is what I do. Works like a charm....until the sock get's clogged. But that is easy fix.