Microbubbles!!

[pskarr]

hello all! i've been reading this forum for a few months now, but this is
my first post. i have a penguin 350 on a 40 gallon tall freshwater tank and
it's been giving off a large number of microbubbles. really tiny bubbles that
give the appearance that the tank is full of debris. i have live plants, but not what
would be considered heavily planted. i have 9 kribs, 1 syn. petracola,
1 bristlenose pleco and a snowball pleco. i also use a cheapo co2 infuser (tablets), but not on a regular basis.

i've eliminated the following: crack or hole in j-tube that may be letting in air (took it off and checked it...it is air-tight),
water level (i get the same bubbles w high and low levels), filter media (i've changed the filters and ran them in different slots, to no avail).

even if no one has a solution, i'd like to know that i'm not the only person with this issue.
from the research i've done, the only people i've found with a similar problem have saltwater tanks.

thanx!

p.

 

[Bigfoot1030]

What type of filter is running in your tank??

 

[jim692]

what type of water conditioner do you use?
Do you add anything else to the tank water?

 

[InfernoST]

What type of filter is running in your tank??

Did you read the post?

 

[cabezon]

the only thing I could think of is to check the impeller and intake. Sometimes the impeller does not seat correctly. there may be debris under it. I also lift up the J tube several times to dislodge air when first starting. (not out of the water)

 

[BigJim]

Are you sure it's bubbles and not actually debris or little critters? The water in my tanks look dusty, but a lot of those "dust particles" wiggle around.

I get bubbles from my Penguin 200, but only if the water level is below the bottom of the filter return.

What are your water parameters and maintenance schedule? I've noticed bubbles tend to stick around longer if I've got any sort of oily film on the top of the water.

 

[pskarr]

i don't use any type of water conditioner, but i've exhausted enough
possibilities with the filter itself that i'm beginning to suspect the water
itself. i live in southeast michigan and from what i've been told, our tap water is pretty ideal for aquariums with regards to pH levels. i add a dechlorinator to the water (partial water changes) and that's all.

during setup, the tank was filled with about 15 gallons of established water from my LFS and then with dechlorinated tap water.
the tank is only a few months old and my fish have been doing great,
so i haven't bothered to test the water yet.

other than the co2 infuser, i add some plant food tablets now and then,
but not on a regular basis.

 

[jim692]

I used to use stress coat as a water conditioner and found that my penguin 350 filter caused a lot of micro bubbles in the tank. Switched to seachem prime, and have not had a problem since.