too much micro bubbles?

[bapski]

i have a close loop with a mag24 and SCWD. what i have noticed eversince running my closed loops are the air bubbles. is this normal or do i have to do something about this?

ive read in several articles that they have gotten rid of microbubbles but nothing really specific. also ive read that micro bubbles can cause something to the fish cornea:

Two problems could arise from the continuous use of airstones. The first and most common is excessive salt creap. As the bubbles burst, the throw SW into the air which when dries cases salt to cake on anything it touch's. It can make a real mess. The second and not as common is gas bubble disease. This will usually occur with continued microbubbles enter the water column where fish are kept. Small gas bubbles will accumulate just behind the fishs' cornea. It will appear similar to popeye but not as unsightly.

Cheers
Steve

which i have noticed before with my fish.

 

[dskidmore]

Microbubbles in a closed loop is indicative of a leak. You have a venturi effect going somewhere, pulling air in through the side of a joint.

 

[bapski]

ive gone through at least 3 revisions on my closed loop system and all of them produced micro bubbles. could the problem be on the connection on my SCWD? im using vinyl tubing and worm clamps on the intake and output on the SCWD.

as for possible air pulling on the joints, do you have any suggestions to correct this?

 

[dskidmore]

If you can find the leak, putting some silicone tape in the joint, or plain old gooping it over with aquarium sealant might work.

 

[bapski]

am not sure with what leak we are referring to. im hoping its an air leak because i dont have any water leak in my loop.

if im right with the air leak assumption, how the heck would i find it not unless i just seal all joints. right?

 

[dskidmore]

If you partially plug the outlet, the air leak would change to a water leak, and you can trace the dripping. Otherwise, might turn off all other equiptment and see if you can hear the air moving.

 

[roka64]

put some water on the joints and see where the water gets sucked in....but the turning off and tracing the dripping option seems it might be a better way....

 

[bapski]

read about putting silicone on all joints. will probably try this approach.

 

[bapski]

probably found the problem. its a bushing that i have in the intake plumbing. (where i put water to prime pump) just put pvc cement and seems to me there is way less micro bubbles..

 

[dskidmore]

Yay!

 

[bapski]

for those newbies reading this thread. forget the idea of using silicone. did not work for me and did not help at all. i used epoxy pc 7 instead.

 

[bapski]

just an update. finally got rid (TOTALLY!) of the micro-bubbles.. with a sigh of relief finally achieved what i have been painstakingly (both financially and time) undergoing for the last couple of months. heck, people from ACE HARDWARE already knew me by my first name!

thanks for the inputs guys.