FED UP with Maxi-Jet bubbles!!

[runway1]

I finally pulled the MJ900 that kept making bubbles and replaced it with a new unit. BUBBLES all over the place. Like it was a bubble making pump!

Both units are/were completely submerged. Where do they get the air from? Is plain turbulence able to make that many bubbles? I have two others that are just fine and this one corner is just ruining the tank....arrrrgh!

Any hints? Boil it in oil? A voodoo doll MJ full of stick pins? Threaten to make it a septic pump?? Eeeeeeesh.

 

[Edmonton Eskimo]

Have you tried to rearrange them?

 

[fishfreek]

How far below the surface are they? Have you plugged the top ventri inlet? is there anything restricting the inlet?

All of these can cause air to be pulled into the unit or cause it to cavitate causing the bubbles to be created.

 

[runway1]

How far below the surface are they? Have you plugged the top ventri inlet? is there anything restricting the inlet?

All of these can cause air to be pulled into the unit or cause it to cavitate causing the bubbles to be created.

Inlet is about 4" below the surface.
yes.
No, brand new.

Air from where?? It's completely submerged. Just a note; I'm a mech. engr. and know pumps well although, seems not well enough. Cavitation is highly unlikely with a dinky pump this size.

The only thing I can guess, is that a more sloppy pump (between the mag drive shaft and the idler end) causes excessive turbulence. In well oxygenated water, this turbulence results in the darn BUBBLES!!!!!!! And no, I haven't tried switching them around. Thanks all.

 

[fishfreek]

In all the maxijets I have ever owned I have never seen one introduce air into the system unless it was pulling air from the surface or had its inlet restricted. 4" below the surface should be adiquite and not cause air injections. Powerheads closer to the surface could acutally pull air from the surface but at 4" depth thats not overly common. If the little ventri opening is plugged then this potental is greatly reduced.

I would unplug the unit and then tilt it side to side or even a full 180 in the water to make sure there isnt any kind of air being trapped in the unit. The only time I have seen powerheads blow bubbles when they have been under water is if they have been off for a period of time and some disolved air in the water has been allowed to collect up inside the unit. Then when it first powers up it will blow out microbubbles but that ends in just a few seconds.

 

[klam]

Sometimes when the flow is restricted bubbles will be produced. I had a power head with a sponge covering the intake( for my anemone) and after a few days the sponge cover would become cloged and bubbles where produced. Cleaned the sponge and no more bubbles where produced until the sponge got clogged again.

 

[havefun]

I have the same issue with my 2 MJ 1200's. My setup is new so I've been battleing bubbles from my HOB skimmer. I (for other reasons) turned off my skimmer. Several days later I noticed both MJ's blowing bubbles about every 2-5 minutes - just in a single, audible "spit". I figured they must have had a buildup of air in there from the skimmer bubbles so I took one out and cleaned it. After I put it back in I watched and the dang thing still "spit" every so often. I have the same question, where the heck are they getting the air from?

 

[malkore]

I have absolutely no problems with my 2 MJ 1200's. I have a 3rd which has a venturi attachment, to run my CPR skimmer...so of course it has tons of bubbles.

I'm at a loss as to where this phantom air is coming from.

 

[runway1]

havefun, that's exactly the behavior I get. It "spits" air bubbles in occasional burps, not continuously.

malkore, i'm a bit confused too. I'm trying fishfreek's suggestion. He may have something.

 

[runway1]

Just got off with Aquarium Systems, makers of MJ's. Woman immedialty asked; Is the pump by any bubble makers? I says, to the lady, I says; Well, I do have a full width bubble stick running the entire back of the tank. She says; Those bubbles get sucked in, one by one, until enough form to make the pump "cough" out a flurry of micro-bubbles.

Coincidentally, the pump having the problems is on the back wall, closest to the bubble wall. My non-problem pumps are not. So, she may have solved my problem. I'll test it tonight. Thought I'd let you know.

 

[MT79]

I also have this issue. My theory is that my skimmer/HOB filter introduce bubbles to the tank, they are sucked in and build up in the PH until they are released. Does any of your equipment produce any micro-bubbles(beside the PH's)? As some others have pointed out, it seems to happen less when I clean the inlet cover.
Edit- you posted while I was writing-sounds like I'm right. Wow so this is what it feels like LOL.

 

[havefun]

The only other equipment I have that could possibly be introducing bubbles is my canister filter. I wonder if air is trapped in the layers of sponges etc?
Actually the bubbles from my mj's don't bother me all too much. Now the bubbles from my remora pro......those are another story. Now I know what a "love/hate" relationship is