Protein Skimmer microbubbles

Hello,
I have a 75 gallon Reef tank with a Sealife Systems 125 Wet/Dry and a ventura protein skimmer. My skimmer works ok but even with a new pump and extra sponge it is still introducing micro bubbles into my tank. Does any one have any recommendations for any good skimmers that have microbubble diffusers or that simply make little to no microbubbles? I would like to get one for around or under 250.00.
Thanks,
Jim



75 gallon Reef tank 29.5 lbs of live rock,54.5 pounds of base rock, 40 lbs live sand, 2 Green Chromis, 1 Coral Beauty, 1 Yellow Clown Goby, 1 Dragon Sifter Goby, 1 Peppermint Shrimp, 1 Emerald crab, 5 drawf hermit crabs, and 4 Nasser snails, 5 Bumble Bee snails, 4 Turbo snails, 1 Kenya Tree, 1 Yellow Polyp, 1 Mushroom rock, 1 White Spot Star Polyp

 

I had once gotten a euro skimmer and I couldnt get the bubbles to stop so I had bought a coral life to replace it and took the euro back just to find out the pump was to big causing to many bubbles. Or try putting a sponge on the intake on your sump. Maybe you have a new setup and it needs a few days to break in or setup.

 

I have an Octopus nw120 on my 55 and dont have a bubble issue but I have it running before the refugium. Do you have any baffles or liverock that the skimmed water flows through before it hits the return pump?

 

Yes, I have a baffle and two sponges that the water runs through before it hits the return pump. However, the Octopus looks like it might be an option.
Thanks,
Jim

 

Almost all new skimmers will produce micro bubbles. They have oils from manufacturing that need to be naturally removed before the bubbles cut down. Microbubbles are usually too small and will pass right through prefilter sponges that go onto return pumps, which is why they don't seem to work. The sponges are better used to reduce turbulent bubbles from entering the return pump caused by the splashing of the output of a skimmer. You can reduce that by plumbing the output so it doesn't just freeflow out of the skimmer outlet, btw. I am assuming your skimmer is new. How old is it, and long has your tank been running?

 

My tank has been up and running for 3 1/2 weeks. I got the skimmer used from a friend. The old skimmer was visibly making microbubbles. So I replaced the skimmer pump with a new RIO 800 pump.

 

Wow, you have stocked your tank way too fast for a tank that is only 3 weeks old. I don't mean to sound harsh, but at 3 weeks, you should only have sand and rock in the tank to let the water run through the rock. You should only add starter fish after a month and for a 75G tank, about 3 or 4 max to start. Corals shouldn't be added until after the water is stable, at least 8 months to year after it was started.
Unless this was a tank transfer with established rock, water transfer etc?

 

what's done is done.:-[ The live rock came from a well esablished reef tank that the lfs broke down. For the reg price of lr we picked up the blue mushroom rock and the whitepost star polyp--both of which are doing beautifully. Hopefully we will be able to maintain.

 

Since the LR came from an established tank, you won't have that hard of a time then since it is fully cured and not going to give the typical die off that new LR or semi cured LR will go through. That is a relief to hear. Just keep an eye on your parameters every other day to make sure you are not getting ammonia spikes. I would use some "Cycle" to help establish your bacteria colonies in the rest of your system. Put a capful in your sump/refugium or wherever you have your protein skimmer (and turn off your skimmer for about 10 mins before and after), and put a capful or 2 in your display tank with your water circulation powerheads running. Good luck with your system, I am pulling for you for everything to come out perfectly.

 

thank-you tigermike. We will check that out!