Micro Bubbles

M

MarkInNC

AC Members
Jun 16, 2009
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Hampstead NC
I read that a tank full of micro bubbles is not uncommon and that they tend to go away in a few days. I visited a pet store in the area I am visiting on business this evening and noted that there were no micro bubbles in any of the tanks. I also noted that this pet store had maybe twice as many types of fish as compared to the PetSmart in my town, and the only game in town.

My tank has been cycling for just over four weeks now and has no fish, no live plants, a hang on back filter and small bubbler. And the tank is filled with micro bubbles. Is this normal or is there some other water parameter that is not correct in my tank?

Mark
 
I have an AC50 on a 30 with a nice stocking already just about finished cycling and have lots of micro bubbles....

they are all over the plants and even the fish... they seem to free float. To me that means I have a good supply of oxygen...

Is this bad/good?
 
I have loads of bubbles in both my tropical setups, and they don't seem to cause any problems. I figure it shows it's well circulated too. It's only air, after all. What kind of filter/air do you use? I find with airstones I don't get them, but if I have any sort of aeration that is directional, you get them because the bubbles get driven under the water. An example is I have a sponge filter in my fry tank that directs the bubbles in the direction of the nozzle, and I get the bubbles then.
 
I have an internal filter and I get microbubble when I open the aeration valve but when it's just the filter running on it's own no bubbles. I assumed these micro bubbles were normal...
 
If your internal is mixing in the small bubbles from the eductor, you should expect to have those same air bubbles in the tank all the time. I run my internal without the eductor attachment because I find the bubbles irritating with the noise that goes into making them.
 
How is your tank cycling? Are you adding fish food or ammonia? Let me know how you're doing it so we can make sure you're doing it right and help you if we can.
I get bubbles in my fresh water when I do a water change because of the amount of CO2 in my well water. None of my filters causes it though. I know in saltwater micro bubbles are a bad thing, don't know why though.
 
Good news this evening, I think. I am doing a fishless cycle and after the nitrite level spiked the amonia level went down. I have been adding amonia each day keeping the level up above 2ppm. I was surprized at how fast the level has been dropping back to zero, consistantly less than 24 hours. I measured both amonia and nitrite this morning and the amonia was again at zero and I thought that the nitrite had begun to drop, (hard to tell with how close the colors are. I measured nitrite again this evening and it has dropped and now is two colors less than yesterday. Maybe tomorrow it will be at zero and I can begin looking at nitrates.

I have a hang on back filter with two filter elements and two bio wheels. I have not experimented with it but the inlet has an adjustable door on it. I assume that if I open that part way I will adjust the flow through the filter, (??). I have been running it fully closed.

I have well water and being on the coast it has lots of minerals in it. I have a water softener and that takes many of the minerals out but... I plan to use prime for water changes even though there is no clorine.

Mark
 
OldMan47 said:
If your internal is mixing in the small bubbles from the eductor, you should expect to have those same air bubbles in the tank all the time. I run my internal without the eductor attachment because I find the bubbles irritating with the noise that goes into making them.
Click to expand...

Is an aeration valve really neccesary for an internal filter? What's the point of making bubbles when the water is constantly flowing and there's a lot of surface agitation and ripples...
 
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