Sump issues

R

ryenye

Just finished upgrading aquarium size to a 210 gallon aquarium. I have a 40 gallon sump. I am using two mag 9.5 return pumps back to the aquarium that has to travel 5' roughly. I am using 1 1/4" pvc for the drains to the sump. It seems that the drain is too powerful. Am I using the correct drain pvc diameter, should it be 1"? I am getting tons of microbubbles in the display. All suggestions would be great.
 
Little more background information. I am using 1" flex for the returns. I was using this exact setup in my previous 180 gallon without issues. Only difference is the pvc size and length traveling up to display tank. Thoughts???
 
Pics would help. Do you have any bubbles in the return section of your sump? If your "drain" from your tank is creating bubbles you might try adding a 45 degree elbow in your overflow... but any bubbles from there should get caught in a bubble trap in your sump. If their are no bubbles in the return section of your sump, then the bubbles are being created in the plumbing between the return pump and your display. Check all of your fittings in that case... or any unusual turns and such.
 
Okay. You have a bubble trap in between the skimmer section and the return. Can you see if there is any reason that bubbles are getting through that or are they coming from your refugium section? I would say stopping the bubbles from making it into my return section would be my primary focus. You'll always have a little bit of bubbles in other areas where cheato is growing, skimmer is running ect.
 
It looks like you may be getting the bubbles from splash down from the refugium. I have a similar setup, but instead of having the refugium fall into the return I made a direct siphon line over to my bubble trap. Another idea would be to make slope from the refugium into the return (I have noticed store bought refugiums have these nowadays) to ease the entry of the water.

Before you start all this work I would test it and see if that is really the problem. Cut off the refugium for a few hours and see if your tank clears.

Mitch
 
You could also create a bubble trap on that side. To keep from having to do the drying time stuff you could make some pressure locking baffles. Here's a wetweb article on it.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_3/cav3i1/Baffles/bafflesart.htm
 
Turn off the skimmer - if the bubbles go away - turn your skimmer around so the ouflow goes the opposite direction as the return. If bubbles persist - try raising the skimmer or reducing the return pump flow.
There are many possibilities. Find the source of the micro bubbles and go from there.
Usually it is the return pump having too much flow.
Joys of reef keeping!!!
 
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