Maxspect 130 blowing bubbles

[Bacon505]

I dont think maxspec ever given though into this. I also have the gyre 230, only ran it for a week and those thing blow bubbles like no other. I only ran mine at 40% strait flow. A big regret that i bought it, a piece of junk in my opinion. Not to mention pieces starting to come appart and broken off.

 

[Bacon505]

#reefsquad have you guys find out any solution to this?

 

[Flippers4pups]

My Jebao cp-25 did this (it's in the center of my back wall, up high) until I realized why it was happening. My other wave makers at opposing sides of the tank were making the cp-25 have vortices that would pull air into it's cages. Didn't happen all the time, but just enough to trap enough air for it to blow micro bubbles into the tank.

Lowering the cp-25 a little stopped this from happening.

 

[redfishbluefish]

As @TheEngineer stated twice, you're seeing cavitation. From Wikipedia:

Cavitation is the formation of vapor cavities in a liquid, small liquid-free zones ("bubbles" or "voids"), that are the consequence of forces acting upon the liquid. It usually occurs when a liquid is subjected to rapid changes of pressure that cause the formation of cavities in the liquid where the pressure is relatively low.....


For the current user, you're up the creek without a paddle. If the manufacturer is interested, design changes could be made to potentially reduce cavitation.

 

[Flippers4pups]

As @TheEngineer stated twice, you're seeing cavitation. From Wikipedia:

Cavitation is the formation of vapor cavities in a liquid, small liquid-free zones ("bubbles" or "voids"), that are the consequence of forces acting upon the liquid. It usually occurs when a liquid is subjected to rapid changes of pressure that cause the formation of cavities in the liquid where the pressure is relatively low.....


For the current user, you're up the creek without a paddle. If the manufacturer is interested, design changes could be made to potentially reduce cavitation.

Yep, that could easily be the reason this can happen if ran at high speeds on the maxspec. The Jebao doesn't do this when ran at max settings, thus my experience is different.

Thanks for pointing this out again @redfishbluefish!

 

[jsker]

What would really help is some video

 

[TheEngineer]

As @TheEngineer stated twice, you're seeing cavitation. From Wikipedia:

Cavitation is the formation of vapor cavities in a liquid, small liquid-free zones ("bubbles" or "voids"), that are the consequence of forces acting upon the liquid. It usually occurs when a liquid is subjected to rapid changes of pressure that cause the formation of cavities in the liquid where the pressure is relatively low.....


For the current user, you're up the creek without a paddle. If the manufacturer is interested, design changes could be made to potentially reduce cavitation.

Thanks. Sometimes I think I’m just talking to myself on these things

 

[Bacon505]

Im going to try and open up and see, if it doesnt work, in the closet it goes

 

[ReefEngineer]

Bumping an old thread. As anyone had any luck in identifying the cause of the bubbles in the XF130/230?

 

[ReefEngineer]

This video starts with a XF230 in the vertical position stopped. A few seconds after the propeller starts spinning you can see a column of bubbles form on the inside of the propeller. The source of the bubbles is very likely cavitation as the pump is at least 8 inches under the surface of the water. Any input would be very much appreciated.

 

[ReefEngineer]

bump

 

[Henry Boler]

bump

I have a Jebao CP-40 pump on my tank. Exactly the same issue, blowing a constant stream of micro bubbles out. If you turn it off they all stream out up to the surface and when you turn it back on it works for about 20 minutes before blowing bubbles again.

I think I've found the cause. It is a sort of slime algae growing on the impellers, it photosynthesises and creates oxygen bubbles. When I clean the impellers it stops blowing bubbles for a few weeks before starting again, by which time the slime is back...

Henry

 

[csmaxspect]

Hi, as you know, Gyre pumps are made of plastic, so the micro bubbles are sure not generated from Gyre pumps. How about relocating the pumps, it might not suck in air by changing positions?

 

[ReefEngineer]

Has anyone made any progress or major discoveries? The video I shared above almost entirely proves that this is cavitation in that you can see the bubbles form in a matter of seconds. It was also under 8" of water so please no more comments about sucking in air to others on this forum.

My XF130 and XF230s use the "rugged rotors" and I believe that the design did not take into account cavitation. By limiting the reverse flow speed to 30% or less I've eliminated the micro-bubbles however this is a tremendous design flaw, assuming what I've said is accurate. I've shifted gears to trying to figure out why one of these makes such a loud vibration sound. I've changed a number of things and am currently focusing on the Advanced Controller and the gyre extension cable.

 

[csmaxspect]

Has anyone made any progress or major discoveries? The video I shared above almost entirely proves that this is cavitation in that you can see the bubbles form in a matter of seconds. It was also under 8" of water so please no more comments about sucking in air to others on this forum.

My XF130 and XF230s use the "rugged rotors" and I believe that the design did not take into account cavitation. By limiting the reverse flow speed to 30% or less I've eliminated the micro-bubbles however this is a tremendous design flaw, assuming what I've said is accurate. I've shifted gears to trying to figure out why one of these makes such a loud vibration sound. I've changed a number of things and am currently focusing on the Advanced Controller and the gyre extension cable.

Hi, regarding the vibration noise issue, how about removing the propellers and cages, and see if the noise is from the motor?

 

[Henry Boler]

I'll reiterate my theory in that it must be photosynthesis. My pump is really bad at the moment, streaming so many bubbles into the tank it just looks awful. It only does this at day time and if you turn the light off, after a while it just stops doing it. After the light gets to full brightness in the middle of the day the bubbles go mad from the pump.

 

[csmaxspect]

I'll reiterate my theory in that it must be photosynthesis. My pump is really bad at the moment, streaming so many bubbles into the tank it just looks awful. It only does this at day time and if you turn the light off, after a while it just stops doing it. After the light gets to full brightness in the middle of the day the bubbles go mad from the pump.

Hi, is it possible that there are algeas growing on the pumps, which is generating mass bubbles in light?

 

[Henry Boler]

Hi, is it possible that there are algeas growing on the pumps, which is generating mass bubbles in light.

This was my initial thought. See below. Plus I cleaned my pump yesterday and it has now stopped blowing bubbles again for now, until the algae grows back.

I have a Jebao CP-40 pump on my tank. Exactly the same issue, blowing a constant stream of micro bubbles out. If you turn it off they all stream out up to the surface and when you turn it back on it works for about 20 minutes before blowing bubbles again.

I think I've found the cause. It is a sort of slime algae growing on the impellers, it photosynthesises and creates oxygen bubbles. When I clean the impellers it stops blowing bubbles for a few weeks before starting again, by which time the slime is back...

Henry

 

[Valhalla Reefer]

This was my initial thought. See below. Plus I cleaned my pump yesterday and it has now stopped blowing bubbles again for now, until the algae grows back.

I’ve been experiencing the exact same.
Eventually it starts spewing micobubbles..
(And it’s too far from the surface to draw down air)

When it gets bad I end up pressing feed button several times to purge out the trapped air that builds up.

I’d tend to think it’s from some type of cavitation rather than algae...but either way it’s very odd to sell a pump that turns into a bubble scrubber LoL.

I wonder if this also occurs with newer Gyre pumps like Red Sea’s ‘ReefWave’...(?)

Have you learned anything more since this?

 

[ReefEngineer]

Lots of good input from people about the bubbles and noise! Would people mind listing which model gyre they are using and if they are using the newer "rugged" rotors? I'm currently running the XF130 and XF230 with the rugged rotors. I've done a lot of tests with the newer design rotors and am lucky enough to still have one of the originals. I'm fairly confident that when Maxspect redesigned the rotors the new rugged ones result in cavitation, a result of poor design principles.

As for the vibration noise I'm still battling that one but think it may be due to the magnet and/or the suspension system (the rubber sleave that goes over the internal magnet and supports the gyre pump). If I reach in and hold the gyre a few inches away from the glass it goes silent.