Microbubbles with unknown cause

[Phildago]

Guys, these microbubbles are killing me and I can't figure out how to get rid of them.

I've narrowed it down to my gyres somehow producing them because I've gone through troubleshooting every pump.

Since I figured out it's the gyres I've moved them all over, left to right up and down, but I can't figure out how to get rid of the bubbles. And worst of all there's no clear source. Pulling the pumps down so that the surface is nice and calm has no effect, pushing them up to break up surface tension has no effect. There's no whirlpools that pull down to the pumps at the moment either.

Please help me. These things are driving me crazy

 

[Scotty Buttons]

Try shutting off the gyres for a while and see if the bubbles go away.

 

[homer1475]

Try shutting off the gyres for a while and see if the bubbles go away.

100%. With the way the fins are designed, bubbles get trapped, and just produce more bubbles as they spin. I've seen this happen with mine.

 

[Phildago]

Try shutting off the gyres for a while and see if the bubbles go away.

100%. With the way the fins are designed, bubbles get trapped, and just produce more bubbles as they spin. I've seen this happen with mine.

I've tried it. I'll shut them off, let the bubbles dissapate and then switch them back on. I've also tried shutting them on and off quickly a few times so the bubbles dislodge.

I havent shut them off for very long though. 5 mins tops.

Maybe I should try overnight?

 

[homer1475]

I usually shake them under water to release most of the bubbles. They do eventually go away, but it takes a looooong time. lol

 

[Phildago]

I usually shake them under water to release most of the bubbles. They do eventually go away, but it takes a looooong time. lol

How long? I don't understand thing. It feels like a physical impossibility that much air could be trapped in there that so many bubbles go for so long. It's been days.

 

[homer1475]

Ok if it's been days, then take them apart make sure they assembled correctly. I was only talking like an hour or so!

 

[Phildago]

Ok if it's been days, then take them apart make sure they assembled correctly. I was only talking like an hour or so!

I'm talking driving me insane lol, it's been over a week for sure and I've been doing my best to ignore it but every few days have been rearranging my pumps because I just can't figure out how they're catching air.

I was thinking that maybe they're pulling air down from the surface, but forming microbubbles from surface air? Is that a thing?

I'm going to end up taking them apart. But I need to figure out where the air could come too, and why it started happening all of a sudden.

 

[Phildago]

 

[homer1475]

They can of course suck from the surface causing a vortex, but you said in the OP you already checked for that?

 

[homer1475]

Mine are higher up then that and I don't have that issue. I would disassemble them, clean everything(why not you already have it apart), reassemble making sure everything is seated in their bushings, then try again.

Who knows for sure?

 

[sarcophytonIndy]

Cavitation..... your paddles are probably backward

 

[Phildago]

They can of course suck from the surface causing a vortex, but you said in the OP you already checked for that?

Yeah, I eliminated the vortexes, that's what I'm saying though, microbubbles directly from the surface being sucked into the water doesn't really seem likely? But I have no idea if it's possible or how to eliminate that.

It looks like in going to replacing one of them at least because I can't get the flow I need with them in the old configuration, and it looks like whatever they're doing now isn't going to work. I will try cleaning them first.

Do you know how they come apart?

 

[Phildago]

Cavitation..... your paddles are probably backward

Could you please elaborate?

 

[Alexreefer]

Do you have a skimmer releasing excess bubbles into the display tank?

 

[Phildago]

Do you have a skimmer releasing excess bubbles into the display tank?

Nope, no bubbles in the sump, none from skimmer, none from intake. I played around with everything and it somehow has to be coming from the gyres, they're the only pumps that had any effect in eliminating them. If I shut the gyres the bubbles are gone within 2 minutes

 

[sarcophytonIndy]

Could you please elaborate?

You need to take the blades out of each side and switch them to the other side. Read this thread to the end, and you will see that this person had the same issue, https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/micro-bubbles-from-gyre.449345/

 

[Phildago]

You need to take the blades out of each side and switch them to the other side. Read this thread to the end, and you will see that this person had the same issue, https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/micro-bubbles-from-gyre.449345/

Wow, looks promising. I'll give it a shot tomorrow. Thanks for the link

 

[homer1475]

You need to take the blades out of each side and switch them to the other side. Read this thread to the end, and you will see that this person had the same issue, https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/micro-bubbles-from-gyre.449345/

You know when your giving internet advice, you just assume people can read/comprehend that an A paddle, goes with the A cage, or a B paddle goes with the B cage. I mean it does say so in the direction.

But I did say to tear them apart and make sure they were put back together properly.

 

[Phildago]

You know when your giving internet advice, you just assume people can read/comprehend that an A paddle, goes with the A cage, or a B paddle goes with the B cage. I mean it does say so in the direction.

But I did say to tear them apart and make sure they were put back together properly.

Well I know they're together properly, I never took them apart and they've been working well for awhile. I also know they need to be cleaned, I just thought he meant they need to be swapped every once in awhile, but I guess I see now that isn't the case