Microscrubbing... I'm Ready to Try It!!!

[hawkinsrgk]

Did you use the Lee's limewwod air stone also?

Yea. I have one on each side of the pump intake. I have a T in my return line that feeds the skimmer and is most likely the reason for the foam head.

 

[SlvrZ]

thats an insane amount in such a short time!

 

[hawkinsrgk]

thats an insane amount in such a short time!

Yea, its definitely more than doubled. Was hoping that would translate to a reduction in Nitrates, but hasn't been as much as I was expecting.

 

[SlvrZ]

i'm trying it out today. i dont think my bubbles are small enough but it's just spare parts i had laying around so no big lose. if nothing else, it at least will help with my PH at night time

 

[john.m.cole3]

Hey everybody! I hope your bubbles are going well. It's been about a month since this thread started/ It has been a lot of fun. I have visible growth on my setosa, heads are splitting and multiplying on my LPS, water is CLEAR... I mean CLEAR! No need for activated carbon or any other chem filtration.
My nutrients went from N=40 and P=.04

Now N=5 and P=.009. I've increased my feeding to over double what I used to. The algae on the back glass turned greyish white and has been coming off. I'm a sold micro bubbler from here on out. Now I want to learn how to hook it up to a ph probe for it to come on when ph drops. (Cruz said that's how he rolls, so... one day)

 

[john.m.cole3]

Here's a before of my setosa

 

[john.m.cole3]

And here's today

 

[filbie70]

I have been scrubbing for around 3 months. I combined it with vinegar dosing about a month ago and I think that the two combined have been giving really good results in nitrate reduction. I dose vinegar when my pH is at its peak which also helps to maintain a consistent pH level. My microbubbles come on every 3 hours for 5 minutes and then from 4-7am each day. You can see the white chunks from the carbo dosing floating to the top of the tank during the micro bubbles. My nitrates hold steady at 5-10ppm which my LPS love. I have acros and other SPS in the tank as well that are growing, So, they don't seem to mind the higher nitrate level. I also have a Kessil over my sump/refugium that runs counter to my daytime lighting to grow out my chaeto.

 

[john.m.cole3]

I have been scrubbing for around 3 months. I combined it with vinegar dosing about a month ago and I think that the two combined have been giving really good results in nitrate reduction. I dose vinegar when my pH is at its peak which also helps to maintain a consistent pH level. My microbubbles come on every 3 hours for 5 minutes and then from 4-7am each day. You can see the white chunks from the carbo dosing floating to the top of the tank during the micro bubbles. My nitrates hold steady at 5-10ppm which my LPS love. I have acros and other SPS in the tank as well that are growing, So, they don't seem to mind the higher nitrate level. I also have a Kessil over my sump/refugium that runs counter to my daytime lighting to grow out my chaeto.

that's awesome man. So you dose some vinegar when ph is high in order to keep it stable. How do you measure ph and how much vinegar do you dose when you do dose?

 

[filbie70]

that's awesome man. So you dose some vinegar when ph is high in order to keep it stable. How do you measure ph and how much vinegar do you dose when you do dose?

I have an Apex to measure my pH. But, use the chart in the attached to build up your doing amount.
http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index...ar-dosing-methodology-for-the-marine-aquarium

 

[Cruz_Arias]

Awesome! I have a window directly next to my tank. An extra pump, as well as immediate access to wood stones. I may have to give this a try. I saw a few returns blowing "bubbles" at a recent aquarium visit at the zoo in what appeared to be off and on cycles. I blew it off as super technology. Lol. I'm seriously intrigued by this concept and honestly surprised to have never ran across anything in the past year. Everything I saw on micro bubbles was related to making them stop and how to rid them.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpJ9y2PjWr6xMQ-rVUjKzAoK1_qX4-X_t

 

[Cruz_Arias]

I wonder if this product would work. It's definitely micronano bubbles.http://www.o2grow.com/

Be careful of this @lars ... electrolysis in salt water will produce not only h2 and o2... but with salt (NaCl) it will also create Chlorine gas (Cl2)

 

[hawkinsrgk]

Just to give an update.

My ALK has now been stable for the last week. Consumption has gone from 100ml to 180ml since starting this. Corals are really looking better. Chaeto is looking good and growing again. I am starting to think that my Chaeto shrinking had more to do with the tank consuming Iron at a faster rate and the Chaeto didn't have enough. At first I thought it was due to the microbubbles, but not sure that is the case anymore.

Nutrients are still about the same as they were before. That really suprised me since the skimmate went up so much.

I am starting to see the same thing that John mentioned earlier with skimmate production. At first it was more than doubled, but now it is producing a little more than it did initially.

John - When you mentioned that your skimmate started to reduce, you gave the impression that you thought it may be due to the airstone starting to clog. Did you end up replacing the airstone and if so did the skimmate go back to what it was before?

Thanks
Randy

 

[john.m.cole3]

I replaced the airstone and nothing happened. well, it continued to make the same amount of bubbles as it did before, so the airstone is not an issue. I think that in the beginning, our water has so much particulate matter in it and detritus on our rocks that we get an explosion of skimmate production. also in the beginning I could barely see the back glass of my tank while bubbling. Now that my water is cleaner there is not as much gunk to remove and you can hardly see the bubbles while they are on. I never changed my air pump or needle or even airstone placement. I'm bubbling 24/7 right now and have increased my feeding to dounle what it used to be.

 

[hawkinsrgk]

Thanks for the feedback. I am still bubbling 10PM to 10AM and plan to bubble from now on. It really does make a difference.

 

[Cruz_Arias]

Thanks for the feedback. I am still bubbling 10PM to 10AM and plan to bubble from now on. It really does make a difference.

Something so simple to replicate... with lots of unexplained benefits...

Do you have updated pictures and possibly a youtube video of what you tank looks like during bubbling and when it's not bubbling?

 

[hawkinsrgk]

Something so simple to replicate... with lots of unexplained benefits...

Do you have updated pictures and possibly a youtube video of what you tank looks like during bubbling and when it's not bubbling?

I have these pictures of what my tank looked like during bubbling. I will try to get pictures tonight of the tank without bubbling.

 

[hawkinsrgk]

Here are the pics with the air pump off

 

[Cruz_Arias]

Very nice!

 

[Cruz_Arias]