wontonflip
I failed Kobayashi Maru
My mag 18 in the sump is occassionally spewing out microbubbles. What could cause this? My sump is filled up, so it's completely submerged. There are no bubbles getting near the pump itself.
Mag18 spewing microbubbles
- Thread starter wontonflip
- Start date
bjohanson1234
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Could be one of the fittings has a small pin hole leak in it. It could be causing a venturi effect and sucking in air. Also, If you have a hole drilled right at the water level to break a syphon incase of power failure, It can suck in air right there too. I know mine does once in a while
wontonflip
I failed Kobayashi Maru
Fittings where? On the way up? The spewing is very random....3-4 times an hour.
bjohanson1234
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Could just be a bubble that gets through your baffles also.
And I was talking about on the pipe going up into the tank. The venturi effect is cause by a fast moving gas or liquid flowing past a small opening. It is how air is drawn into a skimmer even though there is no air pump. It is why if you just crack open a car window, you ears start to pop. The outside air is moving so fast that there is a preasure difference between the inside and outside.
And I was talking about on the pipe going up into the tank. The venturi effect is cause by a fast moving gas or liquid flowing past a small opening. It is how air is drawn into a skimmer even though there is no air pump. It is why if you just crack open a car window, you ears start to pop. The outside air is moving so fast that there is a preasure difference between the inside and outside.
wontonflip
I failed Kobayashi Maru
I'll check the pipes. They're all sealed, but the part where it connects to the one way valve isn't sealed.
ccCapt
Reef Hacker
Is there a valve anywhere on the intake side of the pump? If so, that restriction can cause cavitation in the pump, which will spew microbubbles into the tank.
wontonflip
I failed Kobayashi Maru
We put a "T" on the intake. Dunno why hubby put that on there. I'll take it off...but so far. I Haven't seen microbubbles spewing.
wontonflip
I failed Kobayashi Maru
I found what was causing the microbubbles....when it spews microbubbles it's because a vortex was forming near the return spout. I guess I just need to make the sump level deeper.
yote
In Memoriam
You can put a 90 degree elbow on the intake side of the pump and turn the open end down to stop that vortex.Thats what I had to do with mine.
wontonflip
I failed Kobayashi Maru
Yeah, mine already has the elbow, and I've angled it down towards the base, but it still kept forming a vortex (my 45g's pump also has an elbo bend, and is pointing to the side, and even if it gets low, it never spews bubbles....weird that my mag18 is...must be cause it's so strong).
I added another 10 g of saltwater to the sump. So far so good, but we'll see. I'm doing some slight redesigning of the sump, so I'll make more adjustments then.
I added another 10 g of saltwater to the sump. So far so good, but we'll see. I'm doing some slight redesigning of the sump, so I'll make more adjustments then.
