Help!! Microbubbles from BM NAC3+ skimmer.

[kaykay]

2'x1.5'x1.5'H (with ios space of 2ftx6inch at the back) so display tank is 2'x1'x1.5'H

Skimmer in 2nd compartment. Return pump ehiem1250 in 3rd.

Millions of Microbubbles were returned to the display tank once I turn on the skimmer.

Tried all ways possible with my limited mind.

1. Stuffed a small piece of filter floss at the outlet pipe of the skimmer. Result: skimmer overflowed. Scrapped the plan immediately.

2. Rotated the skimmer so that the outlet is further to the return pump compartment. (this is illogical flow as the skimmer inlet takes in the skimmed clean water again). Rotated the return pump so it sucks water from the furthest side from the skimmer outlet.

3. Stuffed a piece of filter floss in between the baffle between the skimmer and return pump.

4. Wrapped a 200micron filter sock (albeit loosely) around the skimmer outlet.

5. Finally stuffed a piece of the filter sock in the baffles together with the filter floss.

The micro bubbles are still there!!!

I'm at my wits end already. Now I totally left the skimmer off. Just kinda gave up.

The only thing I haven't tried is to sew a piece of filter sock and tie it securely at the skimmer outlet, hoping it will absorb the bubbles.

But I'm quite pessimistic on this..

Note. Skimmer atman pumps at 1,350L/hr. Return Ehiem1250 pumps at 1,200L/hr.

Does this have any effect?

Note 2. I'm building an upflow algae scrubber at the first compartment of the ios.

Now I'm banking my hopes on the effectiveness of this uas, which will render the skimmer redundant.

If it fails, I'll be back at square one. Again.

**Tearing hair out**

So if my uas backup plan fails, reefers pls contribute practical ideas on what else I can do.

Thanks!!

[tunicate]

Can show a video or some pics of the problem?

[dr evil]

Can u try elevate the skimmer? So that the skimmer is 1/3 submerge.

That will help with the micro bubbles.

My 2 cents

[kaykay]

The skimmer is currently about half-submerged.

Will try elevating it higher tomorrow. Thanks Razali.

Will try posting some pics or vids tomorrow. Will chronicle the Before and after of the elevating.

[ogykogy]

Actually i do have the same prob.will be good if we can a solution for this.

[kaykay]

Hi...

I've raised the skimmer, now it's only less than 1/3 submerged. However, due to the sheer amount of bubbles produced, some still got returned to the display tank.

Currently dosing brightwell microbact daily. Could this be linked to the high amount of bubbles? Switched off the skimmer after dosing the microbact, as recommended on the bottle instructions.

If don't remember wrongly, there weren't so much mbubbles initially. So is the dosing the culprit?

[kaykay]

[tunicate]

Are you able to add a baffle between the skimmer & your return pump? Let the water go under the baffle before reaching the return.

[seafan84]

I myself is using this skimmer. From personal experience, this skimmer does give out microbubles.

What i do to prevent microbubbles from going back to my main tank let the water go under the baffle like what bro tunicate mentions and I also include some filter pad or active carbon in a filter bag in between the baffles.

With that I do not have any microbubbles returning to my tank.

take note: dont forget to change/clean the ilter pad or active carbon.

[kaykay]

Thanks for the advice.

I've placed some filter floss + a small cut-out piece of filter sock at the baffles between the skimmer & return, though not much. Will increase the floss and add a bag of carbon there as advised. Plus, will be elevating the skimmer permanently too, as it did drastically reduced the micro bubbles.

[kaykay]

Finally constructed a PVC stand with 4t-joints, forming a 3-legged short structure, and placed a pc of egg crate as base for the skimmer. (See past the pump at the foreground in the pic)

Then stuffed 2 pcs of floss between the baffles. But the current kept pushing the flosses halfway out of the baffles.

The bag of carbon I stuffed at the baffles are worse! It could not hold position at all. Got difficulty stuffing in. Even after managing to stuff in, it got pushed out in 3 seconds. So gave up that idea, and left the bag of carbon sitting next to the return pump

Well, at least the micro bubbles seemed controlled alot. There are still stray micro bubbles returned to the display tank, but quantity is so so so tolerable now.

Thanks for all your advice.

[Dracula]

U try using those japanese bio mat to put in the buffles which are very stiff and most imptly it will not get clog up so easily.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

[kaykay]

Bro, care to elaborate more on the bio mat? I assume you're not talking about those amethyst bio mats?

[chiya]

Hi, noticed that you will be building your UAS on the first compartment and leaving your skimmer in the 2nd?

Wont the skimmer pull out your pods from the UAS?

Wil you be able to put your skimmer in the 1st compartment instead? What I did was to have some live rocks in the compartment of the skimmer so the micro bubbles stick to the LR.

Hope that helps..

Cheers

[Dracula]

Bro, care to elaborate more on the bio mat? I assume you're not talking about those amethyst bio mats?

Lol try google japanese bio filter mat.

cheers

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

[kaykay]

Hi bro chiya, unfortunately that's the space constraints I'm facing with the iOS. I somemore it an oversized for my tank (over rated by 3 times- greedy me).

Just hoping a portion of the pods population escapes the skimmer, don't get chopped up by the Eheim, and returns to the display. Haha.

As for the live rocks solution, can biohome perform the same function to stick the microbubbles?

[kaykay]

I meant oversized skimmer.

[kaykay]

I did another adjustment.

I made sure that the water level in the return pump compartment stays high at a certain level.

This way the micro bubbles escapes to the surface more than being sucked into the pump.

Yeah..

[John Deroe Kenedy]

Me also got same problem with my HOB BM E3

just bought, i'm waiting for a few days to let it kick in. From what i observe, the bubbles in the main comparment of the skimmer is leaking out into the outflow intake, already adjusted air intake and even use the black sponge = same, remove sponge = big bubbles.. SianZ.. Microbubbles making me stress more than my LS stressness

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[starfish123]

hi, sorry for hijacking this thread, my skimmer is also bm nac 3+, and right now the plug is the two round pin plug, so must i buy an adapter for the pump plug? and is the cover for the collection cup very loose? if it is then if the skimmer skims too fast then won't the cover fly out? Hope those who use this skimmer or those who know can advise.

[John Deroe Kenedy]

hi, sorry for hijacking this thread, my skimmer is also bm nac 3+, and right now the plug is the two round pin plug, so must i buy an adapter for the pump plug? and is the cover for the collection cup very loose? if it is then if the skimmer skims too fast then won't the cover fly out? Hope those who use this skimmer or those who know can advise.

pump plug?? just buy an 2 pin adaptor or a multi pin adaptor la

Yes the cover is loose.. i've never seen bubbles that are strong enough to push a lids out..

[starfish123]

but is the round one... i chuck it into the socket and immediately my system short circuit, but pump still working but the rest all not working

[starfish123]

pump plug?? just buy an 2 pin adaptor or a multi pin adaptor la

Yes the cover is loose.. i've never seen bubbles that are strong enough to push a lids out..

BTW you are using e3 right? is the pump atman ph1100?

[John Deroe Kenedy]

but is the round one... i chuck it into the socket and immediately my system short circuit, but pump still working but the rest all not working

try changing ur extention wire or ur adaptor.. i;ve used a multi adapter before which is spoilt causes a blackout in my home..

BTW you are using e3 right? is the pump atman ph1100?

rock SP1000

[starfish123]

ok changed socket and now the skimmer is working... any advise on the flow rate of bm nac3+? as in the one on the return... also having problems with microbubbles now... any advise