Kessil

Bubble trap around a pump

kinetic

Supporting Member
I have an Eheim 1260 return pump, since it's in the same chamber as the drain (ELOS sumps, go figure) it draws up tons of microbubbles. Soon my new skimmer will also output water into that same chamber. So what to do? Easy solution, bubble trap around the return pump itself.

My idea:

One side the height of the sump, and then three pieces for the baffles. Push up against one corner, secure with just simple suction cups at the base against the corner, voila! Do you think it'll work? I hope to get rid of all filter socks and depend on the skimmer to do it's thing.
 
Same chamber? You might run into skimmer performance issues if the water is constantly fluctuating in there, you might be able to sidestep it if you have some ATO that is continuously working.

Ok I know you really didn't want to hear that :D But your suction cup idea might work, I don't know if I'd get as complicated as tossing in 3 baffles a single baffle should be sufficient, the force against the baffle will increase though as the water level in the return portion drops and your suction cups might fail.

Another idea (works only for a single baffle) is to cut some PVC one in each corner at the bottom, and maybe at the top notch a couple pieces to fit over the baffle, and have those pieces run from the baffle to the other side of the tank so you use that force against the baffle to push it against the PVC and as a result keep it in place.

Finally if you can examine where the bubbles are going, you might be able to make a bubble trap out of sponge filters (granted it pretty much does the same thing as the filter sock) but if the bubbles are entering from one direction of the pump, simply put slap the sponge between a couple piece of egg crate and secure it.

Make sure the input to the pump is facing away from the bubble locations, and you might simply have too much pump if you're really seeing that many bubbles.
 
He's got one of the multi head liter meters Mike... he's doing a continues water change IIRC. I suspect his levels will be dead on.

Eesh I need to see a picture... can you snap us a few Art?
 
Ah, well that'll keep his skimmer working fine.

As to the bubbles, how many pipes from your overflow? Any chance you can do a flooded overflow? It won't have bubbles :D
 
Thanks for the feedback guys. Yeah the water level will not change in the skimmer area for sure if there's baffles for the return. the litermeter 3 will keep levels in line too.

Mike: what's a flooded overflow?
 
sfsuphysics said:
Ah, well that'll keep his skimmer working fine.

As to the bubbles, how many pipes from your overflow? Any chance you can do a flooded overflow? It won't have bubbles :D

I have a flooded over flow, and it work wonderfully. Minimal bubbles in the sump, and no gurgling :)

I have an overflow box with two drains on the bottom, each of which is a different height. The main drain line, is larger in diameter, and shorter in height. Right below the over flow box a gate valve is plumbed into the main drain line in order for me to control how much water goes down, and how fast, and the water level in the over flow box. The second drain line is higher than the main drain line, and only after water has reached a certain level in the over flow box will water go down the second line.
I use the gate valve to raise the water level in the box such that no air gets sucked down (gurgling) the main drain line, and only a trickle of water gos down the second line.
I know that probably doesn't make sense, but it works! :D
 
anthony, that sounds intense =/

I only have one drain. I was thinking maybe just have a big PVC piece that catches the drain and forces it to overflow over the top. Maybe that would reduce bubbles?
 
With only 1 drain you can't do a flooded overflow, I posted the one I tossed on my tank. The basics is you use a gate valve to restrict the water flow so it literally doesn't drain at the top of the pipe and actually goes higher, eventually the head pressure forces the water through so everything is golden, however the upside is there's no contact with air, so no bubbles, no sounds, etc. Downside is you really need 2 pipes, with the other as an emergency drain should something obstruct the flow at all.
 
Back
Top