Micro and nano bubble tank treatment

Cory · Jan 10, 2017

Has anyone reported success using just a regular air stone?

711reefer · Jan 11, 2017

is there a way to add a co2 scrubber to the airpump to help with incoming co2 from my living room ? I live in Colorado and the house gets sealed up pretty good in the winter. I am concerned that I may have excess co2 in the house. pulling in fresh air to the air pump is probably not a good idea since temps can get pretty low

Cruz_Arias · Jan 11, 2017

Cory said:
Has anyone reported success using just a regular air stone?

Yes, this is all we use.
Air pump
Check valve
Air line valve
Air line tubing
Wooden air stone

Just the typical way to hook up an air pump.

Cruz_Arias · Jan 11, 2017

Cory said:
Has anyone reported success using just a regular air stone?

But not with a regular blue glass sintered air stone for 99 cents.

The bubbles produced by these glass sintered air stones are very coarse and are not fine enough or dwell long enough to significantly affect water quality.

Cruz_Arias · Jan 11, 2017

711reefer said:
is there a way to add a co2 scrubber to the airpump to help with incoming co2 from my living room ? I live in Colorado and the house gets sealed up pretty good in the winter. I am concerned that I may have excess co2 in the house. pulling in fresh air to the air pump is probably not a good idea since temps can get pretty low

We've utilized luft pumps such as the Aqualifter pump to pull and push air through a CO2 scrubber.

Here in Illinois, we also seal up our homes during the winter. We still manage to pull fresh air in and warm it before passing it to our air stone.

Cruz_Arias · Jan 11, 2017

Berlibee said:
We've talk with you on Facebook (Alexey Ivanov). It is located outside of the stand on the floor. I'm using a Tetra 40 pump and lime wood stone.

CO2 stratifies especially in a house that's not well ventilated. Perhaps a CO2 scrubber with litholyme would help remove the excess CO2 out of the air before passing it to the system.

Also, try raising the air pump around 4 to 5 feet off the floor.

Berlibee · Jan 11, 2017

Which CO2 scrubber do you use and what do you think should be the CO2 level around the pump? @Cruz_Arias

Cruz_Arias · Jan 11, 2017

We have seen many different makes and models such as the Two Little Fishies Media Reactor or the BRS large media reactor...
Some utilize Soda Lime while others, including ourselves, utilize Litho Lyme which seems to work better for us.

CO2 levels are variable between houses, house sealing, number of house inhabitants, and home ventilation.

During the winter time and large party gatherings during the cold holiday season, we have seen CO2 levels anywhere from 1800 ppm to upwards of around 4000 ppm which is an enormous CO2 load for any aquatic system to fight against via normal osmotic degassing.

During the spring months, typical in door levels in a home hovers around 500 ppm to 900 ppm... Once again, variable based on ventilation, and number of inhabitants, etc.

Remember, things diffuse from areas of high concentration to low concentration... (Entropy) So, if the environment in the home is higher in CO2 concentration in the air, it would tend to want to go to an area of lower CO2 concentration (Water).

CO2 is readily dissolved into water where as O2 requires a bit more energy to be infused into the water column. Temperature increase will easily drive off excess O2 where as the CO2 concentration levels remain.

Berlibee · Jan 11, 2017

Thank you, I can't find online the Litho Lyme reactor hmmm ... can you link me please.

Cruz_Arias · Jan 11, 2017

Berlibee said:
Thank you, I can't find online the Litho Lyme reactor hmmm ... can you link me please.

This is the link for the media we use is:
http://bay-medical.com/litholyme-carbon-dioxide-absorbent.html

The media most hobbyists utilize because of cost is:
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-color-changing-medical-grade-co2-absorbent.html

The reactors we have been using are:
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-universal-co2-scrubber.html

john.m.cole3 · Jan 11, 2017

Cruz_Arias said:
CO2 stratifies especially in a house that's not well ventilated. Perhaps a CO2 scrubber with litholyme would help remove the excess CO2 out of the air before passing it to the system. Also, try raising the air pump around 4 to 5 feet off the floor.

Time for me to build a shelf!

Cruz_Arias · Jan 11, 2017

john.m.cole3 said:
Time for me to build a shelf!

A modern floating glass wall shelf would look very nice...

Berlibee · Jan 11, 2017

Ok thank you. I've installed a 3.9 PSI pump and I can't say there is a huge difference comparing to my Tetra 40. The thing is that when it is on maximum bubbles from the limestone are HUGE! So you need to cut the valve for about 80% down to leave only about 20% open. Only then you see small, dust like bubbles from the stone. I'm not sure what is the point of getting more PSI and cut down hmmm ...

Cruz_Arias · Jan 11, 2017

Berlibee said:
Ok thank you. I've installed a 3.9 PSI pump and I can't say there is a huge difference comparing to my Tetra 40. The thing is that when it is on maximum bubbles from the limestone are HUGE! So you need to cut the valve for about 80% down to leave only about 20% open. Only then you see small, dust like bubbles from the stone. I'm not sure what is the point of getting more PSI and cut down hmmm ...

Pressure is Pressure... Volume is Volume...

Volume can be measured based on a fixed orifice and controlled with a pressure drop but is not directly related to l x w x h (cm^3)

You need the pressure to push through the pores of the air stone (delta P between the inside and the water pressure pushing back at the wooden air stone)
Air volume control is just that... how much air that is needed...

You're cutting down the volume... not the pressure.

The smaller the holes, the more pressure you need to push through the tiny tiny pores...
being that they are tiny tiny pores, the volume required and allowed to pass through the smaller pores is considerably less...

Hence...
P = 3.9 psi
V= 0.11 to 0.25 L/hr

Berlibee · Jan 11, 2017

Ok, thank you. So I think I just wait now.

Cruz_Arias · Jan 11, 2017

Berlibee said:
Ok, thank you. So I think I just wait now.

Try running it with the really really fine bubbles for a whole day... check your pH before and after... it should stabilize considerably.
Also, if you'd like... try plumbing your skimmer air intake to fresh air as well. It'll help tremendously.

During the blackout we also suggest to run aeration 24/7 with the very fine bubbles. This will prevent sags as Randy had mentioned earlier in the thread.

Berlibee · Jan 11, 2017

Hmmm it is so loud ! I can run it only on the night.

I can close it until it is really like smoke in the water. But then it is only a very small amount of it we can't even see them in the tank...

john.m.cole3 · Jan 11, 2017

Berlibee said:
Ok thank you. I've installed a 3.9 PSI pump and I can't say there is a huge difference comparing to my Tetra 40. The thing is that when it is on maximum bubbles from the limestone are HUGE! So you need to cut the valve for about 80% down to leave only about 20% open. Only then you see small, dust like bubbles from the stone. I'm not sure what is the point of getting more PSI and cut down hmmm ...

increased PRESSURE

Berlibee · Jan 11, 2017

john.m.cole3 said:
increased PRESSURE

Cruz_Arias · Jan 11, 2017

Berlibee said:
Hmmm it is so loud ! I can run it only on the night. I can close it until it is really like smoke in the water. But then it is only a very small amount of it we can't even see them in the tank...

Over hours the fine fine bubbles will recirculate and add up over time...
after a few hours you'll notice a thicker mist of "smoke like bubbles"...
and after a few more hours even more...

oh yes, if you are using filter socks, you can remove them during this time of aeration.