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

john.m.cole3

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I know the 64 page debate is out there. http://reef2reef.com/threads/micro-scrubbing-bubbles.224373/

As an open minded kind of dude, I'm going to give this a whirl. I've got about $70 in it and would be able to re-purpose all of the materials if it doesn't go as I hope it does. Win/win

@Cruz_Arias gave me pointers on the right equipment to get.

3 PSI luft pump from Coralife $30
Lees wooden air stones 2 for $6
75 ft of air line $10
air check valve 5 for $2
air needle valve $21 ($10 of it was shipping, REALLY?!?)


I have everything but the check valves and needle valve. The check valves may take a while so I plan on putting the air pump on a chair or something higher than the stone in my sump in order to prevent back siphon. Needle valve should be here tomorrow.

Feel free to share your experiences with microscrubbing.

THIS IS NOT A DEBATE/TROLL THREAD!!!
 

mcarroll

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Sounds as messy as 1962. (What?) :confused:

I can't find the link to this story anymore (think it was on an old tunze blog that I don't think exists anymore), but supposedly...

Air stones were in every aquarium back then – even saltwater. It was just how an aquarium had always been set up for freshwater, so it was natural. We all know now that it's a mess of salt spray and brown residue when you mix bubbles and saltwater now.

Supposedly the skimmer was an evolution of a simple way to enclose airstones due to the mess they inherently make in saltwater tanks. Tunze had a manufactured skimmer out in 1963.

This was the skimmer the had a photo of on the blog post:


All that is to say....

I would try setting up a surge tank of some sort or maybe even just invest in a proper wavebox. I would not be up for the mess from the spray.
 
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john.m.cole3

john.m.cole3

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the idea is to keep your air stone in your sump in the chamber right before the return pump. Large bubbles are supposed to rise to the surface and pop in the sump. The nano bubbles that make it to the display swirl around and do their duty. I said duty, lol!

cruz is pretty awesome and will be walking me through all of this, so I can't accept any credit for what happens next. free frags for anyone who believes in me/us :rolleyes:o_O
 
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john.m.cole3

john.m.cole3

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I know the 64 page debate is out there. http://reef2reef.com/threads/micro-scrubbing-bubbles.224373/

As an open minded kind of dude, I'm going to give this a whirl. I've got about $70 in it and would be able to re-purpose all of the materials if it doesn't go as I hope it does. Win/win

@Cruz_Arias gave me pointers on the right equipment to get.

3 PSI luft pump from Coralife $30
Lees wooden air stones 2 for $6
75 ft of air line $10
air check valve 5 for $2
air needle valve $21 ($10 of it was shipping, REALLY?!?)


I have everything but the check valves and needle valve. The check valves may take a while so I plan on putting the air pump on a chair or something higher than the stone in my sump in order to prevent back siphon. Needle valve should be here tomorrow.

Feel free to share your experiences with microscrubbing.

THIS IS NOT A DEBATE/TROLL THREAD!!!
I forgot to include the digital timer. I already had it. I think it was around $10
 
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john.m.cole3

john.m.cole3

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I'm curious as well. Does it also remove the organics to a skin on top that allows your overflows to pull to sump and remove via skimmer? As if it were a pre skimming skimmer in a sense. Doing some reading into this subject.
YES! The link in my first post discusses the benefits or potential benefits or whatever you wanna call it. If you can stomach the arguing in that thread there is some good information. I quit reading it on page 27, but plan on reading its entirety tonight and tomorrow.
 
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john.m.cole3

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I'm going to start tonight without the needle valve. I've never done this or know anyone that does this, so it will be trial and error directed by Cruz. He suggested to start with next to no flow. I chose 4 hours as an introductory time to start scrubbing. My nitrates are at 40 right now, so I'm hoping this will be a way to get that number down. Who knows... most people report an immediate improvement in water clarity. I recently switched to running bare bottom, so there isn't sand trapping detritus in there. Plus I crank up the flow in my tank for an hour every night to clear the rocks of any settled detritus.
 

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I have a friend here in Indiana that recently do this in his 600gal display. His results were all positive, except one issue with creating air in his closed loop.
If you think about it, this is almost exactly what surge tides do in the ocean. They create micro bubbles that lift organic to the surface which are then deposited on the beach in the form of brown foam. (Think about that he next time your children want to chase and play in it )
 

Diesel

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All I can say is just try it out for a few months.
The results you get is amazing.
If you follow @Cruz_Arias his advice you should be good.
No need for me to explain in details as all is out there already.
 

ReeferMaddness843

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I found a YouTube vid of a way someone incorporated one into their return with a ball valve that allowed them to cut on and off (I'm sure with today's tech, it's possible to be automated). Just didn't know 100% on ability to share or if would violate any rules. If acceptable let me know and id be glad to share the link. Aside from the valve and some airline and fittings, required no extra equipment.
 

ReeferMaddness843

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Quick question: is there any concern of cavitation if the return pump has any form of restriction such as a ball valve post pump limiting flow, or, since full flow is allowed INTO the pump it is of no concern? Or, would it be better to divert the off flow from the pump via a "Y" and back into the sump?
 

Diesel

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Forget about the ball valve injected tube into the return pump.
Reason why is that only 5% of the air injected in the sump are small enough to make it into the return pump and in the tank.
The bubbles are hard to see in your DT but during the night time with a red dot LED you will be able too.
Remember we taking Micronano bubbles here not just bubbles.

micro3-M.png

micronano9-L.jpg



micronano11-L.jpg

This is in my tank and it runs only 4 hours during the night.
Double wood stone with injected air from the outside over a carbon filter to get out most of the chemicals in the air.

micronano13-L.jpg
 

ReeferMaddness843

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Forget about the ball valve injected tube into the return pump.
Reason why is that only 5% of the air injected in the sump are small enough to make it into the return pump and in the tank.
The bubbles are hard to see in your DT but during the night time with a red dot LED you will be able too.
Remember we taking Micronano bubbles here not just bubbles.

micro3-M.png

micronano9-L.jpg



micronano11-L.jpg

This is in my tank and it runs only 4 hours during the night.
Double wood stone with injected air from the outside over a carbon filter to get out most of the chemicals in the air.

micronano13-L.jpg
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.
 

Diesel

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Micro bubbles is not really what you want in your tank MircoNano's is what you wanna shoot for.
Remember if you see the bubbles in your tank you want to make the smaller.
Over a period of a few hours you will see the haze as a light mist in your tank, if that happens we talking MicroNano's.
A lot od ppl go wrong with this and want to see the bubbles right after they turn the air pump on...........WRONG!!
In one of the pics you see that most of the bubbles rise to the surface in my sump but about 5% give and take will float through the water only to be picked up by the gyre of the return pump and in that cycle it will be even a smaller bubble as it travels through your plumbing into the DT.
 

Diesel

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I'm using this air pump as you can adjust it but being outside I have it full throttle and it works well.
I have other seen with a $15 pump and doing great as well, just for my 202 DT and two wood stones I did right to go the extra mile.

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/coralife-luft-air-pump.html
 
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