Lamia2super
Active Member
Ive been getting the micro bubbles with the skimmer on every since i got the tank RSM250, which i eventually stop turning it on all together. is it bad not running my skimmer? i do a 10g water change every other week
is not using the protien skimmer bad?
- Thread starter Lamia2super
- Start date
RedSeaKev
RS Sponsor
Lamia2super, The protein skimmer is the most important piece of equipment on any marine aquarium.
I want to try and help with why you are experiencing micro bubbles, lets have as much information as possible especially feeding regimes for all animals, frequently micro bubbles are caused by excessive organics effecting the performance of the skimmer causing over skim.
I want to try and help with why you are experiencing micro bubbles, lets have as much information as possible especially feeding regimes for all animals, frequently micro bubbles are caused by excessive organics effecting the performance of the skimmer causing over skim.
I've got the same issue with my skimmer.
I know that it's the skimmer that's generating the micro bubbles as I can open the rear hatch, look into the chamber to the left of the skimmer and it's a bubble fest in there.
This has just started since my last deep cleaning of the skimmer. I tuned the skimmer down a bit which reduced some of the micro bubbles but they are still present.
Most get captured by the fine filter pad and the coarse filter in the far left chamber.
I simply have not taken the time to pull the skimmer out, submerge it in another tank so that I can see where the bubbles are escaping from.
Maybe I'll get around to this, this weekend.
It's bothersome but...The Skimmer must go on. So to speak.
I only turn it off during feedings. So even with the micro bubbles, I leave it on and some day soon I'll dig in and find out where/how the bubbles are escaping.
I know that it's the skimmer that's generating the micro bubbles as I can open the rear hatch, look into the chamber to the left of the skimmer and it's a bubble fest in there.
This has just started since my last deep cleaning of the skimmer. I tuned the skimmer down a bit which reduced some of the micro bubbles but they are still present.
Most get captured by the fine filter pad and the coarse filter in the far left chamber.
I simply have not taken the time to pull the skimmer out, submerge it in another tank so that I can see where the bubbles are escaping from.
Maybe I'll get around to this, this weekend.
It's bothersome but...The Skimmer must go on. So to speak.
I only turn it off during feedings. So even with the micro bubbles, I leave it on and some day soon I'll dig in and find out where/how the bubbles are escaping.
Micro bubbles from my RSM 250 stock skimmer WENT AWAY as soon as I figured out where my water level & overflow gate needed to be. Don't be giving up on your RSM 250 stock skimmer, it's a good one. 
Glenn (nanoreefing4fun) helped me with this issue.
Read more here: http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/red-sea-max-owners-club/66778-rsm-250-stock-skimmer-tips.html
Glenn (nanoreefing4fun) helped me with this issue.
Read more here: http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/red-sea-max-owners-club/66778-rsm-250-stock-skimmer-tips.html
Lamia2super
Active Member
this is the same issue im having when i turn the skimmer on you see the bubbles in the next chamber. my water is so crystal clear with it off and i cant stand having it all the bubble in the tank
i feed my fish about every other day and my corals between those off days. i'll sometimes skip a day or 2 so the clean up crew can eat any waste left in. water changes about every other week so the tank has never giving me any problem. been running months without the skimmer and time to time i turn it on in hope the bubbles go away
can it be that i dose my tank with brightwell biofuel, microbactria, liquid fuel
i gone threw a few tips thread and used plumber tape around the powerhead of the skimmer and that didnt do anything. ive tried messing with it a bunch of times and cant get it to work right.
I had THE VERY SAME ISSUE. The air intake needs to be opened up MORE. And to do that you need your water level adjusted so the skimmer doesn't over skim. Once you get these adjustments made...the micro-bubbles will stop. The very 1st post in the link above fixed mine. You really need to get your skimmer broke in and use it....it will amaze you at the nasty stuff it will pull from your water.
Protein skimming & weekly WC are BOTH needed IMO.
Protein skimming & weekly WC are BOTH needed IMO.
Protein skimming is definitely a very important aspect of the marina aquaria and more so on the reef tank, that being said it's also not a necessity. I have seen many amazing tanks that don't utilise a skimmer in any way but they have other huge methods of nutrient removal. For the purpose of your tank I would say the use of a skimmer is definitely a necessity, as you don't have the correct setup to be able to run the tank without one 
It's a serious effort to run a skimmer-less tank
It's a serious effort to run a skimmer-less tank
Lamia2super
Active Member
alright im going try it again. i lowered the gate to where the water was just under the rim and removed water until it hit the 3rd line of the rear chamber. skimmer now turn on so in a few minutes when the lights turn on i will record a video for you all to tell me what im doing wrong....hate seeing the water so cloudy now because of those bubbles
Make sure you OPEN UP the air restriction as much as you can....it's hard to do because the knob it SO SENSITIVE.
You should stop seeing the extra bubbles that come up beside the skimmer in the back chamber.
mikecc
Member
Great question and really depends on the bio load of your system. I believe in them but many do fine without them. Check out the You Tube videos by Leng Sy regarding the eco system method. They should answer your questions about the necessity of foam fractionation (skimmers) LOL. Hope this helps.
Lamia2super
Active Member
you were all right. i lowered the gate, removed close to 2 gallons of water and the micro bubble went away! i bought another valve to help dial in the skimmer better
Once you get it dialed in it will pull lots of YUCK out of your water & I don't think you'll want to consider running your tank without a skimmer.
Here's mine only a few days after cleaning it out:
