bubbles that apear when lights come on

paullisa51708 · 11/02/2009, 12:35 AM

i have this problem that when i turn the lights on bubbles cover the rocks i blow them off and there back in a couple hrs i read online its toxin in my tank?i just moved about a month ago i have fish in it and sps they seem to be ok i also have lava rock which i do not like but it was with the system when i bought it i need a solotion to this asap i hate it ready to start over grrrrr
ro filters are months old its a 90 gl rr with a fuge with a mangrove and 10 pds live rock anybody pleaseeeeee
ive had great luck here in the past yrs used to live in fl
anybody any i deas how i can solve this problem

paullisa51708 · 11/02/2009, 01:05 AM

a pic of the bubbles

paullisa51708 · 11/02/2009, 01:08 AM

a pic of the sand bed bubbles also

Mr.evo · 11/02/2009, 01:31 AM

i had the same thing and then like some type of dust started building up and i couldent do anything to get rid of it, so i took all my rock out and rinsed it out havent had that problem since

KJAhp098 · 11/02/2009, 08:32 AM

It's not toxins. Are your bulbs new? Try decreasing your photoperiod then slowly increasing it. I believe its the bacteria dying off of the rock and sand.

Lightsluvr · 11/02/2009, 09:04 AM

Probably nitrogen bubbles from normal aging of your sand and rock - I used a turkey baster at the end of the day to blow it off the rock...it would reappear the next day at the end of the light cycle... does no harm - just annoying. With good flow and water quality, it will eventually abate.

LL

Ken B · 11/02/2009, 09:34 AM

The bubbles are O2 respired from the micro algae. The reason it disappears during the dark hours is that photosynthetic organisms, like algae, will affix these bubles and use the O2 when it is dark and cannot photosynthesize. During the the photoperiod CO2 is taken in and O2 is respired. In the dark this process is reversed, this is the reason that ph will drop in the tank when the lights go out. The CO2 that is respired after dark forms carbonic acid in the water column which in turn drops ph.

HTH

paullisa51708 · 11/03/2009, 02:20 AM

so it will cure it self or do i need to do somthing im going to be moving the tank in a few months was thinkin about killing all the rock and starting over im having bad hair algae and bubble algae runnin 2 400 wat bulbs 5 hrs a day have an aqua c skimmer that i thin works well and a mag 7 for return ide like to up that but dont know if the standard overflow will handle it any input is very appreciated

Ken B · 11/03/2009, 12:27 PM

Sounds like high nitrate or phosphate. In my opinion you are underskimmed as well. Check your calcium and alkalinity as well and get get them to the reccomended levels. If there are any mechanical fitering media in the tank get rid of it. I have a 90g and use an ETSS sumpbuddy 40 for my skimmer and couldn't be happier.

HTH

paullisa51708 · 11/04/2009, 04:32 AM

skimmer is rated for a 200 gl its the 180 i do beleive have a mag 9 driving it and yes i have bio balls at the water dump in the sump and a pad at the overflow before it hits the return pump but i do clean that one alot once a week if thats alot if i kill all the live rock in a garbage can with bleach and no light for a week let it dry out the tank would cycle again wouldnt it or do half at a time im just tired of bad alage thinkin bare bottom as well havent tryed it and it seems everybody is 50/50 on it can anybody suggest a good combo lighting i have ice cap ballast one bulb is a hmilton and the other is a blue line origonally bought 2 blue line 15k but one didnt work so i returned it and they said blue line isnt sellin bulbs anymore so i got the hamilton for the same price i home made lumerac reflectors love them just thought 400 watt should be so much brighter the only thing is that i didnt polish the metal but its not that dull either its like a brushed aluminum do u guys think that will make a huge diff if i polish them i just exspected more light from 400 watts mh all your info is great and i really do appreciate it thanks guys!

11/02/2009, 12:35 AM	#1
paullisa51708 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 97	bubbles that apear when lights come on i have this problem that when i turn the lights on bubbles cover the rocks i blow them off and there back in a couple hrs i read online its toxin in my tank?i just moved about a month ago i have fish in it and sps they seem to be ok i also have lava rock which i do not like but it was with the system when i bought it i need a solotion to this asap i hate it ready to start over grrrrr ro filters are months old its a 90 gl rr with a fuge with a mangrove and 10 pds live rock anybody pleaseeeeee ive had great luck here in the past yrs used to live in fl anybody any i deas how i can solve this problem

11/02/2009, 08:32 AM	#5
KJAhp098 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Chicago Posts: 1,156	It's not toxins. Are your bulbs new? Try decreasing your photoperiod then slowly increasing it. I believe its the bacteria dying off of the rock and sand. __________________ Ken Current Tank Info: Marineland 150DD

11/02/2009, 09:04 AM	#6
Lightsluvr Tangaroa to 500 gallons Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Edmond, OK Posts: 5,855	Probably nitrogen bubbles from normal aging of your sand and rock - I used a turkey baster at the end of the day to blow it off the rock...it would reappear the next day at the end of the light cycle... does no harm - just annoying. With good flow and water quality, it will eventually abate. LL __________________ Click on my username and select "Lightsluvr's Home Page" for a recap of our build thread - AGE Hybrid Tank in a 500G system with dedicated fish room. (Takes a few minutes for photos to load) Leave a note if you stop by... Current Tank Info: 350G AGE Hybrid reef tank. 500G+ total water volume. Three sumps for filtration. Barracuda Gold return and Hammerhead Gold closed loop pumps. DIY T5 light system on rails. MP40W x3 to supplement closed loop. 130G Water management system.

11/02/2009, 09:34 AM	#7
Ken B Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Wakefield, Ma. Posts: 39	The bubbles are O2 respired from the micro algae. The reason it disappears during the dark hours is that photosynthetic organisms, like algae, will affix these bubles and use the O2 when it is dark and cannot photosynthesize. During the the photoperiod CO2 is taken in and O2 is respired. In the dark this process is reversed, this is the reason that ph will drop in the tank when the lights go out. The CO2 that is respired after dark forms carbonic acid in the water column which in turn drops ph. HTH __________________ 90g RR,Lifereef LCR1 calcium reactor, ETSS sump buddy 40 skimmer,2X400x 20k halides with 2 110w vho actinics

11/03/2009, 12:27 PM	#9
Ken B Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Wakefield, Ma. Posts: 39	Sounds like high nitrate or phosphate. In my opinion you are underskimmed as well. Check your calcium and alkalinity as well and get get them to the reccomended levels. If there are any mechanical fitering media in the tank get rid of it. I have a 90g and use an ETSS sumpbuddy 40 for my skimmer and couldn't be happier. HTH __________________ 90g RR,Lifereef LCR1 calcium reactor, ETSS sump buddy 40 skimmer,2X400x 20k halides with 2 110w vho actinics

11/02/2009, 01:31 AM	#4
Mr.evo Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 30	i had the same thing and then like some type of dust started building up and i couldent do anything to get rid of it, so i took all my rock out and rinsed it out havent had that problem since

11/03/2009, 02:20 AM	#8
paullisa51708 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 97	so it will cure it self or do i need to do somthing im going to be moving the tank in a few months was thinkin about killing all the rock and starting over im having bad hair algae and bubble algae runnin 2 400 wat bulbs 5 hrs a day have an aqua c skimmer that i thin works well and a mag 7 for return ide like to up that but dont know if the standard overflow will handle it any input is very appreciated

11/04/2009, 04:32 AM	#10
paullisa51708 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 97	skimmer is rated for a 200 gl its the 180 i do beleive have a mag 9 driving it and yes i have bio balls at the water dump in the sump and a pad at the overflow before it hits the return pump but i do clean that one alot once a week if thats alot if i kill all the live rock in a garbage can with bleach and no light for a week let it dry out the tank would cycle again wouldnt it or do half at a time im just tired of bad alage thinkin bare bottom as well havent tryed it and it seems everybody is 50/50 on it can anybody suggest a good combo lighting i have ice cap ballast one bulb is a hmilton and the other is a blue line origonally bought 2 blue line 15k but one didnt work so i returned it and they said blue line isnt sellin bulbs anymore so i got the hamilton for the same price i home made lumerac reflectors love them just thought 400 watt should be so much brighter the only thing is that i didnt polish the metal but its not that dull either its like a brushed aluminum do u guys think that will make a huge diff if i polish them i just exspected more light from 400 watts mh all your info is great and i really do appreciate it thanks guys!