# My filter is a Bubbler???



## PBrods (Dec 10, 2011)

Not sure how to upload and post a video so maybe I can explain it? My filter is an over the back filter. As the water comes out of the filter and into the tank it spews millions of tiny tiny bubbles along with it. My tank is virtually filled with these tiny bubbles! Has anyone ever heard or seen this before???


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## Tommyz44 (Jan 3, 2012)

does the water of the tank meet the lip of the filter? What kind of filter is it? some have more of a sloped lip and some have a more vertical. this could cause the water to push alot of air down.


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

The filter on my 36g causes millions of tiny bubbles in the tank... it almost looks like there is debris floating around, but it's just bubbles. You can try adding a little more water to the tank and see if that helps at all. It's not a bubbler, it's just the way the outputted water is hitting the water's surface and being pushed down.


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## PBrods (Dec 10, 2011)

Tommyz44 said:


> does the water of the tank meet the lip of the filter? What kind of filter is it? some have more of a sloped lip and some have a more vertical. this could cause the water to push alot of air down.


Yes, it's over the lip.


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## drunkenbeast (Nov 13, 2011)

ya i have that same filter its a good one. just add the water and youll be good it shouldnt be bad at all


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## PBrods (Dec 10, 2011)

drunkenbeast said:


> ya i have that same filter its a good one. just add the water and youll be good it shouldnt be bad at all


There's no room to add water, It's to the top...I tried taking some out and nothing, I'm going to have to try taking MORE out. Could it be a bad filter? I got it used with the tank.


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## TypeYourTextHere (Apr 20, 2011)

That is odd that you are getting so much aeration even though the tank is full. you might try rinsing the filter media in used tank water and see if that helps.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Check all of your mating points for your uptake and remove the adjustment piece to see if it goes away. Most people get it from water crashing into the tank. I keep my tanks 1/4" from the lip.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Your impeller might be cavitating as well. Is your filter rattling or sounding like the impeller is churning up air (it will sound "fizzy", sorta)? If so, you'll want to check your uptake tubing and remove the flow adjuster as was mentioned above, to make the impeller housing and uptake more air-tight to prevent the impeller from cavitating.


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## holly12 (Apr 21, 2011)

I said I have the same thing with my filter........... it's no issue.......just bubbles in the water, lol.


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## PBrods (Dec 10, 2011)

holly12 said:


> I said I have the same thing with my filter........... it's no issue.......just bubbles in the water, lol.


It's a big issue for me. the tank looks like it completely filled with lint


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## PBrods (Dec 10, 2011)

When I got it, he told me he used it for salt water aquarium. I cleaned it thoroughly. I've now tried different water levels, closing the adjustable midway vent, taking off the vent and extention, moving the filter to the other side of the tank, resetting the seat of the impeller, twisting the bio-wheels ( as Marineland says that it changes the way the water hits the wheel), and making sure it is level. 
The only thing left I could think to do is to buy new bio-wheels and impeller. If it is not that though, I could have spend a little more and just bought a new one...Then again, maybe spending another 50.00 for a new filter won't fix it either? Maybe just a cheap filter???
Could the filter be just too big for my 46g bowfront tank? I'm starting to wonder i I really want to get into this hobby and am wanting to smash this tank right now...


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## Kev1jm2 (Oct 18, 2011)

Try changing the lip with plexiglass.


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## PBrods (Dec 10, 2011)

Kev1jm2 said:


> Try changing the lip with plexiglass.


I don't know what that means


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## Kev1jm2 (Oct 18, 2011)

Use a piece of plexiglass to change the angle/length of the lip. Hold the plexiglass with your hand to find a spot that slows/breaks up the flow. Then attach with a little silicone. I have it like this on my shrimp tank. I'll post a picture when I get home from work.


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## joevw007 (Jul 6, 2011)

Susan is right, virtually every hang on back filter does this. you should not worry and your filter is not broken, the fish like the extra O2 in the water anyway.


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## PBrods (Dec 10, 2011)

joevw007 said:


> Susan is right, virtually every hang on back filter does this. you should not worry and your filter is not broken, the fish like the extra O2 in the water anyway.


I wish everyone would stop saying it's normal... It is not! I wouldn't be posting it as a problem if it were not a problem. 
That's like walking into someone's funeral and telling the family to stop moarning, that's normal, everybody dies. While true, they are not supposed to die at 20yrs old, right?


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## PBrods (Dec 10, 2011)

Kev1jm2 said:


> Use a piece of plexiglass to change the angle/length of the lip. Hold the plexiglass with your hand to find a spot that slows/breaks up the flow. Then attach with a little silicone. I have it like this on my shrimp tank. I'll post a picture when I get home from work.


I'll have to try that when I get home. I also called Marineland and they said their filter don't fill tanks with micro bubbles. Well, after getting someone else on the line that seemed to know what they were talking about, they mentioned something I didn't think about... There may be a minute crack in the uptake tube where it's above water and it's sucking in air. I'll check that when I get home too.


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## PBrods (Dec 10, 2011)

Nothing changed, so I tried something different. Doing media moves, took out the bio-wheels and played with water levels. It worked...I put the bio-wheels back in and back to micro bubbles...Take the out...bubbles gone. Damaged Bio-Wheels??? for $36.00 I'm wondering if I should not bother getting them but to spend another 10-20 bucks and just buy a new filter...


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

There's also nothing wrong with just running the filter without the biowheel, is there? I don't own one so I can't say for sure.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Ok first Joe this is my first post in this thread so I think you got some names mixed up there.

Yes the bio wheels can cause this. I didn't like it so Just took them off my filter. I added more sponge to the filter to give more room for the bacteria to grow. Works fine in my cichlid tanks.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

It does not create nitrites or nitrates and it isn't beneficial to any fish. High nitrites can kill any fish, and labrynth fish will go to the top and gulp needed air. Need to do some more research there.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Gills, one I didn't say bubbles were bad, I said the nitrates and nitrites don't help fish. Read before you jump all over people. I have been raising and breeding fish for 30 years and know what I am talking about. I do a lot of reading also. 
And you might try and be a little more considerate to other peoples opinions. 
Also the bio wheel isn't there to promote algae, its there to build up beneficial bacteria.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Gills said:


> 1. on the plus side, those bubble that are created help with Nitrite (or nitrate levels can't remember which) that is actually benefical in some tanks for specific fish breeds.
> 
> 2. Some fish actually require a nice amount of those nitrites/nitrates or minerals created/circulated in the bubbles. Atleast I read that somewhere a while ago...


1. I have NO IDEA what you are talking about here. Are you saying that nitrite and nitrate are benefitted by bubbles? Nitrate, to the extent of my knowledge, does not gas out of water so bubbles are useless there. However, nitrite might be affected by bubbles in that the bubbles would promote growth of nitrifying bacteria and thus the bacteria can better handle the nitrite. But the bubbles in and of themselves do not affect the nitrite nor nitrate.

What's your source?

2. Nitrates and nitrites are actually harmful to fish, and nitrites are downright toxic. I know of no fish or any other aquatic critter that does well in a tank loaded with nitrites and/or nitrates. Plants, on the other hand, love both for their ability to get nitrogen.

Here are my sources:
The Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle
http://www.aquariumforum.com/f66/fish-poop-you-primer-8310.html


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Gills said:


> Cleaner ??
> 
> I believe the Laberinth fish (like the paradise fish) like it cause they create bubble nests and need the nitrites



Let me correct you here.I breed betta,and as you know they are labrynth fishes.The bubbles from a filter in no way help any male to nest.They take large breaths of air and use that to make the bubbles.In fact with bubblenesters,the constant surface agitation is more of a pain for them because it breaks their nests up.

Also not all labrynth fishes are bubblenesters as a matter of fact more of them are mouth brooders.This is because their habitat,while it has movement,its warm waters and the warmer the water the lower dissolved oxygen content.

The bubbles aerate the water,nothing more.It does not add nitrate or nitrite to the water,it just add oxygen.This is what is beneficial to some fish.I forgot to add...Nitrites are deadly for any fish.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Gills said:


> 1. you are missing out on a healthy/permanent algae breeding ground. I removed mine aswell but I have other means to permote algae in my tank.
> 
> 2. For the rock, I’d recommend something with quartz or lime stone in it. You can usually simply grab one out of a parking lot.


1. I believe you are referring to nitrifying bacteria, but I suppose some algae helps things, same as live plants do.

2. I would actually advise against limestone, but I'm not sure about the quartz. I've heard from ppl on here that if you drip vinegar on the rock and it smokes, it's not good to put in the tank. I know ppl that put limestone or coral in their filters to raise their pH for things like cichlid tanks, but other than that I would say limestone is a bad idea.

Just my thoughts...


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Gills,really why so rude?No one has called you names or anything like that.We have been telling you that info you have given is false but have all done so in a civil fashion.

I personally see no use in anyone saying sorry to you for anything they have said.


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## Gizmo (Dec 6, 2010)

Gills said:


> Sorry it was NITROGEN not nitrites/nitrates


Slack given. Nitrogen, in its pure form, does not exist in a FW tank to the extent of my knowledge, it exists as ammonia (NH4), ammonium, nitrite (NO2), and nitrate (NO3).

In addition, your source refers to a marine tank with a deep sand bed. True, there are some similarities between FW and SW tanks, but I don't think that nitrogen is one of them, at least in its pure form.


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## majerah1 (Oct 29, 2010)

Understand that you said not to quote you on what you said but does that warrant you sending rude private messages?We enjoy new members and its wonderful to have some who do have experience but when someone is giving false advice we have to correct it.Otherwise when someone who is very new reads the posts the false info can do much more harm than good.I can cost the lives of many fish.While many may see them as just fish I have taken alot of pride in caring for my fish,especially betta fish.Its a personal goal to stop the mis understandings about them as much as I can.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Gills said:


> majerah i am very new... 2day on this post and I thought "someone" could have done a better job in repling to my post more constructively... example Gizmo actually replied to help me get to the bottom of what i meant. much more helpful than "i think you better research so more there" .. came accross snide. ... that being said it's done .. moving on.


The problem I see here is the thread has now become all about you - not about what the original poster had issue with. Great way to get started as a new member by taking your personal misunderstandings about a few things and getting a little peaved about being corrected. Nobody likes to be corrected, but you have already responded with a number of bad information points. If you don't like to be corrected, do a little reading before you respond and don't act so negatively when it happens.

15yrs of experience turned to crap within 15 posts.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Maybe your definition, which appears different on many subjects than most, of taking a thread off subject and mine are way off. You didn't do that, you posted about 20 posts because your feelings were hurt. Grow up! Like I said, all about you.

Get some thicker skin and move on or go somewhere else! I can probably find a site for delicate flowers if you like or ones where your feelings might not get hurt. As much as it is good to get experienced people around here, this site will go on without you.

If you would like to continue, PM me instead. Would be glad to continue there.

Let me provide a quote of your own postings:



Gills said:


> I am new to this site but I'm not a total noob if you read my intro post you'll see *I've had tanks for @15 years *and yes have breed Paradise. My paradise used the bubbles that got caught under the filter lip. You're correct bubbles in the water (especially from air hoses) can stress the JFF even to the point of death. I am merely just combating the attitude I recieved as a new member from a less than courtious moderator.


http://www.aquariumforum.com/f2/my-filter-bubbler-25779-2.html#post149834


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I think we all know how you feel about it by now. 

Please stop carrying on about it in this thread. Just move on. PM me if you like.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

The OP has started a new thread about buying a new filter. This thread has become pointless and I see no need to continue with it.


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