Bubble trap after skimmer why?

[Angelajean]

Hi,
I am trying to understand the whole sump/refuge thing as a whole but right now specifically the bubble trap.

What does the bubble trap do and why is is located after the skimmer?

Thanks

 

[Bifferwine]

If air bubbles get to your return pump, the return pump will shoot them back to the tank, creating microbubbles in your display tank. This isn't good for the animals and it just doesn't look nice -- you'll have a constantly cloudy tank.

Air always rises in water. The bubble trap is configured so that water has to travel underneath a baffle. Air bubbles will want to rise to the top, so the bubbles become "trapped" behind the baffle -- they can't flow underneath it.

Skimmers work by mixing air and water. They tend to create a lot of bubbles. So putting the bubble trap after the skimmer greatly reduces the number of air bubbles that are able to travel to your display tank.

 

[Angelajean]

If air bubbles get to your return pump, the return pump will shoot them back to the tank, creating microbubbles in your display tank. This isn't good for the animals and it just doesn't look nice -- you'll have a constantly cloudy tank.

Air always rises in water. The bubble trap is configured so that water has to travel underneath a baffle. Air bubbles will want to rise to the top, so the bubbles become "trapped" behind the baffle -- they can't flow underneath it.

Skimmers work by mixing air and water. They tend to create a lot of bubbles. So putting the bubble trap after the skimmer greatly reduces the number of air bubbles that are able to travel to your display tank.

Is why the sump is setup with the skimmer in one end and the return at the other end?

Trying to figure out how I can make a bubble trap without draining and drying the tank. I guess that is what we'll be doing. Any other ideas?

Is there an easy to understand article to read on sump/refuges?
Thanks

 

[Bifferwine]

If you get sheets of plexiglass that are a snug fit, you can slide them right in. They don't need to be water tight. They just need to create a barrier that forces the water to flow underneath a baffle.

 

[Angelajean]

Skimmer needs to be at opposite end of return pump right?

Trying to figure out if we have to redo the plumbing.
Thanks Sarah for the help.

 

[Bifferwine]

It can be at the opposite end. As long as there is a bubble trap between the two, they can be in neighboring sections too.

 

[2XAl]

How does your skimmer return the water back into the sump? Instead of creating a bubble trap the return from my skimmer has a filter sock/pad zipped around it and it stops any bubbling.It returns about 5" from my return pump and I've never had a microbubble problem

 

[Angelajean]

What type of skimmer do you have? Mine is a SCA-302, similar to a Bubble Magus cone skimmer.

 

[jahel318]

So can one make a bubble trap with baffles and exclude the sponge that lies between the baffles, or should you include the sponge?

 

[poksal]

So can one make a bubble trap with baffles and exclude the sponge that lies between the baffles, or should you include the sponge?

Sponges will trap bubbles but they also trap bad stuff and must be cleaned weekly. So.. we tend to avoid those nasty things.

 

[FishyReef]

+1 Poksal

I didn't have room in my sump to create a bubble trap, so I also have just hung a mesh filter sock around the skimmer output area to reduce microbubbles. I rinse it out everytime I do a water change and this keeps it clean.