Microbubbles that big of a deal with a FOWLR?

sasscuba

Reefing newb
Only going to have a fish only tank with live rock for a few years and might do live coral someday but are the tiny bubbles in the tank a big deal for fish?

One dealer on the phone actually told me it will irritate the fish and kill them yet when I went to their store everyone of the 100 tanks they had a back mounted waterfall filter like mine that was putting bubbles in the tank???

Most people I talk to say they will bother coral but fish will not be a problem?

Am I just being paranoid? I have not bought any fish yet.......Thanks.
 
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Are you creating the bubbles or are they occuring in the tank via return pumps? Either way, I don't think it hurts fish unless your tank is just full of them. For instance if you are creating them on the back wall, your fish could just avoid them. In most cases it can be good by helping maintain oxygen and pH levels of the tank.
 
yea don't think its a big deal to fish and most corals honestly aren't botherd by it to much.

The issue is with sponges etc where air can get trapped in the internal channels the sponges pull water through to feed.. If this happens that section of the sponge will most likely die.

Brandon
 
My canister filter and my skimmers will sometimes start spewing microbubbles, especially when I feed the fish and do water changes. Most of the microbubbles will stay near the surface of the water and rise to the top -- not too many fish and very few inverts are high enough up that they even come into contact with the bubbles before they dissipate out, so I wouldn't worry about it too much if your tank isn't filled with them.
 
not to be the lone ranger here, but the air bubbles can be critical. the important thing is the size of the bubble and quantity of them. If the bubbles are very fine small bubbles the fishs gill membranes can be damaged causeing the fish to suffocate. I read about it along time ago and cant remember where, but I would recomend you cut down on the bubbles if possible. there will always be bubbles in a tank, you just dont want alot of them where the fish cant avoid them. heres a link to a discussion about it, it is refering to fresh and saltwater fishing but is still relivent. Good luck.

Toxic Oxygen Bubbles
 
Ironman said:
not to be the lone ranger here, but the air bubbles can be critical. the important thing is the size of the bubble and quantity of them. If the bubbles are very fine small bubbles the fishs gill membranes can be damaged causeing the fish to suffocate. I read about it along time ago and cant remember where, but I would recomend you cut down on the bubbles if possible. there will always be bubbles in a tank, you just dont want alot of them where the fish cant avoid them. heres a link to a discussion about it, it is refering to fresh and saltwater fishing but is still relivent. Good luck.

Toxic Oxygen Bubbles

Nice article but it applies to livewells and bait tanks....I don't have clouds of microbubbles just some near the surface.
 
as I said it isnt the article I wanted to find you, but they are still fish and it is the same concept. like I said the bubbles have to be in great quantity, and be small. You didnt specify what the size or quantity was so I just wanted to let you know that it can be a problem. good luck
 
I have bubbles comming from my sand bed and my chromis sometimes will eat it while it is going to the top he shows no signs of problems.:twocents:
 
again im not saying all bubbles can be dangerous, im saying a large amount of fine bubbles can potetially have a adverse affect on a fishes respitory system. a fish eating a large bubble now and then shouldnt be a problem, it a fish being forced to breeth fine bubbles that become a problem, hope this helps
 
Ironman said:
again im not saying all bubbles can be dangerous, im saying a large amount of fine bubbles can potetially have a adverse affect on a fishes respitory system. a fish eating a large bubble now and then shouldnt be a problem, it a fish being forced to breeth fine bubbles that become a problem, hope this helps

I AGREE.
 
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