How to get rid of play sand floating around in DT?

Micro-bubbles is an option. That pump is pretty strong and it takes the smallest hole to suck air and create bubbles. Do you see a stream of bubbles coming out the return pipe into the tank?
But im not sure if it is bubbles becasue by the picture the particles seem very well dispersed throughout the tank. Roughly how much flow does the pump create in the tank?
What you could do is put a filter bag (with a very fine mesh size) over the return and see what it catches.

was running a filter bag with filter media in it,for a day and pulled out nothin. i think it is micro bubbles, pump seems very strong for tank, but was recommended the pump from a sponsor? its a 3800lph in a 225l tank? i think its also a bit too high.
 
ok, if there was a hole in the return plumbing, where it can suck air in like a venturi. Then you should be able to see where it is easily. Just restrict the outlet in the display, and it should spray water out. Do not block the flow completely as you might pop the plumbing. But I doubt that a hole is the problem.

The pump inlet, does it not suck in bubbles. How far is the water dropping over the last divider. How full is the return chamber? I had a problem when I upgraded my return pump where bubbles pulled down as the water flows over gets into the return pump. It completely micro the bubles and I had these fine bubbles in the display as well. solution was simple, just run the water level in the return chamber higher and repositioned the pump so that the inlet is in the furtherest position away from the overflow.

The nano I set up got a similar issue. The crappy little skimmer releases micro bubbles, that is again picked up by the return pump. There I added some filter wool on top of the return pump to catch the bubbles. Problem sorted.

Another test you can do, put your return pump directly in your display. Keep it halfway up the tank, so that it does not suck anything directly from the bottom. Keep it sideways. Like one big power head. Run it for a fe minutes and see if the stuff comes back. If it does, then you know you got fine particles in your display. Solution could be to mount a filter sock in front of a powerhead so that it blows into the sock. But pump inlet should be outside the sock. For a day, and it should catch up with a lot of the fine particles.
 
have plumbed from pump to rubber piping, too 25mm blue piping with a valve to try and control flow. then goes up into DT through a 90, then 45 then 2 90 then last 45 deg
 
i think its pulling in air through that 45 deg at the top, coz its not really a tight fitting. could it be???
That should not make fine micro bubbles.
 
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ok, if there was a hole in the return plumbing, where it can suck air in like a venturi. Then you should be able to see where it is easily. Just restrict the outlet in the display, and it should spray water out. Do not block the flow completely as you might pop the plumbing. But I doubt that a hole is the problem.

The pump inlet, does it not suck in bubbles. How far is the water dropping over the last divider. How full is the return chamber? I had a problem when I upgraded my return pump where bubbles pulled down as the water flows over gets into the return pump. It completely micro the bubles and I had these fine bubbles in the display as well. solution was simple, just run the water level in the return chamber higher and repositioned the pump so that the inlet is in the furtherest position away from the overflow.

The nano I set up got a similar issue. The crappy little skimmer releases micro bubbles, that is again picked up by the return pump. There I added some filter wool on top of the return pump to catch the bubbles. Problem sorted.

Another test you can do, put your return pump directly in your display. Keep it halfway up the tank, so that it does not suck anything directly from the bottom. Keep it sideways. Like one big power head. Run it for a fe minutes and see if the stuff comes back. If it does, then you know you got fine particles in your display. Solution could be to mount a filter sock in front of a powerhead so that it blows into the sock. But pump inlet should be outside the sock. For a day, and it should catch up with a lot of the fine particles.

thanks for input. infact i did notice will only skimmer was on in the sump, while filling DT, seemed like there where alot of abnormal foam coming out of the skimmer, will switch skimmer off now and see what happens. return pump is about 6cm under water.
 
With all those bends, im sure your pump is fine for that size tank.

Agree with Riaan - check that the pump isnt sucking bubbles in the sump.
 
it must be micro bubbles, coz i always have a build up of small bubbles on the sides of the glass.
 
return pump is about 6cm under water.
that, my friend, is the problem

A pump that strong will pull air from te surface. Either make it deeper. Or put something like a upside down dish over it so that water can only get to the pump from as low as possible.
 
@RiaanP skimmer is off, turned return off to let bubbles settle, turned on again, burst of bubbles came out, micro. has settled now, infact tank is 90% bubble free. will turn on skimmer and see if it comes back. now i can see other debri floating. skimmer is on, micro bubbles are back. so i need to some how sort out this skimmers outlet.
 
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OK, what skimmer is that?
 
@aquaria please read this thread as its really has P&%%ed me off. @RiaanP i have the Aquaria 600l skimmer:censored:
 
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Skimmer

Hi Travis
Is the venturi on the bottom of the skimmers pump? Please feel free to give me a call or PM your number and we will call you back , sure we can help.
Regards
Lawrence
071 203 2879
 
i still feel that the siize of the return in relation to the size of sump is too strong. i think water is going too fast the whole system and thats causeing skimmer bubbles released into water and then sucked up return to flow into dt. check the skimmer and choke back that return, or get a smaller pump
 
the more i think thats its air bubbles the more i am thinking of my return plumbing, infact i think i mite no what the problem is, the 45 deg that going into the DT surface, well just under water level, is not secured prop with pvc weld, its loose so that i can turn the angle as needed. i think its pulling in air through that 45 deg at the top, coz its not really a tight fitting. could it be???


that could be a possibility, use a bit of plumbers thread tape to help form a seal and you will soon see.. also where is the hole you have described above ot below the water level? is it an anti syphon hole?
 
that could be a possibility, use a bit of plumbers thread tape to help form a seal and you will soon see.. also where is the hole you have described above ot below the water level? is it an anti syphon hole?

Howsit Leslie. we have figured out the problem, skimmer is releasing micro bubbles which then is picked up by my return pump.
 
Is it an Aquaria branded skimmer? If so, what model?
 
yeah it is. its the
Aquaria MODEL APS - 08 E2000 - CL
600 Litres
 
The skimmer, from where do the bubbles escape? From the exit or around the pump portion?

Exit design looks like a TS2 skimmer. Just a standpipe upwards. is that exit under water or above. If above how much out of the water?
 
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