Why are bubbles all over my live rock?

[jbtbusiness]

I need to help with this issue! For the last 4 weeks, I have been experiencing a significant amount of bubbles building up daily on my live rock. I continually use my coral feeder to blow them off the rock, but by the time I get home from work...8 hours later...there they are again. So far I have tried shutting off my skimmer for a few days in hopes it was just the micro bubbles not dissolving...that didn't work, they came right back. Also, I don't see any micro bubbles in my sump in the next chamber/my refugium or the next chamber where my return pumps are. My sump has the skimmer & water flowing in from display in the far left, to the right is the refugium and to the right of that is the return pump/bio-pellet reactor.

I have my tank where the sun barely hits it in a corner of the tank, so I was thinking it could be a sunlight issue???...but its been raining here the last two days and no sunlight is touching the tank and I closed my window blinds. I have tested all my levels, the only thing I see is that my phosphates are slightly higher than normal, but still average...everything is good. One last thing is this tank has only been running for three months, so its a new setup, could it be a bacteria problem?

I would greatly appreciate feedback...Thank you.

 

[gr1mm]

Sunlight will give you algae dont let it hit your tank, the bubbles can be coming from the return pump, the some times shoot air back creating small bubbles.

 

[lowbudget]

pictures please

 

[El Dude]

Sounds like bubbles are a biproduct of photosynthesis. This could explain the bubbles being in your DT(where presumably you have your lighting focused) and not your sump. The microalgae on the rock is giving off little oxygen bubbles, or some sort of gas. Either way your system is still new so expect to see things that will make you scratch your head. I would add some hermits or snails and let them take care of it. HTH

 

[wickedfish]

Start of dinoflagellate???

 

[pgr11]

Diet Jamie have this same issue? Wonder what he found out about it

 

[Surgical]

I'm having this as well, more predominantly higher up in the tank. Seems like gas exchange between bacteria or algae. But I have cyano... I though that's what it was, (cyano absorbing dissolved o2 and expelling co2?)

 

[jbtbusiness]

I'm convinced its from algae, since my skimmer has been off for 48 hours and absolutely no micro bubbles in DT or sump. I'm turning my skimmer on tonight and going ride this one out to see it corrects itself since my tank is a relatively new setup. I like the hermit and snail idea too...and nice water change, thanks for the input.

 

[Speaker73]

+1 on the algae causing the bubbles. FWIW, you see this in FW planted tanks when photosynthesis is going so well that O2 is produced and forms bubbles. It's called pearling.

 

[jbtbusiness]

+1 on the algae causing the bubbles. FWIW, you see this in FW planted tanks when photosynthesis is going so well that O2 is produced and forms bubbles. It's called pearling.

This is a very good point...and very true since the bubbles are only appearing during the day under my Radion Pro's. I may modify my light settings to see if I can tone them down a little. Thanks for the info.

 

[BeanMachine]

Picture or we are really just guessing.