Re: [APD] How do I avoid bubbles in siphons? -- or - Like some folks it's not that bubbles show up but that they won't go away

["S. Hieber" <shieber at yahoo_com>]

Couple of thoughts:

A higher water flow will suck the bubbles out of the siphon
tube. 

You might be able to use a TOM's/Oscar Water Lifter pump to
suck the bubbles out of they accumulate enough stop the
siphon. This pump can work with air or water and is used,
e.g., on CPR overflows to prevent siphon loss -- in fact,
CPR recommends them.

Scott H.
--- Rod Gerrymander <rgerrymander at yahoo_com> wrote:
> A couple of days ago I setup my dream system.  It uses
> two 20 gallon high tanks as bio-remediation for a 120
> gallon planted tank.
> 
> Water is pumped via a Fluval Stage 4 from the 120 
> gallon tank into a 15 watt UV steralizer (I have had 
> problems over the years with fish tuberculosis) and
> from there goes into the top 20 gallon tank, an algae
> tank with 72 watts of compact flourescents on 24 hours
> a day.
> 
> >From there it flows into the second 20 gallon tank,
> also 72 watts of compact flourescents (from AHS, great
> people to work with), lights on 12 hours a day, 
> opposite schedule from the main tank.  This tank is
> heavily planted with Vallisneria species.
> 
> Finally it flows back into main tank.  This is lit 
> by 12 48 inch t8s, currently 10.5 hours per day.
> Other than the trip thru the steralizer all these 
> flows are by gravity via 1.25 inch ID tubes.
> 
> My problem is that there is pearling going on in these
> tanks 24 hours a day somewhere and the siphons are
> getting bubbles in them which tend to collect at the
> highest point, with disatrous consequences if left
> untreated.  I need a system that can go without 
> maintenance a minimum of three weeks, and this is not
> going to make it.
> 
> I tried putting 90 degree U curves in the bottom of
> the siphons so that rising bubbles would not enter
> them
> and this was surprizingly uneffective.  With all the
> oxygen plus co2 in the water I'm not sure what these
> bubbles are, but they may even be rising spontaneously
> inside the tubing.
> 
> Does anybody have a suggestion for keeping these
> siphons flowing?
> 
> Thanks,
> Rod
> 
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=====
S. Hieber

-  -   -   -   -   -   -   -
Amano Returns
to the AGA Annual Convention
Nov 12, 13 & 14, 2004 -- Crystal City, Virginia

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