Re:Seahorse Training Program — get certified now!

Dear Fred:

You’re very welcome, sir!

Thank you for getting back to me with your full name and the additional information regarding your current aquarium systems. I’m glad to hear that your seahorses have been doing so well and completing the training course will help assure that they remain healthy and happy.

The microbubbles a common problem with the CPR Bak-Pak line of protein skimmers, particularly when the skimmer is our new and going through their break-in period. There are some simple modifications you can make to the skimmer to eliminate the microbubbles, or you may have to install a CPR bubble trap to contain them so they aren’t released into the aquarium. Here are some comments and suggestions from other aquarists who have had similar difficulties, explaining how they were able to correct the problem:

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I have a CPR bak pak and you can make a silencer to reduce the noise. Also, when a protein skimmer is new, it often makes bubbles. As per CPR’s instructions you should also be able to reduce noise and bubbles by lengthening the airline tubing to about 2ft. If this does not help the bubbles, CPR sells a bubble trap which you can place over the tube which pours into the tank, thus removing the bubbles. Sometimes the bubbles are caused by inadequate air flow. You can remove the mushroomlike black plastic piece from the tube which comes out of your tank into the air. To be sure the skimmer will make even more noise but you can make the silencer to help this. Take an empty film canister with a lid and drill a hole in it. You want the hole big enough to fit your airline tubung but not so big that it will fall off. Put the tubing through the hole in the bottom of the canister. take another piece of tubing very short maybe 1/4 inch to half inch and stick that into the grey film canister lid.
Put the lid on the film canister with each tube inside and the small one hanging out a bit. The two pieces of tubing do not need to touch inside the canister. Voila you have increased your air flow and reduced the noise! Good luck.

Michelle
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Gia,

You put the open end of the airline tubing into the bottom of the film
canister.

—–main airline tubing——– (filmcanisterhere- (lid)small piece of
tube here—-

the little piece of tube sticks out the end of the lid of the canister and a
small amount goes inside. Let me know if you need more help. I will try to make
a better diagram.

Michelle

[email protected]… <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OceanRider/post?postID=s3MPcU-U50_Tn1z6K9JWLc2MzSokCWKPtGGIHmtkHO0i26Xmk138bwuw9m9yGcNEkk79-QrRYeg&gt; wrote: Michelle,
That sounds like an interesting idea! I have BackPack also. But don’t quite
understand….do U put an airstone at the end of it or just leave it open?
Gia]
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Thanks for the info on noise reduction!

I have a CPR bak pak also, and I was frustrated with bubbles coming
out below the water surface-no matter how I adjusted the air intake,
I still got bubbles in the outflow. So, I asked my husband to shorten
the vertical piece of black piping that returns water to the tank.
The return flow tube (the elbow shaped black piece attached to the
vertical piece) now is located partially out of the water, so any
bubbles offgas at the water/air surface. That solved the bubble
problem.
Chris
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Best of luck finding a stallion to keep your lonely female’s company, Fred! You should already have received the first three lessons in the seahorse training program, sir, and I will keep them coming regularly now that I have all of the information I need.

Respectfully,
Pete Giwojna