Air bubbles coming from newly installed sump

I built and installed a sump on my 55g reef a couple weeks ago as you can see in the picture. Some of the silicone on the bubble trap has come loose and the panels are not completely watertight anymore, but I still have the vast majority of flow going through the bubble trap. The problem is I have a good amount of micro bubbles coming into the tank from the return and it is really affecting the clarity of the water. Any suggestions on how to reduce the bubbles without taking the whole thing apart and re-applying all of the silicone? I tried putting a filter sponge under the overflow inlet to slow the water down and not cause so much disturbance when it gets into the sump, but it doesn't seem to help much.

 

To be honest i would drain it, dry it then re-silicone it to make it right. Others though might be able to recommend a different option.

Welcome to 3reef btw

 

I would drain it too. You tank can live without a skimmer for 24hrs. Just make sure the heater is in the DT.

 

make sure you have enough space between the baffles to allow the bubbles to disipate, typically they get spaced at least 1" apart although I think it was powerman that recomended 1 1/2" if you have space.

 

That's what I was afraid of. Thanks for the input.

 

Herbie overflow if ur tank is reef ready...

 

one other thing, add a piece of pipe to the overflow outlet so it is underwater, this will eliminate a ton of noise and make less bubbles too.

 

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one other thing, add a piece of pipe to the overflow outlet so it is underwater, this will eliminate a ton of noise and make less bubbles too.

x2

or

filter sock.

 

All the above ideas are great. I have one more thing to add. The water flowing out from the skimmer is causing waterfall effect and making bubbles. You should make higher baffle to raise water level. If that's impossible, add a piece of glass or acrylic at an angle to the skimmer outlet to let the water slide down.

 

K+ too. Just what I was thinking. You'll see a big difference.