Nope never even heard of that stuff. It's been 2 months since the last canister cleaning so that could be it.
FX6 blowing micro bubbles out of outlet
- Thread starter Irecruitfish
- Start date
Filter floss is like pillow stuffing, or a really fine sponge would do it also. What do you have in your trays?
Some bio balls and a sponge from an old HOB filter and whatever standard stuff came with the fx6
This will be long but it should make sense. This has been my experience.
I have 2 fx6s on a 120 tall with a bunch of geos and EB Acara. One filter is on each end with custom output piping to keep a surface eddy and a tank eddy going where all my water moves but the flow rate is diminished so I don’t work the fish too hard. Only one filter bubbles up and blows the micro bubbles. This setup proves why. Let me explain.
Left side filter output, rear left corner of tank and input right below. Split 3/4 locline blows to a flare nozzle at water level blowing towards the right front corner across the top of the tank and a focused nozzle at about 25% down from the surface blowing around and down the front of the glass to the right side.
Right side filter output, rear right corner of tank and input right below, mirror image of the left. Difference is surface flare blows along back of tank and focused nozzle does as well aimed down towards the bottom left rear corner.
This creates a constant circular pattern of flow, similar to a gyre, but at different levels and keeps all the water moving without creating too much current.
So here’s what happens.
Issue 1. Only the left filter does the bubble routing. What happens is 1 of 2 things. If the aerator is on too high the left filter blows the bubbles into the current down across the front of the tank. Then when it hits the current being sucked into the path of the right side output it bypasses the right side intake and blows right down the back side of the tank into the input of the left filter. Boom, aeration. Just enough to make bubbles every 8 hours or so.
Issue 2. I use a blue fluval pad in the bottom of the top center tray under the bio foam and before my biommedia 2nd basket. Then on my bottom basket I use a filter floss pad on top of my 2 Chemi Pure elite bags and Purigen bags. This setup works beautifully and my water stays invisible. Problem is the filter floss has to be changed every 2 weeks. Otherwise, what happens is that the filter essentially cavitates. When the water flows in and through the main foam and then down through the middle 2 baskets it ends up stalling at the floss once it gets dirty. Then the pump is pulling from the bottom basket which isn’t getting filled fast enough from the top 2 and it starts to draw water from around all the baskets. This can cause a vaccum and will take any air in the system and draw it into a fine mist of bubbles. The reason why only this filter clogs up so quick and blows bubbles is because the right side filter directs water towards the intake of this one. That’s the way I want it and I place my media and do my maintenance accordingly.
Long story short, if you want to use floss, you’re gonna have to change it VERY frequently. Best way I’ve found to do that is to find it as an add on item on amazon and then go to PetSmart and have them price match it. That way you pay 6 bucks a box instead of 12 and you can change it constantly. Or, polish your water and then just use a single blue pad on the top of the bottom tray. Once you get your water clean unless your fish are Tasmanian devils and constantly stir stuff up or you horribly over feed you shouldn’t have to polish constantly.
Just my 2000 cents. Hopefully this helps.
I have 2 fx6s on a 120 tall with a bunch of geos and EB Acara. One filter is on each end with custom output piping to keep a surface eddy and a tank eddy going where all my water moves but the flow rate is diminished so I don’t work the fish too hard. Only one filter bubbles up and blows the micro bubbles. This setup proves why. Let me explain.
Left side filter output, rear left corner of tank and input right below. Split 3/4 locline blows to a flare nozzle at water level blowing towards the right front corner across the top of the tank and a focused nozzle at about 25% down from the surface blowing around and down the front of the glass to the right side.
Right side filter output, rear right corner of tank and input right below, mirror image of the left. Difference is surface flare blows along back of tank and focused nozzle does as well aimed down towards the bottom left rear corner.
This creates a constant circular pattern of flow, similar to a gyre, but at different levels and keeps all the water moving without creating too much current.
So here’s what happens.
Issue 1. Only the left filter does the bubble routing. What happens is 1 of 2 things. If the aerator is on too high the left filter blows the bubbles into the current down across the front of the tank. Then when it hits the current being sucked into the path of the right side output it bypasses the right side intake and blows right down the back side of the tank into the input of the left filter. Boom, aeration. Just enough to make bubbles every 8 hours or so.
Issue 2. I use a blue fluval pad in the bottom of the top center tray under the bio foam and before my biommedia 2nd basket. Then on my bottom basket I use a filter floss pad on top of my 2 Chemi Pure elite bags and Purigen bags. This setup works beautifully and my water stays invisible. Problem is the filter floss has to be changed every 2 weeks. Otherwise, what happens is that the filter essentially cavitates. When the water flows in and through the main foam and then down through the middle 2 baskets it ends up stalling at the floss once it gets dirty. Then the pump is pulling from the bottom basket which isn’t getting filled fast enough from the top 2 and it starts to draw water from around all the baskets. This can cause a vaccum and will take any air in the system and draw it into a fine mist of bubbles. The reason why only this filter clogs up so quick and blows bubbles is because the right side filter directs water towards the intake of this one. That’s the way I want it and I place my media and do my maintenance accordingly.
Long story short, if you want to use floss, you’re gonna have to change it VERY frequently. Best way I’ve found to do that is to find it as an add on item on amazon and then go to PetSmart and have them price match it. That way you pay 6 bucks a box instead of 12 and you can change it constantly. Or, polish your water and then just use a single blue pad on the top of the bottom tray. Once you get your water clean unless your fish are Tasmanian devils and constantly stir stuff up or you horribly over feed you shouldn’t have to polish constantly.
Just my 2000 cents. Hopefully this helps.
Thanks for the share. I never ended up buying an extra sponge or floss. I just try to clean the fx6 every month or two.
Is the canister making any kind of noise? a slight cackling sound?
If it is, beside the bubbles, the pump may be cavitating.
It can occur from an imperfectly aligned impeller shaft, or other problems talked about in the link below.
Understanding and avoiding pump cavitation - Flow Controlhttps://www.flowcontrolnetwork.com/understanding-avoiding-pump-cavitation/
If it is, beside the bubbles, the pump may be cavitating.
It can occur from an imperfectly aligned impeller shaft, or other problems talked about in the link below.
Understanding and avoiding pump cavitation - Flow Controlhttps://www.flowcontrolnetwork.com/understanding-avoiding-pump-cavitation/
the answer is to unclip your intake air hose from the top edge---bend more ribbed tube up and into your tank under the water line---re attach clips. making sure ribbed hose is 1 in under water---re attach intake screen so fish can't swim up---possible having to cut tube shorter with a sharp knife from the kitchen. ---big knife ribbed works best. than reattach. turn on. no more micro bubbles.
I find I don't have any micro bubbles when I clean the canister magnet spinning thing I forgot what it's called right now. Also when the canister is cleaned out there's no microbubbles. I have a ton of live plants in my tank which causes the filter to get dirty quicker. But overall very good filter and it's not that hard to maintain.
