# Do I have enough filtration or do I have a problem?



## joekb2yhs (Jun 8, 2008)

Just a quick question. I have a 55 gal. moderately stocked. I am running an Emperor 400 and a Fluval 203 Canister. I have what looks like very small fine bubbles floating in the water. Do I have enough mechanical filtration? Is the small white bubble looking things a parasite or something? This is my first African setup and I'm not sure what the problem is. PH is 8.0 and I am doing 20% water changes weekly. Any help or insight would be greatly appreciated.


----------



## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

That should be more than adequate filtration on the tank.

I think the bubbles you are seeing are due to the oxygen in the water from being well filtered...Certainly NOT a bad thing!


----------



## harris4097 (Jun 12, 2008)

maybe a stupid post but i had similar when my filter was located too near my air stone and was pulling too much air through the filter, it did no harm but just looked a bit weird. Moved the air stone and it stopped - just a suggestion


----------



## kingpoiuy (Jun 9, 2008)

If i angle my spray bar enough it will cause this. Or if my sump gets low then the pump will pull air and do this. It seems normal to me. Do they float to the top after a few minutes if you turn off your pump?

Also when I clean my canister filter it will have air in the top for a day or so afterwords. Sometimes causing bubbles. It goes away after a day tho.


----------



## smellsfishy1 (May 29, 2008)

Sometimes if you don not have enough water movement especially near the surface, it can create a layer of bubbles. If you have a powerhead use it near the top of the surface of the water and it keeps this from happening. It is not a parasite and will not harm the fish. Just make sure that things don't become excessive and you see a protein film start to develop.


----------



## tonyh67 (Jul 19, 2008)

I had the same problem when I installed a new canister filter - sounds like micro bubbles. If you stop the filters and the particles rise to the top within a couple minutes, it's probably micro bubbles. Make sure the seals and o-rings in your cannister filter are in good shape and seated properly. It might help to apply some lubricant to the seals. I used ky-jelly (no comments please  ), but you can also get lube made for this at your LFS. Sometimes the problem resolves itself after the filter has been running awhile.


----------

