Fluval Edge Bubbles In Tank

[Theo2001]

Hi all

New to this forum, found it while trying to find an answer to my question, there seems to be a wealth of info here so thought id ask.

I have a new fluval edge tank which we brought for my daughter for xmas, i started to set up the tank yesterday. Washed all the gravel throughly, added it to tank, added the heater, thermometer (the edge on on the outside of the tank), and1 plastic plant (which my daughter wanted), not sure if we are going to have real plants yet.

I was told I need to have it set up for 2 days before fish can be added, so...

I added the water to half way, added the chemicals (at the dosages stated in the box). Then added the rest of the water. Initially it was very cloudy but this morning that had all cleared out and it was very clear, however there are a lot of small bubbles in the tank. I cleaned the glass with the edge algae magnet and moved all the bubbles to the opening however they keep coming back, and there are bubbles over the heater and plant.

I've seen several examples of the tank on youtube and I cannot see a single bubble on any of them.

How high should the water be in the opening, it looks like the filter is creating more bubbles when the water hits the water in the tank. Is my water level too low? I've attached an image of this.

Can anyone offer any advice regarding this.

Thanks.

 

[JoshuaA]

The bubbles are to do with dissolved gasses in the water forming on the glass and surfaces, when water is heated (either heater or warming from the ambient room temperature) the water cannot retain the same level of dissolved gasses and thus the gas is released and then you end up with thousands of little bubbles forming. I think that is the reasoning, anyway it happens to me when ever I fill up a new tank directly from the tap (pressurised water from tap) or do very large water changes. It may last a few hours or even days but not usually too long, it is harmless and nothing to worry about.

However due to the design of the tank I may go as far as to say that the agitation of water from the filter is pushing air bubbles under the water and then they are getting trapped under the horizontal roofing. On that matter the tank in Fluval's eyes are supposed to be filled up to the small chamber to give the illusion of no water level.

I however cannot stress enough that I would like you to check out the resources on offer on this forum by following this link before jumping into the deep end (pun intended). I myself jumped into the deepend with my girlfriend and we more or less drowned in information thrown at us left and right.

There you will find a step to step guide telling you how to set up an aquarium safely and efficiently, not usually the method told by the stores but a method that has more than proven itself over the countless times it has been done. I am referring to the fish-less cycle of course!

I'm sure if you take your time to research, understand and develop your knowledge on fish keeping you will be as happy as I have been since starting.

Good luck, and hopefully see you around on the forum soon!

 

[waterdrop]

Yes, very much agree with Joshua, a good commentary on your questions and he's introduced the "big shock." Where the store has told you 2 days, we hobbyists are now going to tell you it may be more like 2 months (well, our usual quote is 4 to 6 weeks.) But what the 2 days often gets you is the chance to try and explain to your child why her new pet has died, whereas you've now stumbled in with a lot of people who know all about the real thing. Depending on the child's age you may be able to get some mileage out of the science angle, they may even get a science project out of it for school.

Since it always helps to hear this stuff a dozen different ways, I'll run through tonight's episode of "The Nitrogen Cycle" : When water passes through the gills of the fish and they extract oxygen, something else happens. The gills give off ammonia, directly into the water (we humans, being land based, need to retain our water and so have developed an elaborate system to extract water first and concentrate our ammonia.) In the wild, thousands of gallons of fresh water immediately dilute that ammonia, but in our small tanks, it immediately concentrates. In fact, fish waste, excess fish food and debris from live plants all get broken down by various types of bacteria into.. still more ammonia. Ammonia, even in tiny amounts, causes permanent gill damage, even leading to death.

When we "cycle" (apply the nitrogen cycle knowledge) a filter, what we do is grow two specific species of beneficial bacteria to process this ammonia. The first species, the ammonia oxidizing bacteria (let's call them A-Bacs for short) will take ammonia and process it into nitrite(NO2.) Unfortunately, nitrite(NO2) is also a deadly poison to fish because it substitutes for oxygen(O2) and attaches to the hemoglobin protein on red blood cells, subsequently breaking the cells down and destroying them. Nitrite(NO2), even in tiny amounts thus suffocates the fish, leading first to permanent nerve and brain damage and potentially on to death.

The second species of bacteria we grow, the nitrite oxidizing bacteria (the N-Bacs) will process nitrite(NO2) into nitrate(NO3), which is much less deadly to fish. In fact, fish can tolerate quite a lot of nitrate(NO3) in most cases. Nitrate is removed, along with many other heavy metals, organics and things we don't want during the weekly water change that is performed with a gravel-cleaning siphon. Every two weeks or month or so we also rinse our filter media in old tank water, to free the excess debris from the filter media. These are habits we establish -after- the filter is cycled (has full bacterial colonies established) and fish have finally been introduced.

I know those three paragraphs are a mouth full. I shouldn't have written them . It's just that I remember that for myself, when I'd finally found a source of real information, I was ready to hear it. Our little beginners section here is a lot of fun. We all read each other's threads and learn from them. The long boring wait for the bacteria to grow actually gives us time to learn all the ins and outs of how to create stocking plans of fish for the tank and other sorts of startup knowledge. The timing actually works out just about right (though the kids might say otherwise.) The world of aquariums is unlike much of anything else in our media-packed fast-pace world - the learning and practicing of the hobby itself can be wonderful if one relaxes and slows down, in the same manner as the peacefulness the tank itself will soon bring.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[symon_say]

All those bubbles are from water filling in the the space of air in everything in your aquarium for the first time you fill it. It should disappear a few days later. But take the word of waterdrop about "Nitrogen cycle" and rear as much as you can about this to understand this natural process.

 

[mattyydunn]

Hi
i would listen to the guys on here they know alot about it all

as for your air bubbles i also have a fluval edge (recent setup)and those air bubbles are such a pain, you have 2 options really, i noticed from your pictures you have the filter running on its highest flow rate drop it down to its lowest and the bubbles wont be pushed under the glass top (unless you have a airstone under the filter output which will push the bubbles under like i have so i have went for option 2)

option 2 is to drop your water level, it totally defeats the point of the tank for not having a water line but it stops the bubbles, it dosnt have to be much even 1cm from the top of the glass is more than enough but however you may end up with the problem of condensation on the top piece of glass, but other than that theres not really much you can do for the bubbles




Edit - Dropping the water level will also make the waterfall output on the filter cause the water to ripple more and will be more agitated causing more gas exchange

 

[Snarf]

I've got a Edge 'tank' myself and indeed the bubbles caused by the filter can be a pain.

There's a post on the forum by jennybugs she solved it by shoving some filter sponge in the outlet of the filter so to reduce the drop of water taking the air with it under the top! This works also fine for me and doesn't affect the flow velocity to much. Just take some sponge material (same stuff like in the filter) cut it and experiment.

Take note that the bubbles caused by the gasses pressurized in the tap water and form on all surfaces at first are normal and will go away by themselves.

Also like the replies before me, do take the effort and cycle as the filter culture needs to grow and stabilize, it'll pay off in a cleaner tank and happier fish !

Have fun !

 

[BettaJames]

Hi guys, hope people are still active on here.
I stumbled across this thread because I am dealing with the same problem with my new 46lt edge tank. Now I have crossed this bridge by reading the wealth of information here, I realise I have made a terrible mistake. I am new to all of this and unfortunately took the word of the store person and I have introduced my fish way too soon!!! 5 neon tetras and a Betta named Sherman. What do I do now?? I have no where to put them if I were to take them back out so do I just have to cross my fingers and hope they make it through this tough period? They were introduced 48hrs after the tank was set up. There are also plants in with them. 
Any help would be soooo appreciated!! 

 

[fluttermoth]

You need to get yourself some test kits, for ammonia and nitrite. Test the water every day and do as many water changes as necessary to keep both of those toxins as near to zero as possible.

If you have a look through the 'Cycle your Tank' sub forum, here; http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/forum/291-cycle-your-tank/ you'll find plenty of threads and information to help you through.

 

[BettaJames]

Thank you I will do this. I am now taking it upon myself to get educated.

 

[fluttermoth]

Best of luck

Don't forget there's always someone around here who'll be able to advise you or answer any more questions you might have

 

[LawrenceMaitland]

Hi there! I have just signed up to let anyone know of a solution that they could try for the whole bubble situation! I've had my edge tank for a while now and I have had the pain of the great big bubble forming which obviously defeats the entire point of the edge tank! So I decided to place a couple of place mats at the bottom of the tank to the rear of it. It seems to work fine for me! The bubbles come down from where the filter water hits the tank water and then gets taken straight back up to the opening! Fair enough some people might not like the idea of having something at the back of the tank lifting it up but you really can't tell! Hope this helps!

 

[SydneyDiscus]

Hi everyone,

For anyone facing the same problem this is how I solved my issue.

To resolve bubble issue:

1. Tilted tank slightly forwards from the back (only a few degrees, not noticeable by naked eye). This doesn't immediately force bubbles towards the back of the tank but I did find it prevents as much build up of bubbles (see picture below) overnight from the filter.
2. Mini magnetic glass cleaner - This thing will save you from reaching in with your handle & a card or something. All you have to do is move the bubbles towards the openning.
3. Stubborn bubbles that stay in the corners you will have to get in there manually with something (part of weekly maintenance and can be a little annoying).

To resolve noisy filter issue:

1. Unscrew motor from filter body.
2. Pack a good dollop of vaseline into the prop hole (not the plastic filter wheel, the magnetic base only).
3. Screw back in and voila, near silent operation.

To resolve low light for greater plant growth:

1. Order 46L light and screw in, same dimension (expensive option).
2. Order medium quality strip lights with waterproof layer, and attach. This can be as simple as super glue or as custom as a 3D print mount.

It's not the most functional tank, but by Jovie it's the best looking by far for a tank this size.