# Bubble wall troubles



## sarcastickitten (May 26, 2012)

Okay, so unfortunately I had a power outage at my place that caused my bubble wall to backup with water, I decided to turn this unfortunate event into an opportunity to clean it as it has been running for about a year without being cleaned (it has been working well). So I cleaned it inside and out and then tried putting it back into my tank as my fish love playing in it and I do really enjoy watching them playing in it.... Well now it won't bubble, I have maybe the fifth and eighth hole bubbling and none of the rest, it is 2 and a half feet long and runs the length or the back f my tank....

I have been messing with it for over 2 weeks now and it is really getting annoying, I have officially removed it from the tank as I can't bear to deal with it anymore... I have checked the air pump (I have tried alternating through several of them) I checked the bubble tube (it is super clean) the tubes aren't bent and there is no blockage in the air line...

HELP!!!!!

I honestly don't know what to do anymore, except buy a new one (like the really nice bubble walls with LED lighting), but I am trying to fix this one as I have already spent my Aquatic allowance for this month


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## onefishtwofish (Apr 21, 2010)

can yuo take it to a gas station or a garage and get them to blow it ut with compressed air? maybe evn a lfs that has o2 for packing?


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## sarcastickitten (May 26, 2012)

onefishtwofish said:


> can yuo take it to a gas station or a garage and get them to blow it ut with compressed air? maybe evn a lfs that has o2 for packing?


I already used my dad's air compressor on it... it's all clear, it seems that it fills up with water an blocks the bubbles, and I keep trying to force out the water, but it keeps filling up again... there aren't any cracks in the tube either... I am so boggled... I have the air running in it before I put it in the water too so the water shouldn't be able to even get in...


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## Foxtail (Mar 14, 2012)

Maybe your pump is too weak. if you have 2 lines try running one at each end...

Sent from my SGH-T959D using Tapatalk 2


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## Fourstreeman (Apr 23, 2010)

If The power went off and you do not have a back flow valve on your airline your airpump may have filled with water and/or impacted (adversely) the osolating membrane or valve system inside the pump. It may pump some air, but no where near the volume it did before. I would take the pump apart and check it out, let it dry out and try it again.

When I clean my long aerators I will also soak them in a warm solution with an antibiotic (erythro, tetra etc.) for a day or two. There is bacterial biomass that lives in and on the surface of your aerator - when the power goes off and the water goes in, so does microbial biomass. I find a day in a very dilute antibiotic solution (of course outside your tank) results in the return of a fine bubble array like new.

If I were a betting man - I would say it is the pump...


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## sarcastickitten (May 26, 2012)

I never thought about taking the pump apart.. I do have a flow valve on the line but I remember now that the water had gotten past it by the time I got home to close it... I will start taking the pump apart!


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## scherzo (Apr 24, 2010)

If it is full of water and you do get it to work, make sure that you have it siting above the water line to avoid having it fill up again. 

I think he meant a check valve which doesn't have any knobs on it. It prevents back flow of air or water. But they are not 100%


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## sarcastickitten (May 26, 2012)

well the air pump is running good, but the darn bubble tube still keeps filling up with water and preventing it from creating the beautiful bubble wall I used to have... I have tried a brand new pump and it does the same thing, I guess it's time for a new bubble wall...


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## Foxtail (Mar 14, 2012)

Can you run an air line to each end of the bubble wall? Thats what my brother did with his and it works really well

Sent from my SGH-T959D using Tapatalk 2


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## tony1928 (Apr 22, 2010)

Not sure what kind of bubble wall this is but I'm assuming its one of those flat "airstone" type things. Maybe try letting it dry out completely and then try it again. This is pretty bizarre. I'm just guessing that maybe the tiny pores have filled up with water and the air pumps are never going to be strong enough to break through. Just taking a wild guess as this is really weird and now I'm curious.


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## sarcastickitten (May 26, 2012)

tony1928 said:


> Not sure what kind of bubble wall this is but I'm assuming its one of those flat "airstone" type things. Maybe try letting it dry out completely and then try it again. This is pretty bizarre. I'm just guessing that maybe the tiny pores have filled up with water and the air pumps are never going to be strong enough to break through. Just taking a wild guess as this is really weird and now I'm curious.


it's actually more like a tube, not an air stone... it's thinner acrylic, hollow tube like with a row of holes... I will try and get a picture of it...  I guess it would have helped to do that in the beginning


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## sarcastickitten (May 26, 2012)

so this is my set up








this is the air pump and valve system








this is the air tube








this is a close up of the tube


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

Did you try a check valve on the air line? That would (I think) prevent water from filling the tube, would it not? Because I would think the tube would otherwise just be filled with water, and the air pump probably wouldn't have enough pressure to push all the water out of the air line to bubble like it did before.

Not saying this caused it, as obviously you didn't have it configured this way the first time when it worked brilliantly, but as a work around to the pump being below the water line, and the power going out problem. Hopefully someone can correct me if I'm wrong, I'm just trying to picture the problem in my head.


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## scherzo (Apr 24, 2010)

I would try the following... You may have already tried this but I just thinking out loud. 

Try plugging it in put of the water, then put it in the tank. That way the pump doesn't have to pump out the water in the acrylic tube if it fills. If it works then the pump was somehow weakened when it filled with air. Make sure that you keep the pump above the waterline. 

Try just using one of the three sections of the acrylic (assuming it comes apart). Then try 2, then all three. If it doesn't come apart then all of this is moot. 

If all else fails... This is the strangest thing ever. You have said that you have tried another airpump and it still doesn't work. Strange. Maybe it needs a superpowerful pump. Which I doubt. 

As long as the ends and the seams of the acrylic tube are sealed, it should work. 

Good luck.


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

Yeah, did you try taking the four way valve off when you connected the other air pumps in, directly to the line\tube? Definitely want to eliminate all variables when doing this, because this is strange.


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## sarcastickitten (May 26, 2012)

well it was set up with the four way valve before and it work great.
The pump is always located above the tank, and always certainly above the water line
I tried connecting with just a single valve on a couple air pumps
I tried the bubble tube in sections but it is always half filled with water
I always start the air pump and air flow before I lower it in to the tank
and I tried completely sealing the connections still no good


I haven't put it directly from air pump to bubble tube, I thought that might me a bad idea, but I shall try this now

I am still boggled as to why half the tube always fills up with water... is there a possibility that air pumps lose power over time? and is there a way of telling how 'powerful' an air pump is?

Thanks!


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

Try it without the valve, it could have been compromised, I think they're brass if not plastic, and they could oxidize given time.

I really don't have a clue at this point after what you said. It doesn't make sense to me, I was thinking one of those huge airstones plugged with bacteria at first. It's a pressure issue of some sort. Try asking Gary in a PM or chat if you see him, he's pretty intelligent when it comes to this stuff ("2xwheelsx2"). He knows more about the physics responsible then I do and could let you know what's up, maybe.


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## Scherb (Feb 10, 2011)

Hello. i had a similar problem once and i took the airline off the pump and blew like mad and got it to work that way. Cheers


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## sarcastickitten (May 26, 2012)

Well... I tried a good combination of things recommended on here... and I am proud to say it's working again!!!!

much to my fishes dismay I was all over the inside of their tank today, :lol: I soaked the tubes in an antibacterial solutions one of my friends gave me as they used it on their air stones successfully, unfortunately I have no idea what it was called as they only gave me a small bit in a test vial... fingers crossed it doesn't happen for a little while again. I then closed the valve and lowered it into the tank that way the air pressure kept the water out then I blew into it (yes, like hell  ) as I lowered it completely to the bottom of the tank, after catching my breath I blew like hell into it and quickly removed the valve and attached to the running air pump... it is running beautifully and my neon tetras are already playing it and my little silvertip bristlenose has already made herself at hme right in the middle of all the bubbles 

Thank you very much everyone n behalf of my fish and me!!!


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