Bubble Wands

[thisguyek]

I've got a 4' tank with a 48" flexible bubble wand in along the back for a veil effect... The first few weeks it worked and looked great. but then, obviously, film built up on it blocking much of the bubbles. I've spent much of the last few weeks cleaning it. It would work great again for a day or two, but then it seems like everything closes off, leaving only a few streams of very small bubbles.

I've tried everything from the small air stones to larger circular airstones to the tubes that stick to the walls, all seeming to have the same fate.

Getting tired of cleaning the tube every week... Just wondering if everyone else has this problem or if there are any good tricks that someones got to clean them up easily with good results.


I also want to know... I've got a large air pump with 4 outlets all couppled together. Is this doing any good or not really???

 

[cynic]

Nothing like that in mine, no airstones, spraybars, nothing. Just surface movement from the filter. Unless you really want the bubbles or you need the water really aerated for your particular fish why bother.

I have avoided all that as much as possible, all you see in my tank is fish and plants no hardware, unless you really look.

 

[KittyKat]

What exactly is it getting blocked with? A larger airpump won't help much if the problem isn't solved, and at least in my experience, combining more than two outlets out of the four doesn't work that great.

 

[Proxo]

Is this bubble wand like a 'black rubber' thing? I've got two and they did the same, managed to fix one of them.
The end where the air tube connects inside the black rubber the 'connection' had came loose and you just have to fiddle about until it pops back in.

Of course, if it's the same one we're talking about lol.

 

[Greg_DS]

Literately just pulled all my air stones out, all they seem to do is kick up stuff that floats about and leave the water full of tiny air bubbles that annoy me.

 

[alihar]

Prick holes in them with a needle.
The only problem doing this tho is the bubbles are larger and not as fine.

 

[thisguyek]

Nothing like that in mine, no airstones, spraybars, nothing. Just surface movement from the filter. Unless you really want the bubbles or you need the water really aerated for your particular fish why bother.

I have avoided all that as much as possible, all you see in my tank is fish and plants no hardware, unless you really look.

I do like the look it created with the veil of bubbles in back. I think my future plans will end up eliminating this wand... thinking about doing a backdrop of plants...

What exactly is it getting blocked with? A larger airpump won't help much if the problem isn't solved, and at least in my experience, combining more than two outlets out of the four doesn't work that great.

I'm guessing its just a film... biofilm probably?? seems to get better if i scrub it down good.

Is this bubble wand like a 'black rubber' thing? I've got two and they did the same, managed to fix one of them.
The end where the air tube connects inside the black rubber the 'connection' had came loose and you just have to fiddle about until it pops back in.

Of course, if it's the same one we're talking about lol.

yeah its a black flexible rubber tube. I've got a few bubbles at each end, so i know the plug is still in... quite strange.



Thinking I will probably just pull it out eventually. Adding a few plants, which will help with oxygen...

 

[KittyKat]

What exactly is it getting blocked with? A larger airpump won't help much if the problem isn't solved, and at least in my experience, combining more than two outlets out of the four doesn't work that great.

I'm guessing its just a film... biofilm probably?? seems to get better if i scrub it down good.

Is it white and slimy? There is some sort of mould or fungus which often grows on new plastic when it is first submerged. If it is that, then it will stop growing in a few weeks or a couple of months: you just need to regularly wipe it off until then.

 

[thisguyek]

What exactly is it getting blocked with? A larger airpump won't help much if the problem isn't solved, and at least in my experience, combining more than two outlets out of the four doesn't work that great.

I'm guessing its just a film... biofilm probably?? seems to get better if i scrub it down good.

Is it white and slimy? There is some sort of mould or fungus which often grows on new plastic when it is first submerged. If it is that, then it will stop growing in a few weeks or a couple of months: you just need to regularly wipe it off until then.

from what i can see... its not visible, but it is slimy. If I had to say, it would be a brownish... same as what accumulates on my glass after some time.

 

[KISSfn]

My bubble wand does the same thing. Only solution is to clean it as the brown slime keeps returning and clogging it up. Even after piercing it with a needle.

 

[KittyKat]

from what i can see... its not visible, but it is slimy. If I had to say, it would be a brownish... same as what accumulates on my glass after some time.

It could be some sort of algae then… but it would be very difficult to tell without looking at it for myself. The most likely thing to work is cleaning it regularly.