Foam/suds in rez???

[KrazyDan]

Did a full clean out on 40 gal rez flood and drain table..refilled...home and garden nutes exactly on their calculator week 3 . Three days later and there's a foam forming...kinda like frog eggs....never saw this one...anyone?

 

[Seamaiden]

You've probably created a situation where there are bubbles of a fine enough structure that your reservoir has become something of a foam fractionator. Look it up--foam fractionation. It's an early form of chemical filtration.

To help wrap your head around it, think of the sea, at shore, where the waves break. See the foam? Same kinda thing.

 

[Bobby Smith]

I just noticed the same thing in the waterfall that's being created in my reservoir from a 1/6HP utility pump.

That water is fugging moving, and it seems like the faster it moves the frothier it becomes.

Never understood what the RDWC guys were talking about when they said they want it "frothy", but now it seems I can comprehend.

 

[Seamaiden]

The frothiness is because of the molecules dissolved in the water and results when the hydrophobic end of the molecule attaches itself to the air bubbles being created. The end result is that once the foam is removed, those molecules are removed.

 

[Jalisco Kid]

Krusty with his buckets like the word frothy,but that was for his buckets. I would not want that in my rcdwc. Are you using their kelp products, this usually is what does it? JK

 

[Bobby Smith]

JK, if you're asking me, I'm just running pure H2O through mine right now trying to clean out any residual gunk that may have been in my chiller (bought used off of Craigslist) and the PVC (glue and shit).

Here's a quick two minute video, but the two return pumps that were undersized in that video were replaced with a 1/6HP pump, so the gentle waterfall that you see in that video is now closer to a firehose on full blast.

Gets the reservoir frothy as all hell, using 150PPM tap water.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLsQGDcTevs

 

[FARM THIS]

nice vid . i have seen foam as well normally when i add alot of carbs i get it

 

[Texas Kid]

Mine foams a little but when you add the Drip Clean she settles right down...

Extend the drain tube from the table a little below the water line so it doesn't splash and foam

Tex

 

[KrazyDan]

I'm gonna guess its the extract ...only thing ive never run before....Yeah Tex it calmed down....girls are blasting so im happy...just was praying it wasn't some sort of fungus...Thanks all!

 

[tortuga1503]

Ive been using H&G full line except their algen extract and some other stuff in a run. I have not experianced any foam ,I really mix it up with air too. Two 85 watt pumps in a 100 gal rez and w/8 airstones no foam..