Micro bubbles...

[Mugwump]

...in your tap water....anybody experiencing it yet?...from the winter cold water?...I'm seeing a little bit, but the fish water is run from the tap through filters/carbon...so it doesn't affect us here too much.....plus I use a refill tub which helps degas the water a lot....

[BillT]

Yeah, it is probably from the cold water in the pipes.
's your cold water temperature?

Typically, the cold water can absorb huge amounts of gases at low temperatures (that's way soda is kept cold, tends to keep the carbonation (CO₂) absorbed in the water longer.

When the water warms up in a house or by mixing with warmer water, the water can no longer hold such huge amounts of gas in solution. The gasses come out of solution in the water as gas (small bubbles) because at the warmer temperature, the water is super-saturated with the gases.

This can cause problems for fish because bubbles can form in their tissues.

Strong aeration and water movement can help remove excess gasses.
Adding only small amounts of cold water can keep the water from getting too saturated.
Spraying water so that it is splashing around in small drops with a lot of surface area for gas exchange will quick reduce super saturation.
In small amounts, putting the water into a plastic bag (with a lot of air of normal composition) and shaking it strongly will quickly reduce supersaturation.

Fish, bothered by super-saturation will tend to go to the bottom of a tank because the increased water pressure lets the water keep more gas in solution.

[LizStreithorst]

I don't have that problem because I aerate and heat my WC water for 24 hrs before WC.

[wsantia1]

No problems here and I am basically straight from the tap.

[BallAquatics]

My well water is terrible for that year round.  Like Liz, any tap water goes into a vat for aging before going into tanks.  Gives it plenty of time to off gas.  Also, if it's straight from the well, lots of iron will precipitate out in the storage vats.  If I'm using water that's went through the softener, the iron is already removed.....

Dennis

[BillT]

We used holding tanks for several fish rooms at the university. They work well.

A drop in pressure from the inside of the plumbing to the outside will also help release dissolved gas as bubbles.

Not sure how that works with a well source though.

Another cause of gas supersaturation is air getting sucked into a pump impeller. The pressures in there are high and the turbulence can mix air into the water really well.