Pros and Cons of Filter Sock

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jeffaquarius

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I'm not sure if everyone is using filter sock in their sump and if there is any cons when using it. I intended to reserve some nutrients for my filter feeders corals but one thing I notice after several weeks, my cyano and algae starts building up.
 
The only cons, I think, are noise, size, and you have to keep changing them. You can clean them by your self. NEVER USE SOAP!You just have to put them in a bucket, or the washing machine and add bleach, water and let them air dry. If you use the washing machine a good habit to get into it to do a rinse cycle before hand. A major pro for me is that they also can filter micro bubbles.



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I dont really see any cons to using filter socks.....I use them on all my setups and couldnt imagine not having them. Just seeing the amount of gunk they catch is enough motivation for me lol.

You just have to swap them out is the only con i guess....
 
One con i can think of is that when feeding the pump has to be shut off. Otherwise it catches the floating food that could still be available for livestock. Shortens life of pump too.
 
I would suggest not using bleach to clean filter socks. I need to find the article, but it shows that bleach just makes the algae and crud white, not actually taking it out. However, if you use hydrogen peroxide, it eats the organics and actually get's rid of the algae and crud. This was all shown under a microscope.

I use personally use filter socks, just because I always seem to have bits of poo floating around.
 
They cost money, can clog up very quickly, and steal food from your filter feeders. I don't use them unless they are already on a client's tank, then I am happy to sell them every visit. For some clients it is the right thing, for others who won't touch them they just clog up and stop working halfway between my visits.
 
I have them on my tank. Yes i agree that they clog up fast, but for good reason. I am impressed with the amount of gunk they filter out of the water prior to it decomposing and adding to a nitrate problem. Mine last about 5 days, and i have 5 of them. I turn them inside out, toss them in washing machine with nothing else, run a hot cycle with extra rinse. Every second time they get washed, I dump in a bottle of hydrogen peroxide. They come out clean, and still last for 5 days like a brand new one does. I have my tank return plumbed in to the sock at a 45' angle, discharging 3/4" below water surface. This way, when it does plug up and I miss it. It calmly overflows back into sump without making a mess all over. I love using them. I didnt have them on my old tank and wish I did! Most particles that filter feeders consume are considerably smaller than 200 micron, the size of sock that I use. So the small particles stay in the water column when they pass through the sock.


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If the filter feeders are eating it there won't be a nitrate problem since it isn't just sitting around rotting. IME unless the reef has a lot of large fish to feed it is better to let that stuff stay in and feed the tank.
 
Rather than using actual filter socks, I've been using cheap panty hose. Changed out and thrown out as needed. Considered going back to actual filter socks if I could find the right material to make my own.


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I wouldn't keep a tank without using them. I don't want a sump full of detritus, which will eventually happen if you don't use them. Someone said noise as a problem.......What noise does a filter sock make?
Changing them out once every 4 or 5 days is all that's necessary. I toss them in the wash with some bleach and they come out pretty nice. They cost me about 4 dollars a piece, and I've had these about a year now. Not very expensive IMO.
 
Rather than using actual filter socks, I've been using cheap panty hose. Changed out and thrown out as needed. Considered going back to actual filter socks if I could find the right material to make my own.


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Where can you buy and how much does a cheap panty hose cost?
 
I got tired of changing them every 48 hours. Built a detritus trap that I siphon out every few months. My ATS also snares most floating objects.

Real men don't wear panty hose...that said $2 at any grocery store or drug store.


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It is mind numbingly simple. The system has a 30 gallon trash can plumbed in and it works to allow the detritus to settle to the bottom. I just siphon the bottom of that barrel occasionally.


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It is mind numbingly simple. The system has a 30 gallon trash can plumbed in and it works to allow the detritus to settle to the bottom. I just siphon the bottom of that barrel occasionally.


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I bet only those with a superb imagination can recreate such a numbingly simple machine lol. I'm trying but can't see if it will trap floating detritus. Overflow usually just takes the floating stuff in DT.
 
I have a big protein skimmer that feeds the barrel. Anything left floating after the ATS gets picked up in the skimmer.


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I brought flat sheets of filter material, I designed my sump so I can attach a flat piece before the last chamber before the return pump. I only use them for 3-4 hours after a cleaning, my sump does the rest. I just throw them in the washer with soap and bleach and let the air dry, have never had a problem
 
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