Filter socks and powerheads

[DaleHauze]

What is the best way to clean sump filter socks. Also when placing power heads in a tank is there an optimum position to place them

 

[Gti_Leo]

keep a second set and i've head some using bleach and throughly rinsing and drying and then rinsing again. try water and vinegar or rubbing alchohol both are safer bets and are both used as alternatives to vodka dosing. so rinsing and drying the socks out after should be fine

 

[DaleHauze]

Im not new to SW tanks new to sumps, i have just started hearing about this vodka dosing. It sounds to me very shady

 

[Daniel Fishy]

Turn them inside out and squirt with a hose let them dry out. I have three and rotate them replace one after a couple months. Get some Marco algea and mangrove growing in sump your nitrates will be low no vodka dosing needed.

 

[Gti_Leo]

its been done for years, but i'm not saying do it i'm sayign you can clean your socks with these things

 

[DaleHauze]

Huh just never thought of using alcohol in a tank before. I guess it would make sense as the alcohol would evaporate quickly. My other question is with power head placement i have a 110g tank with a mag12 return pump with about a 4ft head hight also plumbed with 1" pvc having 2 90degree fittings and 1 check valve. I am also using 2 korali 750 power heads. My question is that i seem to have a dead spot in the one corner and wasnt sure if i place one powerhead there is it ok to point the flow upward so i dont disturb the sand?

 

[Daniel Fishy]

Yeah that would be fine for the powerhead.

 

[DaleHauze]

Ok ill try that and see what happens thanks

 

[Gti_Leo]

wow a mag12? do you have a sump refugium or a simple wet/dry, or is there just a sump with a skimmer and some reactors, unless its a wet dry i would not use a return pump that large, there is no need for it and the turn over will be to quick for a refugium,skimmer or media reactors to do a proper job.

another thing i would not use your return pump to generate flow, use powerheads or a closed loop pump with return heads spread around the tank

 

[Dimdim]

+1 largescale pumps on reef tanks 110 and under are defeating the purpose of filtering in your sump. I have a wet dry, on a 75 gallon and my return is about 1175gph without 4 ft of head. Works perfect in my system, i have cheato tumbling and a big skimmer incorporated to the sump part of my wet dry.

 

[Grizz]

Try putting your power heads on the ends of your tank aiming at the front center of the glass the flows crash into one another giving a nice random flows For filter socks i use leggs panty hose knee high's i get them at the dollar store .50 cents each when they get dirty i just toss them

 

[DaleHauze]

I do have a sump refugium 30g i believe. I have asked if you can have too much flow through the refugium and was told you cant have too much. I have read 7 to 8 times turn over of the tank so if you go off the stats on the pumps web site it says around 800gph flow at 4-5' head hight so i should be in range. Now im confused

 

[Daniel Fishy]

Nice flow thru fuge is fine not a ripping current. Turn over also comes through your power heads also. 50gal tank 500ph 10 times turn over.

 

[DaleHauze]

I dont seem to have a hard current through the fuge but ill double check. The whole water flow part of the hobby is the one thing i can never seem to get a good handle on

 

[DaleHauze]

So my flow through the refugium doesnt seem to be to strong. So turn over has nothing to do with the water through the sump/fug

 

[Grizz]

Right, most times it's talking about the flow in your DT = Display Tank

 

[DaleHauze]

Thanks i thought it had to do with the filter thanks for all the info