Filter Sock

[ryshark]

Does anybody use a filter sock in the sump for the overflow water coming into the first chamber? What is the method to wash it for reuse. I have read about throwing it in the washing maching, but when I think about doing that I think about possible phosphate issues etc. Thanks

[lance]

I would rinse real well once per month and let dry a few hours . Im not sure but they might reduce your pod population by reduceing its exchange.

[ccCapt]

I tried one, but to reduce microbubbles in my sump, not catch crap coming into the sump. If you do use 1, I would wash it in fresh water at least weekly.

[Innovator]

Agree with ccapt, but wash weekly-monthly in washing machine with bleach and rinse cycle.

[ryshark]

With fresh water after one week makes sense, because after 1-week it was already clogging up. Now for the once a month washing machine it would only be bleach and no detergent right? Thanks

[Innovator]

Yes, just bleach (non-scented), no detergent. It'd probably be smart to purchase several socks so that you can just switch to a new one weekly/biweekly and bleach them all at the end of the month in the washing machine so as not to waste as much water

[MsBeanCtr]

Innovator is correct. I have a dozen or so and change out my filter socks every week. Plain old cheap bleach (as mentioned above non-scented).....go easy on the bleach. I only use an 1/16 of a cup (I have a front loading, HE washer so if yours is a top loader I'd go with a little bit more). If you have the setting for an extra rinse cycle I'd use it. Just don't put it in the dryer. HTH

[Ziggy953]

I'm not sure how much filter socks are where you guys are but for all that I just buy new ones. I don't use them unless I have a reason to. I can spring for a couple of bucks when I do need them.

Just as a side note. Anything you wash that has to do with your aquarium NEVER use soap. Bleach is ok but never soap of any kind.

[ryshark]

Thanks everybody! The sock I have sells for $5.50. In one week it collected enough to turn completely that dark brownish green color we see that our skimmers produce, and started overflowing. So my question now is, why not use one? For those that do not use one, do you use some other type of mechanical filtration for the water that is flowing into the sump? Or just let the protein skimmer do all of the work itself?

[MsBeanCtr]

that is a great question and I'm curiously waiting for the guru's here to answer. I change out my sock about every 5-6 days, otherwise it overflows. I mainly use it to catch the 'big stuff.'

Oh, and that's a pretty good deal on the socks....they run around $8-$9 in my neck of the woods. I lucked out on ebay and picked some up for $4 so I bought a dozen.

[ccCapt]

I don't use one and I have no mechanical filtration. I don't really have any "big stuff" floating around that would possibly make it to the sump. Any food is eaten as soon as it hits the water and I don't have any algea that can get sucked into the sump.

[Ziggy953]

I agree with cccapt. The only time I use or have used filter socks is when I'm doing work in my fuge. I have a drain line that comes out of my fuge and goes into my sump. I plumbed it in such a way that I can put a filter sock on that pipe to keep anything from coming out of the fuge and getting into my sump. That is the only time I use one.

[Innovator]

As a hobbyist I have always used one and professionally we use them on all of our tanks (if applicable), reef or not, regardless of display size. I am willing to bet majority of commercial applications use them and knowing that many public zoo/aquaria use them.