Cleaning filter socks and skimmer

[laezur]

So this is probably common sense to most people but I’m a bit of an idiot and still learning so bare with me.

I was just in the middle of cleaning my filter socks and skimmer and I was wondering if doing so is kind of an instant nutrient export?

Lets say I have 20ppm nitrates, and phosphates higher than I’d like (I do) and I take out my filter socks and clean them, and then clean my skimmer cup. Do my parameters instantly drop? Have I removed residual nitrates and phosphates that are just hanging around in my sump, since the water passes through the gunk in those filter socks? Or is it negligiable and doesn’t really change anything. I’m looking at it in the same fashion as a water change, you’re instantly removing those nutrients from the water.

I guess my question is will cleaning my filter socks etc have an instant impact on my parameters?

 

[gbroadbridge]

The nutrients such as Nitrate and Phosphate are in the water not in the socks.

Depending on how often you clean the socks, you may be removing a source of decaying detritus that creates them.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Should have little to no impact on nutrients. the socks are meant to trap small micron particles whereas the skimmer is meant to remove organic matter by collecting and removing these microscopic pollutants and suspending them in a layer of fine bubbles within the skimmer chamber.

 

[laezur]

Should have little to no impact on nutrients. the socks are meant to trap small micron particles whereas the skimmer is meant to remove organic matter by collecting and removing these microscopic pollutants and suspending them in a layer of fine bubbles within the skimmer chamber.

Right. Makes sense. So what are you improving by cleaning the filter socks? Just enabling them to collect more micron particles effectively?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Right. Makes sense. So what are you improving by cleaning the filter socks? Just enabling them to collect more micron particles effectively?

Yes, before they get clogged and send sediment back to tank, you will clean them periodically or as they become clogged.