Ditch the Sock for media tray

[Boostable]

We all have that part of the hobby that we don't enjoy and I know for MOST of us the filter sock saga just sucks! I know a lot of people have moved to filter rollers which I think is a great alternative, however I was considering removing my sock support and 3D printing a media tray to go in their place, similar to what you see in an AIO. Would give me a shelf for floss, and another for what ever... carbon, etc. Seems like it would make things easy to service, etc.

So my question is, has anyone done this? Also, pro's or con's I am not thinking of?

Thanks,

JW

 

[HairyGary]

I have never done a media tray in a sump but I switched from socks to filer cups with pond matrix in the bottom of each cup and filter floss on top. I switch out floss every three days and seems to work pretty well. I also have the option to just add a bag of carbon to this as well.

 

[Super Fly]

I did this when creating my own sump and now just toss dirty filter floss weekly and replace w new. Many folks share the same disdain for filter sock so they either went completely zero mechanical filtration (i.e. sockless) or filterfloss. One thing though, filter floss doesn't polish water as clean as a sock unless u get thicker floss (which would need faster replacing). So sometimes when I feel like it, after a WC I add a filter sock for one week.

 

[tricky_tran]

instead of 3D printing, why not make it out of PVC and just layering it on the inside?

 

[G Santana]

Made one yesterday. Let's see how it goes

 

[jphilip813]

I actually do a combination of both...One filter sock with a silencer (change out weekly) and media cups in the two other chambers; the cups have Sera media filers with Blue Life Clear FX in two of the media cups and at the very bottom of the cups are bio balls. My refugium came with a media basket (with the option to flip to media cups/socks). Fiji 36 (40 gallons Refugium (120 Gallon Display).