Filter Sock & Filter Trays: Which do you prefer and why?

[ca1ore]

neither.
the darkness creatures in the sump need to eat.

Yeah .... that! (Though, in my case, I’m allergic to tedious maintenance tasks .... of which cleaning socks is one ... plus they’re entirely unnecessary).

 

[Bwils]

I use a filter cup, I put matrix in the bottom then carbon and filter floss on the top the cups are so deep I was wasting a lot of floss but the matrix adds some bio media and I run the carbon inline instead of a reactor. I rinse the matrix in water change water every month or so change the carbon every two weeks and floss every three days or so. I hate cleaning socks and will never go back.

 

[fragit]

I’ve used a trickle filter with floss way back, socks, fleece pads, nothing, and recently added a Theiling Compact roller and will never run a tank without a roller mat again. I hate washing socks, too much maintenance using nothing, roller mat is best of both worlds. Low maintenance and filters the water!

 

[ksatterf]

Ok I'm

 

[stephen wyard]

The best way of course is to filter tray in the form of filter socks.

what are the plastic funnels from great ideal love to try

 

[iron_mike_gt]

The only "filtration" I run is chaeto & skimmers in both of my tanks. No socks, no filter floss, etc...

Same for me. My sump from Crystal Reef Aquatics is laid out such that any detritus settles out in my fuge chamber. Chaeto and skimmer due the rest.

 

[Timfish]

Neither, they both will remove beneficial stuff corals want.

Fish as major carbonate mud producers and missing components of the tropical carbonate factory

Carbonate mud is a major constituent of recent marine carbonate sediments and of ancient limestones, which contain unique records of changes in ocean chemistry and climate shifts in the geological past. However, the origin of carbonate mud is controversial and often problematic to resolve. Here...

www.pnas.org

 

[Treefer32]

Interesting posts. I didn't know what a filter tray was. I've got a 75 gallon aquarium that was turned into a sump by someone else. It had the baffles in place and I had a friend drill it out the side for an external return pump.

The overflows I plumbed into the sump with Spa flex piping because I wasn't sure how overflow plumbing should work and it's what I had on hand. So, I went 1.5" pvc to 1.5" spa flex at the sump. So, I'm baffled how to plumb in a roller mat. I'd love to do that, but not sure how to plumb one if I got one and the cost is massive.

I just went to filter socks that I set on an box made out of egg crate and have the spaw flex flow into the filter sock. It's not the prettiest. But seems to be working, the sock is overflowing within 24 hours. So, it's catching stuff. I also have a 25 micron cannister cartridge filter plumbed off my return manifold that flows back into my sump. At peak it's probably getting around 1200 Gph going through the 25 micron cannister filter with 1" plumbing. The cartridge lasts about 3 -4 weeks then I have to swap it out, I just wash and bleach with garden hose / tap water, then soak in RODI with prime for a couple days then reuse.

I'm finding with the use 200 micron filter socks, I'm not able to get close to a month out of my cannister filter before it was 2-3 weeks. I love the concept of a filter tray to flow into, I'm not sure how to build that into an 18 inch wide sump..

 

[anthonygf]

Just get a rubbermaid container like I just made. Two containers stacked, have my skimmer draining into filter, several small holes near top incase filter get plugged. It is pretty quite, I think I am running 600 gph at the moment. Similar to a filter tray but is enclosed/self contained.

 

[ss30]

I run four 100 micron nylon mesh 4" filter socks the get changed about every two weeks.

 

[725196]

I run mesh socks. The do not clog as often and are very easily washed. I cant bring myself to use a media that is a one time use then it gets thrown away. This to me just is not environmentally sound, and in a hobby where we claim to love the ocean... I just cant do that.

 

[Omelette_du_Fromage]

Hello,

I prefer my Theiling Rollermate paper filter.

 

[rayscoralreef]

I went down another path, as I wanted a solution that I didn't have to monitor all the time and won't cause problems down the road in regards to overflow. I loved filter socks for 10+ yrs but I had to wash them once a week, so when rebooting my tank I tried to think of a solution that would fit my setup. It was a settling tank as I have a basement fish room now, I have a 30-gallon brute trash can that collects all of the drain pipes. This does two things for me slows the water before entering the sump and allows the detritus to collect in one place. So when I perform waterchanges I drain this tank which counts for 25 of the 65gallon of water that I have to change

I would love to see more pictures of this setup!!

 

[davilahope]

Filter tray. 1. When I take the pad out I can flick off the amphipods back into my fuge.
2. I can spray wash the pads and reuse.
3. I can put in a new pad every day. I have 9 total and when I have one left in the tray, I clean the others.

What pads are you using that are reusable?

 

[Just_Pete]

Use a mesh filter sock with blue/white filter rolled up inside.

 

[Screwgunner]

I am running a algea turf scubber so I run a large spunge to stop everything going through my pumps. Clean it once a week at water change.

 

[iemsparticus]

I've got a Synergy Reef sump, and its got a couple of filter socks in it. I change them out religiously every 3 days... going on... 4 or 5 years? Works well for me.

 

[CMMorgan]

7" 200 micron filter sock on my 120 and 45 frag.
I will never use 4" again.
Looking for 300 micron.
Mesh sock plug up quicker than standard in my systems.
In the process of building a manual filter roller.

Ooh ... a manual roller. That's a cool idea.

 

[EHaddad]

I use a filter cup, I put matrix in the bottom then carbon and filter floss on the top the cups are so deep I was wasting a lot of floss but the matrix adds some bio media and I run the carbon inline instead of a reactor. I rinse the matrix in water change water every month or so change the carbon every two weeks and floss every three days or so. I hate cleaning socks and will never go back.

Can you put a picture up of your combination in a cup?