Filter sock or no sock at all?

[Brady4000]

Hey all,

I am over changing my filter sock on my FOWLR. Anyone running no filter sock, no skimmer? I just have cheato.

Thoughts of removing the sock?

 

[Brady4000]

@Brady4000 , I always recommend a skimmer as a prime tool against ‘Yuck.’ If you see what is being pulled out here— that stuff that looks like Starbucks coffee— fish were swimming in that.

Thanks for the visual. Yea I don’t have room for a skimmer in the 10g sump. Might be stuck with socks in lu of a skimmer than.

 

[Gtinnel]

I don't use any socks or filter floss on my tank. I don't have a refugium to speak of (I have the section in my sump but no macro algea). I do use a skimmer but I have it set to where it doesn't hardly pull anything from the water, honestly I don't remember the last time I emptied it. I keep the skimmer to help with pH and oxygenate the water. I do have an AWC that changes about 1.5% of my water daily.
Even with my complete lack of export of nutrients I still have to dose nitrate occasionally.

 

[Brady4000]

I wouldn't say hostile.

Reefing is a lot of maintenance and work. Exactly like owning a BOAT.

Your expectations on yourself in entering this hobby is you'll be forced to do chores you groan about... but you do them.

Yes, changing filter socks 2x a week has the benefits of having a 2nd layer of filtration. Cleaner and CLEARER tank


.

100% understand. Sorry for say I am over something….

I should retitle the original post to “is there enough benefit in using filter socks” so it more PG for those that don’t like the word “over”. Then I can be politically correct in the reefing community.

 

[ZoWhat]

I meant it honestly. No criticism. Lazy noobs drive Zoa crazy more than anyone. There's nothing wrong with that.

Yes. I actually wish R2R had a General discussion section where you have to have a minimum of 1,000 posts to access

 

[MONTANTK]

It might be worth your time to look into a filter roller. More expensive up front but way less time and maintenance. I’d be running one if I didn’t have an AIO.

 

[Brady4000]

I don't use any socks or filter floss on my tank. I don't have a refugium to speak of (I have the section in my sump but no macro algea). I do use a skimmer but I have it set to where it doesn't hardly pull anything from the water, honestly I don't remember the last time I emptied it. I keep the skimmer to help with pH and oxygenate the water. I do have an AWC that changes about 1.5% of my water daily.
Even with my complete lack of export of nutrients I still have to dose nitrate occasionally.

Wow. That’s interesting. So would contribute your success to water changes?

 

[JumboShrimp]

1.5% daily AWC is neat. I’m jealous of that, @Gtinnel.

 

[Gtinnel]

Wow. That’s interesting. So would contribute your success to water changes?

I honestly don't think that's the reason for my low nutrients levels, even before setting up my AWC I still had low nitrate/phosphate. I always just assumed my tank has a lot of anaerobic bacteria partially due to a sandbed that is fairly deep (in spots at least). The sandbed will probably be the thing that nukes my tank someday when it gets disturbed.

 

[outhouse]

Yes, changing filter socks 2x a week has the benefits of having a 2nd layer of filtration. Cleaner and CLEARER tank

Once a month also works just fine. Mine is like a foot wide and 3 foot long. In a 320 G volume system. I clean it out when I do my monthly water change using a pressure washer.

 

[outhouse]

Kinda confused on your responses… also I don’t do WTs on my FOWLR tank.

How will you balance your nutrients and nitrates ? chaeto alone usually wont keep up. I tried this many times and got away with water changes every 2 years, but that was with a DSB and a huge skimmer

 

[boacvh]

I switched to filter roller. Best accessory purchase I ever made for the tank haha. My time changing the socks twice or 3 times a week, washing them, etc, is worth a lot more than the couple hundred I spent on the roller. Roll lasts a couple months. Now I have a lot more time in my hands to post noob questions
But yes, I understand they are not to everyone's liking.

(and now I finally qualify for Zoa's >1000 message group!)

 

[outhouse]

The sandbed will probably be the thing that nukes my tank someday when it gets disturbed.

As a long time DSB user, as long as you keep it from turning to rock, you will be fine. I usually get 5 years out of mine before it needs to be rinsed and restarted. Im on borrowed time now and its been 8 years maybe, and vibrant is working magic.

 

[Miami Reef]

I would never use a skimmer in a FOWLR. What’s the problem with extra nutrients for fish…nothing.

Only con with extra nutrients is that you need to use less light to have less algae growth. Which means less viewing time. Your water might turn dingy after a while with no filtration.

I would personally only use filter socks occasional water changes and activated carbon.

 

[Gtinnel]

As a long time DSB user, as long as you keep it from turning to rock, you will be fine. I usually get 5 years out of mine before it needs to be rinsed and restarted. Im on borrowed time now and its been 8 years maybe, and vibrant is working magic.

That seems like it would be the perfect reason to force myself into upgrading to a bigger tank in the future. My tank is a 125 and I would absolutely love to go up to about a 300 gallon system. I'm just lazy and swapping tanks would be a lot of work, plus I'm sure building a system that size would be pretty costly.

 

[Gtinnel]

I would never use a skimmer in a FOWLR. What’s the problem with extra nutrients for fish…nothing.

I would argue that what's the problem with keeping the tank at some kind of reasonable range for nutrients. I think I would almost always run skimmer on a FOWLR. Plus a skimmer can have some other benefits, like water oxygenation.

 

[outhouse]

I'm sure building a system that size would be pretty costly.

Not to bad really. I found a 210g tank on craigslist 20 minutes away, and upgraded to 100g rubbermade stock tank for a sump which was a hundred or so, my 100g was running for 20 years and the coral outgrew the tank. I outgrew the 210 5 years ago with coral filling up that tank, so I started selling it after that. Then when I switched to leds to save electricity I lost al growth and lost a lot because I had intensity to high. Now that I have corrected that growth is back on, i know I can fill the tank in a few years again. The whole thing about larger set ups, it means less work because the tank stays stable longer. 100g monthly water changes take literally 10 minutes with a plumbed in 100g stock tank for mixing water. that and it only takes 5 minutes to wash my large filter sock.

 

[Miami Reef]

I would argue that what's the problem with keeping the tank at some kind of reasonable range for nutrients. I think I would almost always run skimmer on a FOWLR. Plus a skimmer can have some other benefits, like water oxygenation.

Skimmers don’t actually add any oxygen. It’s a myth. The only way it does it is by rippling the water surface on the outflow. Pointing a powerhead towards the surface does a much better job. https://www.thereeftank.com/threads/do-skimmers-produce-oxygen.127915/

 

[outhouse]

What’s the problem with extra nutrients for fish…nothing.

That is exactly how you wake one one day and see you Emperor angle with hole in the head disease, and a tank with poor fish health You cant have excess nitrates forever. You have to address it in one of many different ways.

 

[Miami Reef]

That is exactly how you wake one one day and see you Emperor angle with hole in the head disease, and a tank with poor fish health You cant have excess nitrates forever. You have to address it in one of many different ways.

We have a misunderstanding. I didn’t mean excess nutrients. Nothing in excess is good. Skimmers only remove 30% of waste no matter the size.

Filter socks and water changes are my method. They both reduce organics. Skimmers are not required. Plus, they are much harder to clean than filter socks. All that gunk that sticks to the cup…

 

[outhouse]

Skimmers don’t actually add any oxygen. It’s a myth.

Not really, it does help. But your correct that a powerhead and water circulation does the majority.