Filter sock. Yes or no.

[cguidry9517]

So I have a fairly new tank. About a month old. Just tonight I noticed THOUSANDS!! Of Copepods floating around in my tank and my fuge. I have had a filter sock on my overflow into my sump and I took it off because I'm worried that it will catch my pods and I definitely don't want that to happen. My question is do I really need it?

 

[Salty1962]

I run a 200 micron when I do a water change and stir things up during cleaning. Afterwards I use a fine mesh sock for large debris. I wouldn't worry about your pod population too much, for every pod you see there are hundreds more un-seen. It's a natural progression of your new tank. You should be ok to put sock back in if you want to for water clarity.

 

[fab]

Keep the sock. I am assuming your refugium is not in your sump but is a separate tank of its own. If your refugium drains into your sump, do one of two things, if you can...
1. Give the refugium its own filter sock. Periodically rinse the sock back into your display tank or your refugium to return pods that are still in the sock. You can try to separate out debris and discard it.
OR
2. Route the refugium plumbing to the sump but bypass any filter sock. Let the pods get swept back into your tsnk(s) by return pump. Most of them will make it back to your main tank or your refugium just fine and live to tell the tail of the great ride around your system.

There is a 3rd alternative that may compete quite well with the first two.

3. Do nothing! Everything will be just fine and debris from the refugium will be collected for discard.

If you have this many pods in only several weeks, you are doing pretty well.

 

[cguidry9517]

 

[cguidry9517]

Here is a picture of my sump setup. It's not a reef ready tank so I made an overflow for it on the left side is the intake from the overflow. This picture was taken a few weeks ago and I didn't have the sock in it just yet. Only three or four days after I set up the tank.

 

[cguidry9517]

I changed a few things I it since then. Moved the uv sterilizer and pump the heater in the fuge.

 

[cguidry9517]

I think I'll put the sock back on in the morning though. I just got worried for a while. But the more I read about it doesn't seem that I will lose my pods by using it.