Filter sock

[Kial]

everytime I clean my filter socks, there is never anything to clean! I stir my sand up every few days and blow the rocks which creates a lot of detritus getting blown around. When i check the sock there’s nothing inside.

Is this normal?

 

[8251reefer]

I change my filter socks once every three days and they are always full of stuff and brownish in color. Don't change them out if they aren't dirty and clogging up at all give it another few days and see. Maybe you don't have an extremely high bioload?

 

[TonyNguyen]

Are they directly in your return line plumbing? Do you have a picture of how it is installed? Mines get pretty gross after 4 days....

 

[Jr'sReef]

Mine turns a nasty brown in 4-5days

 

[Kial]

It does go a slight brown colour but I can never see any larger stuff in there. It’s directly under the plumbing in first chamber of sump

 

[bo0sted2g]

Yeah maybe post a picture how you have it set up, like others said here mine need to be changed about every 3 days.

 

[NeilW]

I stopped using filter socks as I switched over to the Triton method and notice I’m getting more out of my skimmer. Prior to that I would be changing the sock weekly.

 

[FredsNJReef]

I have the fusion nano 20 with the 2 socks on intake sides, and same thing. Very little soot if any.

 

[Tautog]

I have never used them, but my skimmer and a WC take care of everything

 

[Kial]

Will post a picture after work.

 

[mjlash22]

If you have a lower bio-load, there is a good possibility that you won't see physical matter in the socks, rather a color change as you already described. There are a lot of substances that disolve in water, including detritus. Good example is the functionality of a skimmer. You can't see the stuff it's pulling out, but you can see the color change and surely smell it!

 

[Kial]

I've just looked around my sump, turns out 90% of the crap has got past the sock and has settled in each chamber of the sump

 

[rkpetersen]

If you don't have a large amount of life in your tank (in relation to tank volume), you won't have a lot of detritus. If you don't have a lot of microalgae or bacteria, your socks will also stay relatively clean.

With a heavy bioload, 200 micron felt filter socks get full to overflowing for me in 5 days (with no sand stirring); most recently I have been changing them out every 3-4 days. They are deep brown throughout. I get tons of stuff out by handwashing, and then I follow with a hot machine wash. No bleach. Air dry. Even without bleach, clean ones typically cause my skimmer to foam a lot.

Just last week, I decided to switch to 200 micron mesh filter socks. Although nominally the same pore size as the felt socks, in reality there is no comparison. The mesh socks let far far far more material through. I expected this and in fact hoped for it; I would like more microscopic flora and fauna to circulate, and see what it does for my livestock, if anything. And I can do without the skimmer foaming which accompanies the felt socks. Also, I'm really sick of cleaning those felt socks. Cleaning the mesh socks is easy, just takes a few minutes to clear the crud that collects at the bottom of each.

 

[Kial]

I think im going to do what you did and change to different filter socks because it seems the socks are not letting enough water through quick enough, resulting in the sock over flowing. Taking all the detritus out the sock and into the sump

 

[D_dot]

Filter socks are nitrate factories..... change them often or don’t use them.

 

[Forsaken77]

I've just looked around my sump, turns out 90% of the crap has got past the sock and has settled in each chamber of the sump

If you have a mesh sock, it will allow a lot more through than a felt sock. Then there's the micron rating of each sock. The higher the microns, the bigger the pores. Most people use 100-200 micron felt socks. I use 50 micron socks and it catches almost everything.

 

[Jr'sReef]

Where'd you get the 50's? @Forsaken77

 

[Forsaken77]

Where'd you get the 50's? @Forsaken77

I custom ordered them from filterbag.com. You can choose any make of fabric, with/without plastic ring or drawstring, stitched or welded, ect... If you contact them and tell them what you want, they will tell you the part #. If it's a custom order, you have to buy 25 socks minimum. But at $2-$4 per sock, it's worth it.

I ordered 25 of the 50 micron stitched polypropylene felt, with drawstring, in a 7"x 16" size about a year and a half ago and I still have 10 socks brand new. It cost me about $95 with shipping for 25 socks! This is a very big sock. But they make socks in the sizes that fit other sumps. The only thing is that they don't make Red Sea Reefer Socks, and I don't know about rectangle socks. But they're very responsive to email inquiries.