Filter socks ok with coral?

[loneboat]

I have a very young tank (just over a month). I have a couple of clowns, a firefish, and a few coral frags.

I'm in the middle of my first algae bloom, and it's gotten pretty thick. This thread isn't about WHY I have so much algae - I'm researching that elsewhere (too much light? Overfeeding? Etc...). I decided to scrape off the glass, because it was getting pretty bad. But I knew that if I did so, it would cloud the water pretty severely. So what I did was put a filter sock on (I normally don't use one), and then scraped the glass a bit at a time (and then wait for the water to clear up a bit). It worked very well, and I ran the filter sock overnight to finish cleaning the algae particles. I woke up this morning and the water is CRYSTAL CLEAR. It looks great! But now I'm wondering if it's TOO clean. The sock removed all the little floaties I'm used to seeing.

Now my question is, is that bad for the corals? Isn't that what they eat? Did I just remove their food source, too? I have some Reef-Roids I've used a couple of times, so I can target feed them if I need to.

 

[El_Guapo13]

A lot of people use filter socks and/or filter floss as part of their filtration setup, with no issues. You're fine.

 

[Quietman]

Yes you can have too clean water, but that's not the same as visually clear water. I think what you did was spot on, put a sock in temporarily to handle clean up for as long as you need and then remove it if you wish. I have never run sock (sponge filters for a while but they're gone now too), but I do use a sock when I clean. My water is as clear without as with.

 

[Gareth elliott]

Most filter socks we use are not that small. A 100 micron sock, is still going to let those 50 micron things pass right through. Ill use the example of golden pearls that were used to feed corals in years prior. Those 5-50 micron size ones for fry and corals will not be collected in your sock. Now if you include your skimmer, total filter feeders, of your output potential exceeds by your input you could starve your corals.
This is rather difficult without chemical filtration in a new tank. Older tanks with huge colonies and loads of sponges and worms in the dark areas of a tank, maybe beneficial to remove the socks, or use your skimmer on a timer.

 

[krash7172]

Keeps the socks for now IMO as it's a new tank and will help with exporting as you are already doing.
I run socks and a skimmer on my 2-1/2 yr old 180 but I'm not chasing perfect conditions for hard to keep corals.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Now my question is, is that bad for the corals? Isn't that what they eat? Did I just remove their food source, too? I have some Reef-Roids I've used a couple of times, so I can target feed them if I need to.

Depends on The corals you keep. Most feed via photosynthesis anyway,, & dissolved organics, not particles.

 

[loneboat]

Depends on The corals you keep. Most feed via photosynthesis anyway,, & dissolved organics, not particles.

Oh, my understanding was that SOME feed via photosynthesis, but even for those, it provided only a fraction of their nutritional needs.

 

[Scrubber_steve]

Oh, my understanding was that SOME feed via photosynthesis, but even for those, it provided only a fraction of their nutritional needs.

No, other way round, at least in nature.

 

[Terry Mattson]

I use filter socks 24/7. 100 and 220 micron. Use to use filter floss but after switching to cloth filter socks, the water is much clearer. All my corals are doing good. I change them about every 4 to 5 days.

 

[hyprc]

I kinda do a 'middle ground' approach (I call it that, but it's because I'm too lazy to maintain felt socks) and use mesh socks that don't filter as effectively for smaller particles and don't need to be cleaned quite as often (easier to clean too). Just my approach.