Filter Socks or Media Cup & Floss

[nept2n]

I stop using socks....too much work on them...every 2-3 days new one, two time on month washing.... Now I have this and it is great...

Pic from assembling it, here missing on front lower part two holes for water exiting....
On front top go blue filter sponge and on top her white fine filter sponge....
Like this

Once a week throw that white filter sponge and put new and once a month clean a bit blue and put it back....
Much cleaner sump, works great....

What do you have under the floss to hold it up?

 

[nept2n]

Cups, and Poly-fil stuffing... Also, one of the cups has 1/2 cup of Rox Carbon in a baggy under the stuffing.

Do you find that the rox carbon in the cup works just as well as a carbon reactor?

 

[nept2n]

I always found that 100 Micron socks are better than filter floss. Just my opinion.

Tried filter floss for a week and noticed the socks polished it way better.

Not sure how your sump is set up but have you tried a combination of both? How often are you changing your sock?

 

[nept2n]

Filter floss user here as well. Love it, wont ever go back. I do more changes than with I did with socks -- depending on water, feeding, algae scraping -- but its so quick I actually DO IT instead of leaving socks way longer than I should.

Third option is a roller mat, those look to be the best of all worlds

I would love to put a roller mat but its out of my price range for right now but I have considered them. Thanks

 

[W1ngz]

My sump came with interchangeable dual sock tray or filter floss basket, and since I started using the basket I am NEVER going back to socks.

I change a 3"x10" flat piece of floss every 3-4 days to prevent detritus from breaking down in the floss and getting into the water, something that could be a problem if you just stuff a cup full of floss and wait for it to clog in 7-10 days.

 

[nept2n]

Same here, but instead of going back to felt socks I tried mesh socks and love them. They can be cleaned with just running water under the laundry sink, a quick brushing with a scrub brush and dry within an hour and ready to go.

What size micron on the mesh do you use? Do you use a felt to polish?

 

[Epic Aquaculture]

I was doing socks for about 8 months. A friend of mine who is VERY successful at reefing has Seachem Pond matrix and fiberfill. So, I’m trying it as well.

Using the RedSea cups I fill them with the Pond matrix to just above the slots. Then I add the layer of poly fill. It doesn’t take much fill to do the job. Changing filter media is a breeze. Hand full out, hand full in and done.

Hey I do the same thing!

 

[W1ngz]

I was doing socks for about 8 months. A friend of mine who is VERY successful at reefing has Seachem Pond matrix and fiberfill. So, I’m trying it as well.

Using the RedSea cups I fill them with the Pond matrix to just above the slots. Then I add the layer of poly fill. It doesn’t take much fill to do the job. Changing filter media is a breeze. Hand full out, hand full in and done.

This is a great idea, plus the pond matrix leaves you with instant ready biomedia for a quick QT or hospital tank setup.

 

[nept2n]

My sump came with interchangeable dual sock tray or filter floss basket, and since I started using the basket I am NEVER going back to socks.

I change a 3"x10" flat piece of floss every 3-4 days to prevent detritus from breaking down in the floss and getting into the water, something that could be a problem if you just stuff a cup full of floss and wait for it to clog in 7-10 days.

Which sump is it? do you have a pic?

 

[W1ngz]

I have the Fijicube 30 but most of their sumps come with the interchangeable trays. So do the Trigger gems.

 

[nept2n]

I have the Fijicube 30 but most of their sumps come with the interchangeable trays. So do the Trigger gems.

Thank you. I'll check them out.

 

[cloggins]

Do you find that the rox carbon in the cup works just as well as a carbon reactor?

I don't have any way to gauge how effective it is. For all I know it's not doing much. It is way easier to change out than the reactor, and there's less pumps and stuff in the sump. I use the mesh baggies that come w/ Red Sea's filter cups. I've got good coraline growth, the few corals I have are growing. By that measure, it's working. Lol.

One observation is that I have to be careful about running floss in all four cups. The filtration is too effective. It's caused the NO3 and PO4 to bottom out and skimmer to run clear. I usually just run one with floss/carbon, one with floss, and two empty.

My nitrates are at 5, my phosphates at .01. I've been running skimmerless for the past 45 days (give or take).

 

[nept2n]

I don't have any way to gauge how effective it is. For all I know it's not doing much. It is way easier to change out than the reactor, and there's less pumps and stuff in the sump. I use the mesh baggies that come w/ Red Sea's filter cups. I've got good coraline growth, the few corals I have are growing. By that measure, it's working. Lol.

One observation is that I have to be careful about running floss in all four cups. The filtration is too effective. It's caused the NO3 and PO4 to bottom out and skimmer to run clear. I usually just run one with floss/carbon, one with floss, and two empty.

My nitrates are at 5, my phosphates at .01. I've been running skimmerless for the past 45 days (give or take).

Great observation I certainly don't want to bottom out the NO3 and PO4. My sump has only two cup/socks. I might run one empty and the other floss.

 

[cloggins]

Great observation I certainly don't want to bottom out the NO3 and PO4. My sump has only two cup/socks. I might run one empty and the other floss.

The floss gets changed every 2-3 days. I'll run all 4 if I want a little extra polish. It's about one day every week or two.

 

[MichaelReefer]

Not sure how your sump is set up but have you tried a combination of both? How often are you changing your sock?

Every three days or so.

 

[turfster26]

After 12+ years of running filter socks 24/7, I finally made the switch to 7” filter cups and floss. Running perfectly now for over 3-months.

I’m not looking back. Only in the event if I do a deep cleaning will I use filter socks.

 

[nept2n]

Thanks everyone for the great advise and POV's. It seems that a lot of you are using filter cups and floss and are happy wit the results. It's like that is the was I am going to go. I won't have sand in the DT it will be bare bottom but not straight glass. I put in a 1/4" thick Black Starboard to protect the bottom glass in the event a rock should get knocked over.

 

[LarryP25]

I don't want to hijack this thread, but I'd like to know if others, have had good results with mesh socks like JD371. I'm currently planning a build that will include my first sump, so interested in folks experience. Tx
(can move elsewhere if hijacking)

 

[fishead]

Hi LarryP, I'm using mesh socks and have used all of those others in the past. For me they are dead easy to clean as mentioned above and last for years. A quick rinse and scrub under hot water in the sink and you're done. I use a 100 micron for general full time and clean it every couple days. Also use a 50 micron for a weekly big stir up of the tank. The 50 gets clogged too quick for full time use.

 

[saltyhog]

Filter cups and Polyfil here. Used socks for years but this is soooo much easier and works great. It's about $3 for a big bag that lasts for a couple of months. No rinsing /washing socks!