Filter Socks... What am I doing wrong?

Sabellafella · Jan 29, 2016

Saltine said:
Going on 4 hours no overflowing a new record!

If it clogs in a day imo it prob has something to do with bacteria

Saltine · Jan 29, 2016

ParkPlace said:
So your first mistake is in even using filter socks. I haven't used them in a year now and my tank is crystal clear with no issues whatsoever. They are a waste of time!!!

I ran my last system without them, wasn't as crystal clear as tanks that run them... It's worth the effort, when you're running the right ones.

spider · Jan 30, 2016

Hi I use a 200 (15 inches long) in my tank. Clean mine I turn it inside out put it on the end of a garden rake and blast with a hose pipe. It comes up really clean. And last about 6 days. Hope this helps...

Saltine · Jan 30, 2016

spider said:
Hi I use a 200 (15 inches long) in my tank. Clean mine I turn it inside out put it on the end of a garden rake and blast with a hose pipe. It comes up really clean. And last about 6 days. Hope this helps...

Thanks, yea I'm convinced I was using a very low micron, still not sure what it is/was.

Salt

MikeyAl · Jan 30, 2016

Anirban said:
Are you saying cleaning socks after every 12/24 hours???
I run socks and my system is not too clean by I need to change after 3 days so twice a week at the most. Mine are 200 microns. While you are cleaning the socks do you see residual food or something other than food? From your write up it look you clean them well so there is no other reason for them to clog within 24 hour......Hope your water is clean and you use RO/DI water. Did you try slow flow rate like @melypr1985 suggested or may try some brand new socks...

Agreed. I clean mine every 3-4 days. Unless you have a huge bio load and are feeding excessively you won't see much in 12-24 hrs.

ZZs Aquascapes · Jan 30, 2016

Used to have a big problem with my 200 micron felt socks.. Buddy told me to switch to 100 micron MESH sock! So big of a difference! Washes out so easy! Should have used these a long time ago!! Hope this helps!

Sabellafella · Jan 30, 2016

Saltine said:
Thanks, yea I'm convinced I was using a very low micron, still not sure what it is/was.

Salt

Hows it goin with the new socks bud? Your old one is a vertex sock. Ive never used them but some peoples reviews say there garbage after 4 or 5 washes

glb · Jan 30, 2016

Following. I'm planning my build and am deciding on this right now. So 100 microns clog more quickly? And mesh is better than felt? And what brands do you recommend?

Saltine · Jan 30, 2016

Sabellafella said:
Hows it goin with the new socks bud? Your old one is a vertex sock. Ive never used them but some peoples reviews say there garbage after 4 or 5 washes

They are still running strong! Did a water change today and everything and they still are not over flowing!

Thanks for all the help, tanks looking good too.

Only really ****** thing is someone scratched my tank today during a get together

. Guess it was going to happen sooner or later.

Salt

Saltine · Jan 30, 2016

glb said:
Following. I'm planning my build and am deciding on this right now. So 100 microns clog more quickly? And mesh is better than felt? And what brands do you recommend?

I'm using 225 micron mesh bags and they are working great atm.

salt

glb · Jan 30, 2016

Saltine said:
I'm using 225 micron mesh bags and they are working great atm.

salt

So that size lets bigger particles through and clogs less often? Is there any down side to running a sock?

Saltine · Jan 30, 2016

glb said:
So that size lets bigger particles through and clogs less often? Is there any down side to running a sock?

Yea, but the one I had before were like 100 micron which was CRYSTAL clear, with these it's still very clear, but the other ones clogged in like 2 hours. This one is going on 28 hours no issues.

Salt

glb · Jan 30, 2016

Saltine said:
Yea, but the one I had before were like 100 micron which was CRYSTAL clear, with these it's still very clear, but the other ones clogged in like 2 hours. This one is going on 28 hours no issues.

Salt

So there's two kinds, mesh and felt? I'm assuming the felt would clog more easily.

Saltine · Jan 30, 2016

glb said:
So there's two kinds, mesh and felt? I'm assuming the felt would clog more easily.

Ya, I'm no expert though... I don't think my first ones were felt, some type of nylon bag of some sort. The ones I have now are mesh, I think the felt, feel like felt.

Salt

MikeyAl · Jan 31, 2016

glb said:
So there's two kinds, mesh and felt? I'm assuming the felt would clog more easily.

I wonder if the 100 micron is too porous. It may not clog as easily but how much detritus is passing through? If your socks are clogging that quickly you should probably diagnose the root cause- too much feeding? Heavy bio load?

MikeyAl · Jan 31, 2016

Btw I use esshops socks and only have to clean every 3-4 days.
I simply soak them in a bucket with a careful of bleach, rinse the junk out, then soak overnight with bleach, rinse thoroughly, and hang to dry in the sun for 12 hours. Prior to reusing I soak in RODI water for an hour.

scrumpto · Aug 2, 2016

Some thoughts: When I started dosing kalkwasser my socks clogged immediately so I don't do that anymore. If you're dosing anything this could be the cause.

Socks also get really clogged up over time so here's the process I use to clean them.
1. I turn them inside out and use a high-pressure sprayer on them. You wouldn't believe how much gunk this removes. I use a nozzle that creates a single stream to really squirt them.
2. I run the socks through my front-loading washing machine twice (again, inside out). The first time with Oxiclean with an extra rinse and the second time with bleach with an extra rinse.
3. I let the socks completely dry for about three days and then rinse them out with the high-pressure sprayer again (right side out). I do this because if I don't my skimmer goes crazy when I put them back in (no idea why).

I have a bunch of socks so that I only have to wash them about once a month (then again, mine take several weeks to clog).

I've tried switching to mesh socks which are easier to clean but haven't found ones that work as good. The mesh socks are supposed to catch more than the felt socks but at the same micron rating I've found they catch almost nothing and I've bought them from several sources. So 200 micron mesh socks are actually more like 400 micron felt socks in my experience. I'm looking at testing 50 & 100 micron mesh socks but am having trouble finding them.

Good luck!

Bob Escher · Aug 2, 2016

I wash them in a large water setting in my wash machine with a half cup of bleach. I then wash again with nothing but water. On the third time I add prime. Then I dry them in the dryer for 25 minutes come out clean since I have more than two I rotate so every 12 days the original goes back into the tank