Filter Socks - What is your opinion?

[madweazl]

Waste of time/effort, they're just snagging food that would otherwise be feeding something.

 

[Greaps]

I will most likely pick up a new automatic roller filter that is coming out in the not to distant future.

 

[John Rebman]

I use them on my 210g and my 40g/20g combo tanks. Really keeps the sump cleaner and less vacuuming for me.

I use 4" on my 40/20 combo and 11" (or so) on my 210g. I have made my own socks once and plan to make more soon. This way I have a lot of socks to throw on as needed. If I am doing lots of work or feeding lots, I change them every 4 days or so, otherwise they can go almost 7 days.

Also depends on the sock. I have difference particulate matter material, so they clog faster or slower depending. My new stuff is 1micron, so we will see how long they take to clog. My others, I am not sure of the micron. Some are just regular socks you can buy (the heavier thicker ones) and the ones I made were just a fabric for batting or filling.

I definitely prefer to have them over not having them. Had it both ways. Just make sure if socks get full, they have a way to overflow and not cause leak issue.

Where did you find the 1 micron material to make your own socks ?

 

[samnaz]

I use filter socks but going to try these with filter floss so I can stop washing the socks.

I'll be giving these a try too, once I get my tank set up. I plan to put filter floss in it. Much easier to remove, no need to bother with cleaning socks.

 

[leepink23]

I'll be giving these a try too, once I get my tank set up. I plan to put filter floss in it. Much easier to remove, no need to bother with cleaning socks.

So far they are working great!

 

[HB AL]

I use 200 micron socks and change em out every 4 days or so, have not seen any detrimental effects from using them. My only problem is that when my lab Halle sees me pulling the old one out she starts to get really excited cause she love biting the water coming out of the hose and she knows what's coming. I just blast em clean with the garden hose, a 1 minute cleaning of the sock turns into 10 minutes of letting her play with the stream of water.

 

[MaddReefer]

If I dont use filter socks, I get micro bubbles galore.

 

[miPapareef]

I run socks for a few hours every couple weeks when I’ll blow off rocks and blow out the sump. I use a power head and turkey baster. It takes a few hours for all that detritus to get caught in the sock. Then I’m back to sockless. Because I’m running triton with no water changes, I find this is the easiest way to keep everything clean.

 

[KJAG]

If I dont use filter socks, I get micro bubbles galore.

Then your sump isnt properly designed for your system.

 

[KJAG]

I will never use socks again. Vacuuming the sump occasionally is a non issue.

 

[Gareth elliott]

I like socks on new tanks, on older tanks, sponges, corals, feather worms, and any other filter feeder intentional or unintentional can do the work without the maintenance.
On my last tank took 3 years for me to get there.
Since moving to a new tank, the socks are back in.
Honestly this isnt a maintenance i find difficult, i change mine every 3-4 days but if away a week i really dont see a detriment if unchanged that time span. If use socks order enough that your not washing them constantly. Not a show off piece but $40 investment makes them less a hassle and saves you from siphoning your sump.

 

[Sashaka]

I have and use both mesh and regular socks on my tanks that have attached sumps. I don't mind siphoning the sump of my 180 gal tank because it's easier to siphon water from my sump than climb on a ladder to siphon from the top 2 center holes of this acrylic tank.

I generally run 100 to 200 micron (whatever is clean) and change them about once a week. I soak them all in a little bleach water until all have been used except the last clean one just put in the tank. At that point I have a washing machine load and run them through on sanitize setting all together. I like to feed heavily, so the socks are a must for me.

 

[MaddReefer]

Then your sump isnt properly designed for your system.

I have a 450 gallon 96x42x24 tall. Its 100 gallon sump, 2 sock holders, water drains into sump via 2 bulkheads, then fills that chamber, which flows into the socks, goes over one wall, into a chamber and over another wall, and into the return chamber. I have 2 external return pumps plumbed into it, plus a external skimmer pump motor. Its a 6ft life reef skimmer. What sump would you recommend ?

 

[CindyKz]

I put one in on water change day and take it out the day after (maybe 2 days, sometimes I forget). The rest of the time I'm sockless. I don't notice a difference in my SPS, but my LPS are more inflated with better color and I see feeder tentacles almost every night than when I used one all the time.

 

[KJAG]

I have a 450 gallon 96x42x24 tall. Its 100 gallon sump, 2 sock holders, water drains into sump via 2 bulkheads, then fills that chamber, which flows into the socks, goes over one wall, into a chamber and over another wall, and into the return chamber. I have 2 external return pumps plumbed into it, plus a external skimmer pump motor. Its a 6ft life reef skimmer. What sump would you recommend ?

So you have an over-under-over bubble trap. A design notorious for causing microbubbles, yet unfortunately commonly seen in the hobby. The superior orientation would be under-over-under.

 

[mtraylor]

I run filter socks 24/7 on my system. I clean about once a week. I have ran my systems both with and without socks. The only difference with socks is that I have less detritus in the system and sump. I also blow detritus off my rock work once a week as maintenance for the sps.

 

[ca1ore]

No socks here.

 

[mtraylor]

I have a 450 gallon 96x42x24 tall. Its 100 gallon sump, 2 sock holders, water drains into sump via 2 bulkheads, then fills that chamber, which flows into the socks, goes over one wall, into a chamber and over another wall, and into the return chamber. I have 2 external return pumps plumbed into it, plus a external skimmer pump motor. Its a 6ft life reef skimmer. What sump would you recommend ?

I have a 265 custom rimless tank and I had my 100gallon sump custom made. The water comes into my sump then goes over chamber with 4- 4inch filter sock chambers. If you wanted filter socks, I would go with at least 8 of them in your design. The four filter socks works great for me and doesn't channel water into one or two socks that can get clogged very quickly. The water is distributed fairly evenly and if one sock gets clogged the water just goes to the other. If all get clogged it just goes over the spillway into skimmer area. The more you have the easier it is for maintenance and getting to them. Obviously, you wouldn't want to have all of those just sitting in the sump causing issue's if you were not to clean them.

 

[flgbanjo]

Brand new 66 gallon just showed up today. I'm looking at the filter floss route as that sounds a bit easier to deal with. For those using filter floss, how often do you change it out? Obviously it varies on size, amount of food, bioload etc but just curious.

 

[Bob Escher]

I use 100 micron and change them every three days. I don’t mine changing them and don’t mine washing them. I have 12 on hand. I keep them in a closed bucket and wash ten at a time. No big deal.