Filtration (Socks and Refugium)

[Mike T IL]

I have a Trigger Sump 34. Display tank overflows into filter socks to next chamber which holds skimmer to the next chamber which I am going to use a refugium then the last chamber is the return. My question is should I continue to use filter socks after I populate my refugium with chaeto and pods?

 

[Brew12]

I normally run socks because I don't like the floaties in the water. Every few weeks I will let the system go without socks for a few days. My thought is that some of those particles it brings down will serve as food for the pods growing in my fuge.

It works for me, but I'm not sure it actually does much other than make me feel like I'm accomplishing something.

 

[Mike T IL]

My biggest concern is the socks capturing pods that I am trying to populate. I have also heard that if you don't clean our swap out the socks every couple days the captured food and poo start to break down and can elevate Nitrate.

 

[stanleo]

I've been running my fuge with pods and filter socks for a month now and still see lots of pods everywhere. I only switch the socks out every five days or so, sometimes a lot longer and my nitrates are still steady at 2 ppm. Phosphate at .03 ppm. I haven't had any issues yet.

 

[Brew12]

My biggest concern is the socks capturing pods that I am trying to populate. I have also heard that if you don't clean our swap out the socks every couple days the captured food and poo start to break down and can elevate Nitrate.

They should only catch pods coming back down which is less of a concern. You want your fuge to grow the pods to go up into the DT. Most of the ones in the DT stay there, it's only the unlucky few that go down the overflow.

Nitrates can absolutely act as nitrate factories. The flip side is that if you don't capture that debris and let it sit in your sump it will also generate nitrates.

 

[Silent]

The nitrate part is true. Most of your pods will repopulate in your fuge. If they survive the return pump they will settle in your rock or sand. Maybe you will get some that end up in your sock but not any amount that would matter.