Red Sea Reefer 250: I hate Filter Socks

[R33fDaddy]

Was wondering if anyone with the Redsea Reefer 250 has successfully ditched sump socks. I hate Filter socks with a passion lol and I'm desperately looking for a solution that will rid me of them for good. I've tried a few different things: some of the things I've tried has worked great but have been hard to maintain.

Here is a few things I've tried:

Here I tried using filter floss just underneath the section where the water would flow into the filter sock compartment. Didn't really work because the weight of the water would just continually push down the floss, plus it was difficult to change.

Here I used egg crate to catch the water as it flowed from the filter sock chamber and then another piece that filtered water before it went into the third sump chamber. This kinda work but and had my water crystal clear but I felt like it wasn't efficient and also I have moved my skimmer to make room for an Algae Scrubber.

Today I took a piece of egg crate and plastic and made a little lip to rise the level of the water prior to it going in to the sump sock chamber. I then placed a piece of filter floss on top of the filter sock holder. If this works it would be easier to grab that floss out and replace it. I probably can make a permanent lip with a piece of acrylic.

I also took my media bags and suspended them via a piece of pvc. The two media bags resting on the bottom are filled with deNitrate since it needs to be in a low flow area.

So does anybody have any suggestions? Anyone out there that has totally got rid of socks and replaced them with an easily maintainable solution? Thanks for any help or suggestions.

 

[RwP]

I use RedSea cups that go where the filter socks go and with fill them with filter floss

 

[R33fDaddy]

I use RedSea cups that go where the filter socks go and with fill them with filter floss

I tried this also but I didn't like two things about it:

1. The floss would fall deep into the cup and some large particles would get through those little slots of the side of the media cup.

2. The floss would end up below the water level, so any caught detritus would sit in the water are further deteriorate.

 

[RwP]

I waste a lot of floss but it’s cheap pillow filling. I get a big bag for $8 so i fill the cup 3/4 full about a inch or so below the top of the cup. Grab the top and it all comes out. I replace it every 3-4 days

 

[mermaid_life]

I am laughing as I am reading this - not at you but at the pain - I went through this exact problem. I wrote about it in my blog if you want to take a look (www.splashengineering.com/blog/). At the end of it, I think it depends on what feels acceptable to you. I felt like for the short cup method, it made me feel like I wasn't being wasteful and I was no longer washing socks and I saved some sump space at the same time.

 

[Jeffcb]

I use 2 socks on my 250. Change when it starts going overflow. I have a dozen socks. It takes 2 minutes to change them, don't even shut the pump off.

I rinse and throw them in a bucket with a lid and wash them in the washer with a small amount on bleach when I'm running out. Double rinse cycle. Easy for me.

 

[R33fDaddy]

The struggle is real lol. Great article and I may have to order two of those filter cups if my little project doesn't work out. Thanks for posting that link.

 

[R33fDaddy]

I use 2 socks on my 250. Change when it starts going overflow. I have a dozen socks. It takes 2 minutes to change them, don't even shut the pump off.

I rinse and throw them in a bucket with a lid and wash them in the washer with a small amount on bleach when I'm running out. Double rinse cycle. Easy for me.

That's exactly what I use to do but it became tiresome lol. I also moved my skimmer to that second chamber so that I'll have room for an Algae Scrubber. I would have to move the skimmer everytime I pulled out the sock drawer. I also didn't like how the socks get dirty and just sit so deep in the sump while all that gunk breaks down.

 

[BiggestE222]

I like my RSR Replacement socks the stick ones are trash but the thicker replacement socks are very useful. Maybe too useful cause they cause my skimmer to not as well but my algae reactor still grows Chaeto

 

[BiggestE222]

I clean them in near boiling water every 3 days

 

[R33fDaddy]

I kind of like what I'm testing right now because the filter pad doesn't sit in the water raising my Nitrates. I like that the water flows through the pad and sorta waterfalls into the sump. Going to test this a few more days and if continues to work I'll make some permanent modifications to the sump to improve.

 

[mermaid_life]

I kind of like what I'm testing right now because the filter pad doesn't sit in the water raising my Nitrates. I like that the water flows through the pad and sorta waterfalls into the sump. Going to test this a few more days and if continues to work I'll make some permanent modifications to the sump to improve.

This is something that I also tried. What I found was that the edge would clog, which is fine, but then the overall water would raise and the pad would end up being in water in the end - Not completely clogged, but not free flowing either. While the pad was new and not as clogged the first day, the water created a trickling noise that wasn't acceptable for us because the tank was in the living room where we watch TV but give it a shot and let us know if it works!

 

[R33fDaddy]

This is something that I also tried. What I found was that the edge would clog, which is fine, but then the overall water would raise and the pad would end up being in water in the end - Not completely clogged, but not free flowing either. While the pad was new and not as clogged the first day, the water created a trickling noise that wasn't acceptable for us because the tank was in the living room where we watch TV but give it a shot and let us know if it works!

I know exactly what you're saying. For this to be a permanent solution I'll have use a piece of acrylic to raise the water level in that first chamber so that the water falls down onto the pad. It then will drip through the pad (hopefully it won't be a loud drip) and then into the sump.

I know I can't draw but something like this lol

 

[Smirkish]

I use 2 socks on my 250. Change when it starts going overflow. I have a dozen socks. It takes 2 minutes to change them, don't even shut the pump off.

I rinse and throw them in a bucket with a lid and wash them in the washer with a small amount on bleach when I'm running out. Double rinse cycle. Easy for me.

Same, except I have three socks and change them out every three days.

I used a pad like that after my refugium for a while to catch loose chaeto but it had to be cleaned a lot. Never thought of substituting socks with one. I would think it would clog faster. You have less surface area for the water to make contact with.

 

[mermaid_life]

I know exactly what you're saying. For this to be a permanent solution I'll have use a piece of acrylic to raise the water level in that first chamber so that the water falls down onto the pad. It then will drip through the pad (hopefully it won't be a loud drip) and then into the sump.

I know I can't draw but something like this lol

yep... exactly. That should work.

 

[fachatga]

I use the socks but also put some floss under the carbon. It’s a good place where all the water filters through it.

 

[Ky_acc]

I know exactly what you're saying. For this to be a permanent solution I'll have use a piece of acrylic to raise the water level in that first chamber so that the water falls down onto the pad. It then will drip through the pad (hopefully it won't be a loud drip) and then into the sump.

I know I can't draw but something like this lol

@R33fDaddy Any update to this plan? I had this exact same idea but was wanting to see if it worked for you?

seems like a perfect solution if it works as I imagine it would

 

[R33fDaddy]

@R33fDaddy Any update to this plan? I had this exact same idea but was wanting to see if it worked for you?

seems like a perfect solution if it works as I imagine it would

I'm still working on it. My Nitrates exploded so I got side tracked working on that lol. Will update once I get back to this.