To sock or to floss?

[fl3xlinton]

Alright so I don’t know if this is a loaded question or not but I am running socks on my aio 40 gal now. 2 overflows and 2 return pumps I was thinking would it be worth to change out the socks that cobalt makes specifically for the tank and do cut it yourself filter floss? Or just stick with the socks. I’m currently changing socks when they start getting clogged up. They are like 20 bucks for 2 of em

 

[EddieM]

When you say you're changing your socks, I'm assuming you're just washing them? I keep 4 sets of socks on hand and swap them out every weekend. Once I get to 3 dirty sets, I throw them in the washer with some bleach. They come out good as new. I've tried floss in the past, but found myself going through too much of it, so went back to socks.

 

[jd-woodlands]

neither is an option as well! removed floss and socks 3+ months ago, no real downsides I've seen apart from some settlement in the sump. I'd rather clean out the sump twice a year than deal with either of those anymore.

 

[Bossman]

I use the mesh socks. They need a rinse with a hose in the sink usually 2x a week. Pretty easy from where I sit. I just replaced with all new socks from BRS. The old set lasted about a year.

 

[45ZoaGarden]

Socks require too much maintenance imo. I use sponge (floss) then purigen, then poly filter in my media baskets

 

[fl3xlinton]

When you say you're changing your socks, I'm assuming you're just washing them? I keep 4 sets of socks on hand and swap them out every weekend. Once I get to 3 dirty sets, I throw them in the washer with some bleach. They come out good as new. I've tried floss in the past, but found myself going through too much of it, so went back to socks.

Right now I got 2 sets of 2 and I haven’t washed them

 

[jda]

You can turn them inside out and put them in the washing machine without any soap.

I would keep them around since they might be handy if you do any dirty maintenance or ever dose some Lan Chloride, but otherwise, i would not run them 100% of the time unless you have just unrelenting high N and P... in which case, you will need a bunch and to change them daily.

 

[User1]

Nothing - go bare foot!

 

[Sashaka]

Right now I got 2 sets of 2 and I haven’t washed them

Oh my... wash them! I have four sets of socks for my 180 gal and change two out a week. I change out 1 on my 29 gal BioCube and replace the floss in my HOB filters for my other 29 gal and 20 gal tanks. I have a bucket with bleach and just drop everything in it to soak. When the bucket is full in a few weeks, everything looks clean and white from the bleach, but I put them in the washing machine anyway for a quick steam clean. The floss only makes a few cleanings this way, but the socks hold up great. It's been years since I bought new socks.

 

[muzikalmatt]

I use filter floss in my 40 gallon IM Nuvo AIO and tend to change them out every 3-4 days. I think it's easier than dealing with cleaning a filter sock but you could probably go without either if you really wanted to. I tend to think the mechanical filtration helps prevent nutrient build-up though, and since the AIO rear sump is a bit confined and tough to clean, I'd rather not let waste build up back there.

 

[Quietman]

Sponges! I use that blue/white filter sponge - $20 for a 2ft x 6 ft roll. I cut a 4" strip off the short side, roll it up into a cone and put it in the filter sock media cup replacement. I also put a bag a GAC in the bottom.

The conical shape allows water to flow very nicely and when I swap it out, there's detritus/dirt about halfway down the 4". Every week I replace or if I hear the gentle trickle of it overflowing. That roll lasts me about 18 changes. That's about 3 months because I'll also do that same thing in a mesh poly filter sock when I'm cleaning the sand without doing water change.

 

[fl3xlinton]

I use filter floss in my 40 gallon IM Nuvo AIO and tend to change them out every 3-4 days. I think it's easier than dealing with cleaning a filter sock but you could probably go without either if you really wanted to. I tend to think the mechanical filtration helps prevent nutrient build-up though, and since the AIO rear sump is a bit confined and tough to clean, I'd rather not let waste build up back there.

Yea I got the cobalt c-vue I still got sand back there from when my tank was freshly started. No I didn’t put sand in after water but I did have a lot flying around. Only time I’ve cleaned the socks is when the sand thing happens. And usually I wait till they get clogged all the way up before I do anything.

 

[fl3xlinton]

Sponges! I use that blue/white filter sponge - $20 for a 2ft x 6 ft roll. I cut a 4" strip off the short side, roll it up into a cone and put it in the filter sock media cup replacement. I also put a bag a GAC in the bottom.

The conical shape allows water to flow very nicely and when I swap it out, there's detritus/dirt about halfway down the 4". Every week I replace or if I hear the gentle trickle of it overflowing. That roll lasts me about 18 changes. That's about 3 months because I'll also do that same thing in a mesh poly filter sock when I'm cleaning the sand without doing water change.

That’s neat! Idk I guess I’ll have to try different things it seems like a toss up. I don’t have any ammonia or nitrite problems so I figured I was okay with how I was doing it. Mainly just curious to see how other folks do it and some input on how I do it haha