Why I use filter socks

[Cory]

Here is what 2 hours looks like on a 2400 gph pump! And this is a bare bottom tank. Look at all that crap!

And heres what a bucket looks like after weekly and daily changing:

Keep in mind this is just crap from fish, and dead algae/bacteria and not sand. All that would stay in my tank if i didnt use socks. Dont worry the coral gets plenty of floating detritus! What do you guys use? Sock or no sock?

 

[xxkenny90xx]

I've got a gallon milk jug with holes drilled in it filled with filter floss that my drains go into, same idea as the sock

 

[Cory]

I've got a gallon milk jug with holes drilled in it filled with filter floss that my drains go into, same idea as the sock

Ive been thinking of that lately as its getting old changing them daily. My pump actually nearly stops after 24 hours from back pressure.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

It may not be as effective as a sock but it's cheap and easy to try out. And if you drill enough 1/4 holes then it doesn't really clog (I've always cleaned the floss once a week)

 

[jrill]

I switched to the filter cups with floss. Much easier.

 

[Waters]

I am the same way.....I cannot bring myself to go sock-less knowing how much gunk they remove. Definitely the easiest way to remove excessive nutrients.

 

[homer1475]

Best thing I ever did for my tank was to remove the socks. Yes it may look not quite a s pristine(floaties), but the overall health is so much better.

EDIT:
I do run socks for a few hours after maintenance day. They do collect a lot of carp, but my sponges and filter feeders population has exploded since taking the socks off. My coral also looks much healthier(of course thats anecdotal, but still an observation).

 

[sghera64]

Maybe the best of both worlds would be to run socks for 1-2 hrs per day. Experiment with every day, e/o day up to 1x per week.

I only run carbon 2 days per month.

 

[jd371]

I tried going sockless, but the skimmer and reactor pump would get dirty so fast I'd have to clean them every month as opposed to 2 - 3 months when using a sock.

 

[KKerm2]

I only run the sock the day of and day after a water change. They get dark brown by the next day and need to be cleaned. I feel like that is all I need and just helps benefit the water change/cleaning days.

 

[AlexG]

I rarely use socks unless I need to spot polish the water. When I was going through an initial algae bloom I also used them to catch any algae going through the overflows for a day or two before I would remove them. I feel that always keeping socks on the tank is just a pain as they must constantly be replaced to avoid them becoming nitrate factories. Have you ever removed a sock from the tank and rinsed it out with a little saltwater and then put that saltwater under a microscope to see what is being captured by the sock? I have never done this with a filter sock but I have this with my protein skimmer and it is teaming with life when its skimmate that is just a few days old.

 

[Cory]

I rarely use socks unless I need to spot polish the water. When I was going through an initial algae bloom I also used them to catch any algae going through the overflows for a day or two before I would remove them. I feel that always keeping socks on the tank is just a pain as they must constantly be replaced to avoid them becoming nitrate factories. Have you ever removed a sock from the tank and rinsed it out with a little saltwater and then put that saltwater under a microscope to see what is being captured by the sock? I have never done this with a filter sock but I have this with my protein skimmer and it is teaming with life when its skimmate that is just a few days old.

While I agree that there is a lot of life in skimmate, you gotta ask whats that life do? And if the goal is to reduce n03 and po4 then removing them is better.

My main problem with all that poop is if we keep putting in food it must come out or it builds up. Even the nitrogen/denitrifcation cycle doesnt remove completely organic material because po4 stays behind. You can remove no3 via a deep sand bed but po4 will not be removed. And not only that but there is toxic gasses that are present durring decompoistion. So for me it makes more sense removing it before it breaks down.

 

[jtl]

I made a media holder for filter pads that I cut to size. The pads are made up of a coarse material bonded to a finer material. The water from my tank flows into a section that holds water so that I can keep the pipe submerged and quiet. Then the water flow out and over the filtering media. I change out and throw away the media about once per week. It helps keep my refugium and sump clean or at least cleaner than otherwise would be the case.

 

[CALI2949]

I PUT SOME FLOSS IN MY SOCKS AND THIS SEEMS TO WORK WELL FOR ME.

 

[AlexG]

While I agree that there is a lot of life in skimmate, you gotta ask whats that life do? And if the goal is to reduce n03 and po4 then removing them is better.

My main problem with all that poop is if we keep putting in food it must come out or it builds up. Even the nitrogen/denitrifcation cycle doesnt remove completely organic material because po4 stays behind. You can remove no3 via a deep sand bed but po4 will not be removed. And not only that but there is toxic gasses that are present durring decompoistion. So for me it makes more sense removing it before it breaks down.

I can see that side of it as well. That is one of the great aspects of this hobby is that there are so many solutions to this puzzle. I rely on my skimmer to deal with suspended waste, micro fauna to consume settled waste, and the refugium handles the po4 through macro algae growth. Socks will trap the waste but the high volume of water flow in a sock will also speed up the decomposition process due to friction of the water flow and oxygen rich environment. The oxygen rich environment also supports aerobic nitrifying bacteria which can sometimes result in a nitrate factory if socks are not changed on a regular basis due to an overly efficient front end of the nitrogen cycle. Socks or no socks both methods will achieve the same goal as long as there are appropriate measures in keep they water quality balanced.

 

[Westside Guy]

I made a media holder for filter pads that I cut to size. The pads are made up of a coarse material bonded to a finer material. The water from my tank flows into a section that holds water so that I can keep the pipe submerged and quiet. Then the water flow out and over the filtering media. I change out and throw away the media about once per week. It helps keep my refugium and sump clean or at least cleaner than otherwise would be the case.

Can you post pictures?