do you use a filter sock?
- Thread starter Reefski's
- Start date
Atlfishes. Yes my filter sock is tied around the pvc that drains into my sump. I use it to eliminate micro bubbles and it does work. I have 2 that I alternate once a week. When I do my weekly water changes I take the old one turn it inside out and put it in the washing machine with about 1/4 cup of bleach. I wash it through a cycle and then do 3 additional rinse cycles. Let it hang dry and it is ready to go. been doing this for 9 months w no problems.
reefkeeper135
Premium Member
change mine about every 2 weeks was a pain at first but now just another part of the routine!!
lossman
New member
Our set up is similar to the Berlin Filter Sock set up. We have an acrylic mount that sets into the sump with two holes to hold the filter socks. Our acrylic mount is removable for easier cleaning.
Our sump has three compartments - one where the water drains from the tank into the filter socks. A middle area that contains the refugium and a third area that hold the return pump and the skimmer and any other equipment needed.
Our sump has three compartments - one where the water drains from the tank into the filter socks. A middle area that contains the refugium and a third area that hold the return pump and the skimmer and any other equipment needed.
finneganswake
In Memoriam
I'm a strong believer in not using filter socks other than when I blow off my rocks with a turkey baster. They're nitrate factories no matter how often you clean them out--hundreds of gallons of water per hour flowing through rotting material.
For those who don't believe they're nitrate factories, I've got a way to prove it. Clean out your skimmer's collection cup and run it for 24 hours with a filter sock and mark the level of skimmate collected. Then clean out the collection cup again and run it for 24 hours without a filter sock. You'll be amazed at the difference--there's about 5 times as much skimmate when running a filter sock. I know many people think the more skimmate the better, but in this case the larger amount is due to there being more ammonia available. Who knows how much of it manages to get past the skimmer?
Also, filter socks remove plankton from the water column, so they're impacting your food chain.
For those who don't believe they're nitrate factories, I've got a way to prove it. Clean out your skimmer's collection cup and run it for 24 hours with a filter sock and mark the level of skimmate collected. Then clean out the collection cup again and run it for 24 hours without a filter sock. You'll be amazed at the difference--there's about 5 times as much skimmate when running a filter sock. I know many people think the more skimmate the better, but in this case the larger amount is due to there being more ammonia available. Who knows how much of it manages to get past the skimmer?
Also, filter socks remove plankton from the water column, so they're impacting your food chain.
Well I do not run a skimmer and do use a filter sock. I have 0 Nitrates going on 1 year and 2 months. Granted I have a small bio load 3 small fish in a 40 G. I only swap socks (Filter that is) once a week. I have 0 algae in my tank that is stocked with mostly lps and softies with a few sps.
lossman
New member
The times that I don't use filter socks (such as weekly feeding of the filter feeders) I find I have to vaccumn the sump out. The detritous will collect somewhere, whether in the filter sock or in the sump. It will always need to be removed. I'd rather do it the easy way by replacing the sox that trying to vaccumn out the sump every couple of days. 
finneganswake
In Memoriam
If I had a dime for everyone who claimed 0 nitrates until I tested their water
If you don't have a skimmer, where is all of that ammonia going? I don't think you can debate that there is ammonia coming out of that filter sock. You must do massive water changes if your nitrates are at 0.
finneganswake
In Memoriam
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6437391#post6437391 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by lossman
The times that I don't use filter socks (such as weekly feeding of the filter feeders) I find I have to vaccumn the sump out. The detritous will collect somewhere, whether in the filter sock or in the sump. It will always need to be removed. I'd rather do it the easy way by replacing the sox that trying to vaccumn out the sump every couple of days.
The only problem with this is that the detritus in the sump isn't having hundreds of gallons of water per hour forced through it. Don't take my word on it; try the test that I mentioned in my earlier post--you'll be shocked at the difference.
lossman
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6437502#post6437502 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by finneganswake
If I had a dime for everyone who claimed 0 nitrates until I tested their water
If you don't have a skimmer, where is all of that ammonia going? I don't think you can debate that there is ammonia coming out of that filter sock. You must do massive water changes if your nitrates are at 0.
What test kit are you using? We are going on a year use of the filter socks. We have zero ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate and silicates. We test our water weekly and once every few months have the lfs check it with their kits. We do 30 gallon water changes ever two weeks. I'm not sure why filter socks, if properly maintained, would cause ammonia to build up any faster than if the detritous was sitting in the sump.
