do you use a filter sock?

Hmmm...I have never noticed a difference in the amount of skimmate produced by our skimmer on the days that we do not use the socks...the days we heavily feed the filter feeders and other critters. I might have to take a closer look this weekend. However, if what you say is true.....five times more skimmate.....I'm sure I would have noticed that!! :)
 
Finneg. I use Salifert test kits. I also have my LFS check from time to time. I would think that if I had high nitrates or ammonia I would be able to tell right. In over a year that my tank has been up I have lost 1 fish (Six Line went carpet surfing), I have 0 algae problems except for a piece of LR that has some red vine algae on it, no coral loses lps, sps, or softies, and I have a Crocea and a Squamosa Clam that are growing and looking good. Yea if I did not have the micro bubble problem I would not use the sock but the sock is not adversley affecting my tank. But...If you want to test my water for me come on over!!!!!!
 
Just for ha-ha's (and because I am a natural born sceptic) I decided to do a few tests of my own using two speparate test kits. First, tested the water inside the filter sock. This sock has been on for 24 hours and is due to be changed, you can see the brown on it and looking inside the sock you can see the detritous in the fabric. I also tested the water in the sump chamber outside the sock. Then I tested the water in our qt tank that has been set up for some time and has not had a water change in a while (nothing in it).

First two tests on the water inside and outside the sock (using two separate test kits) show 0 ammonia. Third test kit (on the qt tank) shows ammonia at .25.

Perhaps if I left my filter socks on for a week or more and neglected other regular maintenance, the results would have been different.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6437616#post6437616 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jasper24
Finneg. I use Salifert test kits. I also have my LFS check from time to time. I would think that if I had high nitrates or ammonia I would be able to tell right. In over a year that my tank has been up I have lost 1 fish (Six Line went carpet surfing), I have 0 algae problems except for a piece of LR that has some red vine algae on it, no coral loses lps, sps, or softies, and I have a Crocea and a Squamosa Clam that are growing and looking good. Yea if I did not have the micro bubble problem I would not use the sock but the sock is not adversley affecting my tank. But...If you want to test my water for me come on over!!!!!!
Click to expand...

Ok, you didn't mention that you had clams--that changes things, since they'll suck ammonia right out of the water column:)
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6437701#post6437701 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by lossman
Just for ha-ha's (and because I am a natural born sceptic) I decided to do a few tests of my own using two speparate test kits. First, tested the water inside the filter sock. This sock has been on for 24 hours and is due to be changed, you can see the brown on it and looking inside the sock you can see the detritous in the fabric. I also tested the water in the sump chamber outside the sock. Then I tested the water in our qt tank that has been set up for some time and has not had a water change in a while (nothing in it).

First two tests on the water inside and outside the sock (using two separate test kits) show 0 ammonia. Third test kit (on the qt tank) shows ammonia at .25.

Perhaps if I left my filter socks on for a week or more and neglected other regular maintenance, the results would have been different.
Click to expand...

If you're doing that for ha-has, try the test I mentioned for ha-has. I have yet to hear from anyone who didn't see a major difference.

Also, don't neglect the plankton issue--that's a lot of what the brown stuff on your sock is made of. It should be in the water column, not exported through bleaching the sock;)
 
I used one just to see how effective it is, now I wouldn't consider not using one. You'll end up changing it out every day or so, but it's worth it.
 
As stated earlier, once a week I run the tank without the filter sox for 24 hours while feeding the corals and other filter feeders (30 plus bivalves, numerous sponges and tunicates, corals etc.) If what you state - 5 times more skimmate - is true, I don't see that kind of results. I don't actually notice a larger production on the sockless days than any other day. However, this weekend I will measure.

Otherwise, our tank is extremely healthy. Loads of pods in the refugium, great growth on our corals, our sponges reproduce and have only lost 2 bivalves in the close to a year since they went in (very beginning of the cycle). So, I really don't think the phytoplankton is a huge issue (as I feed weekly anyway). I would prefer a cleaner tank and a bubble-less water column. :)
 
Finneg. You won't give up so I admit my tank sucks. Every last colorful piece of healthy coral, fish, and clams are being ruined by my filter sock. Carry on.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6438038#post6438038 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by lossman
As stated earlier, once a week I run the tank without the filter sox for 24 hours while feeding the corals and other filter feeders (30 plus bivalves, numerous sponges and tunicates, corals etc.) If what you state - 5 times more skimmate - is true, I don't see that kind of results. I don't actually notice a larger production on the sockless days than any other day. However, this weekend I will measure.

Otherwise, our tank is extremely healthy. Loads of pods in the refugium, great growth on our corals, our sponges reproduce and have only lost 2 bivalves in the close to a year since they went in (very beginning of the cycle). So, I really don't think the phytoplankton is a huge issue (as I feed weekly anyway). I would prefer a cleaner tank and a bubble-less water column. :)
Click to expand...

Phytoplankton's not the issue--zooplankton is. Pods in the refugium is great, but do they stay in the main tank or are they going down the overflow and into the filter sock? When I turn out the lights in my tank, there is so much zooplankton in the water column that it looks like a snowstorm--I've never seen this on any system that constantly uses a filter sock, but it's common on those that don't. If you don't have sps or lps, it's not that big of a deal, but zooplankton is necessary for the best health of sps and lps, despite the pervasive myth that corals get all of their nutrition through photosynthesis.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6438060#post6438060 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jasper24
Finneg. You won't give up so I admit my tank sucks. Every last colorful piece of healthy coral, fish, and clams are being ruined by my filter sock. Carry on.
Click to expand...

Did you even read my response to your post:confused:
 
The last post of mine that you answered said that my clams were removing the ammonia from my tank. Hey no bad feelings. Opinions just differ. I attribute my success to frequent water changes and a low bio load. It's all good!
 
Even with the filter socks on, I have a ton of suspended stuff in the water column. Visible with and without the lights on. I have pods both in the refugium and in the main tank. I only see one or two in the filter socks and when I turn the socks inside out to clean them, I try to dump those back in the tank. I'm sure a bunch of microscopic ones get laundered, but as long as my fish, corals, invertes and macros are all growing and healthy, I am not concerned. :)

I'm sure the fact that the refugium is between the main tank and the sump area helps.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6438277#post6438277 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by lossman
I'm sure the fact that the refugium is between the main tank and the sump area helps.
Click to expand...

You've lost me on this one. So it goes main tank-->refugium-->sump? If this is the case, the pods that leave the refugium don't have anywhere to go other than into the filter sock. Am I missing something?
 
I guess I did not word that correctly. :) It goes, from main tank down the overflows to the filtersocks in the sump >>>>>> into refugium >>>>> into third sump area that holds the skimmer, return pump and other equipment >>>>>> back to main tank.
 
OK, so for ha-ha's I tried finnigan's test. :) I removed the filter socks yesterday afternoon. I first measured the amount of skimmate in the cup (it had been cleaned the day before) and cleaned the cup. The tank ran yesterday afternoon, all last night and all morning today with no filter socks. Today there is no measurable difference in the amount of skimmate.

So, not only do I have zero ammonia either inside the dirty filter sock or outside the sock in the sump as well as none in the main tank, I also do not show any measurable difference in the amount of skimmate either with the filter socks on or with them off.

So the only impact on my tank will be the loss of some phytoplankton/zooplankton. But then, since I spot feed my corals and feed the filter feeders weekly, and since all are growing and healthy, I don't feel this is an issue.

I vote for using socks!!! :)
 
What's the optimum size for holes in the socks? 5 / 25 / 50 / 100 microns?

I'm going to put the sock over the skimmer outlet so the skimmer gets raw water and the microbubbles and bits the skimmer misses are taken out by the sock. Is that a good idea?
 
I just have a sponge tube over my outlet. It gets cleaned the same time the socks do. :) The sponge I use is the same type that's on the Euroreef skimmers.

If you do use a sock for the skimmer, remember to clean it often as it will collect a good amount of crud.
 
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