filter sock

[oldsaint]

6 sock changed once a day. Every Sat this is me.


Used socks are stored outside in a 5 gal bucket with a little bleach and water. Saturdays is wash day. I turn them all inside out and rinse the large stuff off and any salt residue. Then run them through a wash cycle with a cup of bleach. Turned right side out and run through a double rinse cycle. Allowed to dry over night then ready to use.

 

[ichthyman]

I have never actually washed mine with chemicals. always just turn inside out and use a hose to blast of the inside buildup. Is there harm in not washing with bleach?

It is unlikely you are removing ALL of the material that the mesh was able to capture. You are then returning material, that if organic in nature, will continue to affect the water quality as decomposition occurs. Oxidizers, bleach, and strong agitation of a washing machine effectively clear the mesh of trapped material so nothing is added back to the aquarium. In our aquariums, the goal of mechanical filtration is to export not import.

 

[ichthyman]

6 sock changed once a day. Every Sat this is me.

LOL, 11 a day here with nightly washing machine loads. On higher bioload systems socks are changed twice day. The frequent export regime allows for less money needing to be spent on costly medias (GFO, carbon, bio pellets) and allows for the use of less than ideally sized protein skimmers.

I'll keep saying it until the message sinks into the collective consciousness of our hobby, export-export-export mechanical filtration via smallest micron mesh practically possible (25m IMO) with a frequent exchange interval to interrupt the excessive accumulation of both Nitrogen- and Phosphorus-based compounds is the single most effective strategy in maintaining our aquariums. The method may not be for everyone as it makes you be an attentive and involved hobbyist.

 

[GINNY]

I rinse, soak in bleach, then rinse, then rinse in RO water

Those of u using washing machine; r u running the whole machine just for a couple of socks or do u wash with other clothes?

Run 50 socks 4'' and 7'' at a time in the washing machine. This way i save on power. And still have 25 new one if i don't get to do the wash.

Before you ask..... I get them cheep...........$4.50 Canadian for the 4'' or 7''

 

[Snookster]

the method may not be for everyone as it makes you be an attentive and involved hobbyist.

+1