Help needed! Near disaster...

[Errol]

I'm new to this forum. I have 180 gallon reef tank for two months now that I purchased from and individual who had 3 years established. This morning I went to change the 6" filter socks (which I purchased from an online filter company). When I installed them and turned the filter on, white clouds began to form in the sump. Obviously The white clouds came from the new filter socks. . I immediately shut down the filter pump and vacuumed the water out of the sump pump. However, a small amount got into the tank. Fortunately, I had 30 gallons of RO water available and did a water change in the sump. A few hours later I did another 30 gallon water change in the main tank.. The tank is still cloudy but the coral and fish are acting normal.

Has anyone had this experience with new filter socks?
Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions? Thank you

 

[Carol Night]

Never with socks. I'd soak and rinse them in the future just make sure impurities stay out of the system. Sounds fishy to me.

 

[cincyjim]

+1 ^ You need to rinse the socks prior to using them. I've done the same thing. The cloudiness should go away in a few hours or so unless there is some other issue with the socks.

 

[Ron Reefman]

I've bought lots of filter socks from lots of different suppliers (I have 4 tanks and about 50 socks). I've never had any issue with new socks.

Run them all through a wash and rinse cycle in your washing machine and do NOT use any soap. You just want to wash out whatever 'stuff' in in the socks.

 

[mcgyvr]

yep.. fairly normal if you don't wash them off..

Its most certainly NOT a disaster at all..