to use filter bag or not in a reef tank ?

[chercm]

some folks are asking me to stop using filter bag as i have been unable to bring down the po4 even though i have been using zeovit .

is it ok not to use it ? where does all the dirt go to in that sense?

 

[russeko8]

if you keep your bags washed good they will not be the source. rinse, HE wash with bleach, air dry, then soak in dechlorinator and r.o. water 24hrs. that works for most people

 

[Rwpdunne]

some folks are asking me to stop using filter bag as i have been unable to bring down the po4 even though i have been using zeovit .

is it ok not to use it ? where does all the dirt go to in that sense?

Into your skimmer lol
its a personal choice to use them or not
What way are you washing them???

 

[MammothReefer]

I use them on and off but when I do I change them frequently (couple times a week).

 

[chercm]

Into your skimmer lol
its a personal choice to use them or not
What way are you washing them???

I washed them with bleach and air dry them so I change it 2 times per week is this ok?

 

[Rwpdunne]

I washed them with bleach and air dry them so I change it 2 times per week is this ok?

I use to wash mine in the washing machine on there own of course with no detergent then soak them in a bucket of ro water
But I dont use them anymore

I don't think washing them in bleach then air drying them is a good idea to be honest


Robbie

 

[evo187]

I was told to soak mine in water/hydrogen peroxide mix and it was better than bleach. I change mine out every 4 days.

I rinse them in the sink with hot water with the spray nozel to get all the big stuff out of it. Then turn it inside out and do the same. When water runs clear I soak for 30mins in water/h202 mix. Then I rinse again in the sink to get all h202 of out them and then I soak them in RO/DI with dechlorinator for a couple of hours. Ring them out and air dry and they are ready to use again. po4 always at 0.0 and no algae anywhere.

I think the big thing is getting them really clean before use, and not leaving them too long especially if you feed heavy. I don't run my return pump when feeding and use a small net to grab anything the fish didn't eat before turning return back on. stuff still ends up in the sock and you don't want it rotting in the sock so change it out every 3-4 days.

 

[jda]

Do you use aragonite sand? If so, how old is it?

 

[chercm]

Do you use aragonite sand? If so, how old is it?

i am running sand from KZ and it is near to 1 year old

 

[Jamey1010]

The maintenance on them is tedious, for me it's a lot easier to just shop vac out the sump with my weekly water changes

 

[MammothReefer]

Maintenance is that bad you just have to buy a ton of them I have like 20 or so now. I just keep rotating threw them and over the course of a few months and then wash them all at once.

 

[jdraider75]

Maintenance is that bad you just have to buy a ton of them I have like 20 or so now. I just keep rotating threw them and over the course of a few months and then wash them all at once.

Me 2.

 

[NanoJosh]

If ur talking about a filter sock then no I don't use it unless I blow out the rocks even then I don't like to, I feel like I'm removing a lot of pods. Lol.


55 gal mixed reef 10 gal SPS Dom.
10 gal nem tank 2 maxi minis 2 rock flower and one sunburst RBTA

Sent from some device using some app

 

[rlpardue]

Vertex recently came out with a (300 micron?) plasticky-mesh filter sock that is awesome. It can catch fine particles but still get hosed out in the sink. It's a mesh filter sock that doesn't suck :rolleye1:

 

[chercm]

I was told to soak mine in water/hydrogen peroxide mix and it was better than bleach. I change mine out every 4 days.

I rinse them in the sink with hot water with the spray nozel to get all the big stuff out of it. Then turn it inside out and do the same. When water runs clear I soak for 30mins in water/h202 mix. Then I rinse again in the sink to get all h202 of out them and then I soak them in RO/DI with dechlorinator for a couple of hours. Ring them out and air dry and they are ready to use again. po4 always at 0.0 and no algae anywhere.

I think the big thing is getting them really clean before use, and not leaving them too long especially if you feed heavy. I don't run my return pump when feeding and use a small net to grab anything the fish didn't eat before turning return back on. stuff still ends up in the sock and you don't want it rotting in the sock so change it out every 3-4 days.

can i use prime as dechlorinator ?

 

[MammothReefer]

eh you don't need to dechlorinate. Just wash them one rinse a few times then let them air dry.

Salt water = NaCl
Cl = Chlorine

dechlorinating = fresh water thing.

 

[evo187]

yeah you dont have to do dechlorinator. i do it for piece of mind just because im rinsing them in the sink. my ro/di is super slow so sink is faster easier option for me. I'm sure once they air dry the chlorine is gone anyways

 

[h.cordero]

the bleach only bleachs the 'stuff' thats in like food algae ect... Use water with hydrogen peroxide because it will remove the po4 and no3

 

[Drae]

Bleach just basically turns to salt when it dries and wont harm your tank at all. Washing filter socks in a washing machine with bleach and no detergeant is fine. filter socks dont cause any jumps in nitrates or phosphates what so ever. Iv'e let mine clog until they overflowed for days, took them out and placed into a tank only tub and tested the water and the water tested the same as my display... 0 nitrates. 150 gallon sps tank. 200 micron filter socks are an excellent source of mechanical filtration.

 

[hoaglanddiver]

I wash w/ bleach only (no soap, gentle cycle, warm, LOW spin) and then do TWO full washes w/ no additives (gentle cycle, cold LOW spin).. then I air dry... I then rinse w/ RO/DI water just before installation. I have well water, so no chlorine in my socks while they dry

I then put washer thru an empty "cleaning cycle" w/ a bunch o bleach.