How do you feel about filter socks?

[Incredible Corals]

My new setup came with two filter socks for the sump and I've been swapping them out weekly. I feel like it's such a pain, makes a huge mess and the wife gets upset when the hallway smells like low tide after running them in the wash.

 

Is this a necessary part of the sump?

[Coral Hind]

To me they are not necessary but every system setup is different. Try running the system without the socks and see what happens, I doubt you will see a difference.

[davelin315]

Mine catch a ton of organics that would otherwise settle into the rock or elsewhere in the system. I don't wash mine, but instead hose them off with a jet of water which removes the detritus and then I return them to use.

[Coral Hind]

Mine catch a ton of organics that would otherwise settle into the rock or elsewhere in the system.

 

The protien skimmer would remove the organics or the organisms in the sump would break it down. If it is just sitting in the sock for a week that can't happen. The highly oxygenated water coming into the filter sock can act like a wet dry filter. I have read where people having nitrate issues removed their filter socks and the nitrates went down.

[zygote2k]

Back in the day, we used 20 gal filter socks on the big store systems and we changed them DAILY. They work great for commercial systems but are kind of pointless for small scale home tanks. If you changed them daily, they work great but most of us are too lazy to do that kind of routine.

Wear them on your feet instead.

[gwweber]

You may want to go to a sock with a larger Micron filter size. I have one and two micron socks, i threw our the ones because they clogged up very fast

 

 

[mogurnda]

In the tank, another thing to fuss with, and I haven't seen any problems from going sockless.

 

On my feet, too scratchy.

[davelin315]

The protien skimmer would remove the organics or the organisms in the sump would break it down. If it is just sitting in the sock for a week that can't happen. The highly oxygenated water coming into the filter sock can act like a wet dry filter. I have read where people having nitrate issues removed their filter socks and the nitrates went down.

Not in my experience as far as the buildup, I have a great skimmer that removes a ton, but there are still a ton of things that get caught up by this. I have two exits from my tank, one of them goes directly to the skimmer, the other goes into the sump directly. If you look at the filter socks on both of them, the sock that is on the skimmer output only needs to be cleaned out about every 3 weeks as it builds up very little, but the other one needs to be cleaned every few days. It's part of the feeding for me, I pull it and hose it off then feed. Takes about a minute to do it. When I don't have this on there, the amount of stuff that builds up on the bottom of the sump is quite extensive.

 

As far as the wet-dry reaction, I can tell you I have nitrate issues, but I don't think that the issues in roughly 650 gallons of water are coming from a couple of tiny filter socks, although that's an interesting thought (the nitrates were present before the socks).

[rsarvis]

I'm definitely in the not-worth-the-effort camp. If you're a casual hobbyist like me, for whom too much maintenance would kill the enjoyment, I say go without. If you're more of a serious hobbyist and natural tinkerer, those types of folks often say filter socks definitely benefit in cleaner-looking water due to removing not just detritus but micro-bubbles.

 

For me also, the only place in my sump where it would make sense to put the filter sock is just hard to get to, so I'm not gonna bother trying to get there every couple weeks.

[lanman]

I use them... I have about 20 of them, and 3 go into the system. I change about every 4-5 days. Easy to get at, in my system. Yes, it smells a bit - but not too much, and no wife to complain.

 

Mine picks up a lot of the debris that would otherwise accumulate in the bottom of the sump - and my calfo overflow grows green bubble algae, chunks of which eventually end up in the filter socks.

 

bob

[lowsingle]

I use filter socks and change them out weekly....I don't think that is too much work....maybe a couple of minutes a week.....I rinse them with water than store them in a ziploc bag until I have a bunch, then I wash them in the washing machine on a hot water cycle--this occurs maybe once every 2-3 months. Mine catch a lot of debris that would end up in my sump that I then have to siphon / pull out anyway.

 

cheers,

Darren

[mogurnda]

People clean their sumps? Oops.

[Integral9]

People clean their sumps? Oops.

I hired an urchin for that.

 

Also, my sumps are sockless. My nitrate problems occur when I get lazy and don't cull the macro build up in my fuges.

[ErikS]

Mine catch a lot of debris that would end up in my sump that I then have to siphon / pull out anyway.

It's all about what works for you, I agree for me it's easier to clean a sock than the sump. Skimmer is fine thanks, but none of them remove everything. Swap & rinse adds 5 - 10 minutes to weekly "chores". Wife has never complained..............now when I clean the skimmer cup, that I've heard about.

[mchippo]

I find that my socks help filter out micro bubbles and "polish" the water for me. They also catch larger pieces of debris and lots of teeny tiny serpent stars. Here is my problem. Does anyone know where I can find good quality socks? I bought some from Johnny at BRK about two years ago and they have held up. Everything else I have bought since then has failed. The stitching gives way after a few uses. Can someone point me to good quality socks....please....

 

Thanks!

[ErikS]

Can someone point me to good quality socks....please....

 

http://www.filterbag.com

[mchippo]

http://www.filterbag.com

 

Thanks...the fact that these are seamless make them look promising. I will give them a try.

[mchippo]

Thanks...the fact that these are seamless make them look promising. I will give them a try.

 

I had the wrong ones....the Aquarium Filter Socks have seams. The FAQ says they are designed to use once....2 socks replaced twice a week gets expensive. hmmmm