Filter Socks...

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

I am tired of changing them daily. Any real reason to keep using them?

I was just reading a thread on RC where someone had some good points on why not to bother. Especially if you don't change them every day or two. Man, I used to only change them once a week a few years back :neutral:

Just looking for any reason I may be missing (to keep using them) before I stop using them!

The daily change is getting "old"...

[fkshiu]

I just use them occassionally like when I do a WC and stir up a bunch of a crap.

[Skimmerking]

i used to be anal about changing mine too man. Then once i got the beckett skimmer going and the flow that happens in my sump the skimmer picks up everything that flow in to the sump anyways. I think that after while they are great if you are trying to keep your sump clean. Then after awhile the sponges and featherdusters are growing in there so it won't really matter. and if you are feedng the tank with filter food the crap clogs up the sock so i took mine off. i use mine for cleaning the phosban when i add new stuff or the carbon in the sump.....

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

I just use them occassionally like when I do a WC and stir up a bunch of a crap.

i used to be anal about changing mine too man. Then once i got the beckett skimmer going and the flow that happens in my sump the skimmer picks up everything that flow in to the sump anyways. I think that after while they are great if you are trying to keep your sump clean. Then after awhile the sponges and featherdusters are growing in there so it won't really matter. and if you are feedng the tank with filter food the crap clogs up the sock so i took mine off. i use mine for cleaning the phosban when i add new stuff or the carbon in the sump.....

Yeah that was mentioned in the thread I was reading...they filter out good stuff too, like corals food.

Both of you are kind of saying the same thing, I think I may try going without them for a bit.

[Delphinus]

Got a link for the "don't bother" thread at RC? Would be interested to read it.

Maybe I shouldn't admit this but I only change mine out about 2 weeks or so .. it's pretty gross by the time I get around to it, and even still I think it's too danged often considering the PITA I find it to be. Of couse I make it worse by trying to pick off every copepod brittlestar worm stomatella etc. and tossing them back into the tank. And just given how tight the sump area is (tank is a 30" cube so don't have much space at all to work with), it's impossible to remove the filter sock without getting water spilled which of course makes the stand want to rust out even more.

BUT, I'm sort of stuck as the sump has a lot of flow and is short, without the sock the microbubbles are out of control. So for now I think I'm stuck with them, but it would be nice to explore reasons not to bother with the next tank.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Got a link for the "don't bother" thread at RC? Would be interested to read it.

Maybe I shouldn't admit this but I only change mine out about 2 weeks or so .. it's pretty gross by the time I get around to it, and even still I think it's too danged often considering the PITA I find it to be. Of couse I make it worse by trying to pick off every copepod brittlestar worm stomatella etc. and tossing them back into the tank. And just given how tight the sump area is (tank is a 30" cube so don't have much space at all to work with), it's impossible to remove the filter sock without getting water spilled which of course makes the stand want to rust out even more.

BUT, I'm sort of stuck as the sump has a lot of flow and is short, without the sock the microbubbles are out of control. So for now I think I'm stuck with them, but it would be nice to explore reasons not to bother with the next tank.

Well the thread was about all kinds of stuff but filter socks came up. I will get the link.

Basically if they aren't changes every few days, they become nitrate producers. The other point I think was that if you feed your corals then its pointless to have filter socks...although then a skimmer is too. But I guess the point was that you are also taking away coral food (fish poop).

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Here...your not going to find a bunch of reasons not to use them. The thread just reminded me of how much I hate using them or changing them daily and I thought I may as well do away with them.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1609942

[mark]

Wondering why you have to change them every day?

I try to get to mine weekly, but often wait until the water starts to spill out of them before swapping.

[Jason McK]

I use them mainly to elliminate bubbles. The bubble king and the returns produce so much that they would enter the display without the socks

J

[Myka]

This is why I prefer a tray with a small sheet of filter "floss" media, easier to change out everyday, and you don't have to wash it, just toss it. I use the stuff J&L sells by the roll...very cheap.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Wondering why you have to change them every day?

I try to get to mine weekly, but often wait until the water starts to spill out of them before swapping.

Well not everyday but I just do...figure since it should be done every two days or so, may as well just do it everyday.

Otherwise there is a lot of crap just sitting in a sock in my tank.

I don't need them for micro bubbles or anything, so may as well just stop using them I think.

[mark]

well it's ideal to get the crap out of the system, don't think you need to change the socks daily or every couple of days.

Also to argue this a bit, you're thinking about getting rid of the socks as you believe must change them every couple of days to get the crap out, but then if you got rid of the socks all together you won't be removing what they would collect.

[don.ald]

do the socks remove pods etc?

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

well it's ideal to get the crap out of the system, don't think you need to change the socks daily or every couple of days.

Also to argue this a bit, you're thinking about getting rid of the socks as you believe must change them every couple of days to get the crap out, but then if you got rid of the socks all together you won't be removing what they would collect.

Well no but then what they collect will be used in the system rather than wasting away in a filter sock.

IMO if you are using them, you do need to change them every few days. I personally saw a huge difference in my last tank when I started to change them daily. Nitrates went down.

Anyways, this wasn't suppose to be a debate about what they do...

I was just wondering if I was missing anything before I remove them but so far no reason to keep using them.

[BC Mosaic]

At first I didn't, then I did and now I don't.
The reason I don't is that I had live beneficial critters removed from the tank as well as "food". I changed once a week but seeing the "Dark Matter" I thought too that it was a nitrate factory.
I may be reconsidering my application of its' use. I worry that any crap coming out of the tank ,especially if you're harvesting an algae problem or such, it will eventually plug up the skimmers' pump and cleaning a skimmers' pump is more a PITA than a sock.
So now I'll be going back to the sock during maintenance duty only.

[hillegom]

I don't have a sock, but was considering one. So I have to ask, how big is the mesh?
Microns, or like 1/16 in? what?
Thanks

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

At first I didn't, then I did and now I don't.
The reason I don't is that I had live beneficial critters removed from the tank as well as "food". I changed once a week but seeing the "Dark Matter" I thought too that it was a nitrate factory.
I may be reconsidering my application of its' use. I worry that any crap coming out of the tank ,especially if you're harvesting an algae problem or such, it will eventually plug up the skimmers' pump and cleaning a skimmers' pump is more a PITA than a sock.
So now I'll be going back to the sock during maintenance duty only.

This is kind of where I am at I guess...it does take a lot of stuff out every few days. But take out so much good with the bad. The amount of life I see in mine is crazy.

So if I don't use them, the good stays in the tank and some of the bad. The bad (detritus) will hopefully be used by corals, crabs, ect.

But if I don't use them, that also means cleaning pumps more as you said. I already clean them all once a month but maybe then I would need to clean more???

My sump has a powerhead in it and no baffles, so nothing ever settles.

I could go back to changing them less but everytime I do that, nitrates rise. LOL...no real solution. I guess I just have to decide.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

I don't have a sock, but was considering one. So I have to ask, how big is the mesh?
Microns, or like 1/16 in? what?
Thanks

There are a few sizes, I don't know what they are though. I use a very fine sock.

[Pescador]

I try to get to mine weekly, but often wait until the water starts to spill out of them before swapping.

+1

I don't have a sock, but was considering one. So I have to ask, how big is the mesh?
Microns, or like 1/16 in? what?
Thanks

The bags I use are 100 micron polyfelt 7" dia. x 16".
Like this
http://www.fsifilters.com/products.php?prod_id=9

[my2rotties]

I went without them at first, and now that I have them, I would never consider not using them. I feed my fish heavily and have quite a few of them... I change my sock daily and have four on hand. They take out a lot of stuff that now does not have to go through the sump and into the skimmer.

[Delphinus]

I dunno if I really buy into the "it takes away coral food aka fish poop." They poop enough that the filter sock and the skimmer for that matter are not hurting the corals food chains. The copepod removal, I do see that one, but that's one of the reasons I sit there for 5 minutes picking them out of the sock getting my fingertips stinky and putting them back in the tank. And the nitrate factory .. well my tank went from chronic nitrates at >25ppm to 1-2ppm after I started using socks so I'm not sure that's as significant as people say. So yeah, basically it comes down to "use them" or "don't use them" as per whatever one you prefer more. :) Thanks for the link though GSP, interesting reading. :)

[mark]

I'll turn mine inside out and shake into the sink. Usually a few pods, the tiny brittle stars and some small snails I'll throw back into the fuge. Collected a clown once and a peppermint shrimp, sure made me jump back.

[bullit67]

I change mine out every week when I do my water change only been using them for about 2 months now dont seam to have any problems since I started using them. I am using them to keep my sump clean I got tired of having to clean the sump every week.

[banditpowdercoat]

I used to use them, but now, 3 months without, and tank is nice and clean. Acctually, getting baby snails growing now. Don't know if it's just the maturity of my tank, or related to the socks??

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

I dunno if I really buy into the "it takes away coral food aka fish poop." They poop enough that the filter sock and the skimmer for that matter are not hurting the corals food chains. The copepod removal, I do see that one, but that's one of the reasons I sit there for 5 minutes picking them out of the sock getting my fingertips stinky and putting them back in the tank. And the nitrate factory .. well my tank went from chronic nitrates at >25ppm to 1-2ppm after I started using socks so I'm not sure that's as significant as people say. So yeah, basically it comes down to "use them" or "don't use them" as per whatever one you prefer more. :) Thanks for the link though GSP, interesting reading. :)

OK, well no of course its not taking it all out in a normal system.

I think the person posting in that thread is talking about 'sps systems' which these days seems to mean ultra low nutrient systems. I should have been much more clear about this...I am talking about low to ultra low nutrient systems that rely on heavy feeding to keep corals growing. I was thinking it but of course forgot to actually type it :neutral:

So...In that case, you can actually strip the water too much. I know some people who don't have many fish and are using systems like ZEO, need to overfeed just to keep color in their corals. I have a zillion fish now, feed as much as they want (enough that sheets of nori gets left uneaten now!?!) and don't register much nitrates (2 ppm) or any phosphates anymore after about a month of ZEO (no algae taking them up either). Actually more like a few months of ZEO but one month on the new tank. My corals keep their color and I assume its because I feed so much and have a lot of fish...I am by no means down to that 'Ultra low nutrient' system quite yet but my tank seems to be headed that way. My thought (and I believe the RC posters) was that at that point, filter socks can start to take too much out of the water.

Not everyone running ZEO is getting to those 'ultra low nutrient' levels though, so its not just a ZEO thing...I still see ZEO tanks with hair algae growing. So they obviously still have nutrient problems.

Anyways, that might clear what I was thinking up a little.

I agree, they aren't going to take too much 'crap' out of a regular system but when you are purposely feeding the tank, whether it be coral food, fish food, amino acids, ect. and then are using a filter sock to catch out some of that stuff, I am not so sure it makes sense. Or at least I can see where people on that side of the argument are coming from :biggrin: