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Reef Pilot
11-20-2012, 07:42 PM
I use a 7" filter sock in my sump, and it can run a long time before it plugs up and I have to clean it . How often should they be cleaned before they become a nitrate factory?

wickedfrags
11-20-2012, 08:33 PM
it will plug before it become a nitrate factory, rate at which it clogs depends on the micron size and how much it is removing from the tank (flow rate, feeding etc.)

once it starts overflowing, or perhaps before, put it in the washing machine, wash and rinse with warm water, no detergent or bleach required. cheers.

ferret
11-20-2012, 10:02 PM
I replaced & cleaned the socks once a week no matter they were plugged or not. I flush them with warm water, rinse and soak them in a bucket of fresh water with bleach for overnight. Replace the water next day and hang them till dry. I won't dare to use the washing machine/dryer or else my wife is going to kill me.

Bblinks
11-20-2012, 10:30 PM
2-3 days for me. I swear by them. I have 10 in rotation, pre-rinse then I soak them in a bucket with bleach after a week its goes into the washer machine and when it comes out they look brand new.

gregzz4
11-20-2012, 10:46 PM
1 week here, give or take a day

Triple 4" felt setup ( same area as 1 x 7" )
I have 2 sets in rotation

Turn inside out, rinse, into washer on gentle and warm water with a cup of bleach
2nd wash water only
Turn right side out and wash 2 more times
Stand up on ring to dry

Maybe I use a lot of water, but they're clean :smile:

Salt2Death
11-20-2012, 10:53 PM
6-7 days o dual 4" socks.

Rinse out, toss 6-8 at a time in the wash with vinegar mix. (Inside out)

14 in rotation- toss out 2 ever other month and replenish.....




Sent Via The Pirate Ship...

Reef Pilot
11-20-2012, 11:14 PM
Thanks for all the replies. Looks like some variance in the times. But I notice most clean with bleach. Is that to kill the nitrate producing bacteria, or is that just what it takes to get them clean looking again?

I use the 7" 200 micron felt type sock. But I only have 2 now, thinking I can run 1 while cleaning the other. I am surprised how many everyone is using. Looks like I may have to buy more.

gregzz4
11-20-2012, 11:22 PM
Cleaning with bleach makes them nice and white is all
Gives me the feeling that they are really clean
I'm sure just washing in freshwater will kill off anything live

You don't need to buy more than what you have, unless you plan on letting them soak while you use up enough to warrant a load of laundry

I just turn down the water level as low as it goes and blow off water conservancy :rolleyes:

Royal Aquariums
11-20-2012, 11:23 PM
I run a rotation of filters socks aswell, usually changing mine out every 3 days or so. Once I have a few dirty ones I throw them in the washing machine with some vinegar. Another nice option is the 300 Micron filter socks that won't clog up near as fast, only catching bigger particles.

http://www.royalaquariums.ca/p/511/vertex-300-micron-7x14-inch-filter-sock

Seriak
11-20-2012, 11:38 PM
I change mine every 7 days or earlier if they start to overflow. I can tell as my skimmer starts going nuts. I don't bother turning them inside out as I didn't really see them getting any cleaner when I did. I have about 10 that I cycle in and out and do 1 load of laundry every couple of months. No bleach or detergent.

I also have a quick look in the sock to make sure I didn't lose any starfish, snails, etc

asylumdown
11-22-2012, 11:11 PM
I must be doing something wrong. I get less than 24 hours out of mine before they're overflowing, and there isn't even any fish in my tank at the moment.

I noticed I started getting way less time out of them when I switched from a herbie to a durso, has anyone else noticed bubbles in their overflow water making the filter socks clog up faster? I've got 7 socks, so I'm doing a dedicated filter sock load once a week.

gregzz4
11-22-2012, 11:27 PM
Adam, when I was using mesh ( Poly ) socks, I was lucky to only use 2 sets per DAY :surprise:
Same as you - they would overflow very quickly

Since I've switched to felt I've had no issues, and I have to remember to change them weekly as they seem to last forever now

asylumdown
11-22-2012, 11:30 PM
What brand/micron size are you using? My sump was built for square filter socks, and I've been having a hard time finding any for order online. I would happily switch if it meant I could get a couple of days out of them.

gregzz4
11-22-2012, 11:35 PM
You'll have to change your hanger if you buy the ones I use
They are round and have a plastic mounting ring

Aqueon 200 Micron sock (http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/store_pages/product-info.php?product_ID=aq-aqspps)

These Vertex (http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/store_pages/product-info.php?product_ID=vt-acfs1443) ones plugged up more than once a day, even though they are 300 Micron vs the 200 I use now

Reef Pilot
11-25-2012, 09:57 PM
Well, I just did my first cleaning using bleach. After pre-rinsing, I let it soak in a pail with bleach added for a day, and then thoroughly rinsed it again before letting it sit in fresh water for another day.

I removed it from the fresh water, and rinsed it again. But to my surprise, I can still detect a faint odor of bleach on the filter bag. I haven't dried it yet, so maybe that is still necessary.

But I assume bleach is very bad for my tank. How much is allowable? Is rinsing and soaking in fresh water for a couple days enough?

I haven't gone the clothes washer route yet, but might try that in the future, if I buy some extras.

I am using the CPR 7" 200 micron socks with the plastic handles. They are very thick and stiff, and was not able to turn them inside out for easier rinsing.

Reef Pilot
11-26-2012, 04:55 PM
Didn't get a response to my last post. Still wondering about the lingering effects of the bleach soaking, and how much rinsing and soaking in fresh water afterwards is necessary to ensure no impact to my display tank.

wickedfrags
11-26-2012, 05:02 PM
don't use bleach.....not required

Well, I just did my first cleaning using bleach. After pre-rinsing, I let it soak in a pail with bleach added for a day, and then thoroughly rinsed it again before letting it sit in fresh water for another day.

I removed it from the fresh water, and rinsed it again. But to my surprise, I can still detect a faint odor of bleach on the filter bag. I haven't dried it yet, so maybe that is still necessary.

But I assume bleach is very bad for my tank. How much is allowable? Is rinsing and soaking in fresh water for a couple days enough?

I haven't gone the clothes washer route yet, but might try that in the future, if I buy some extras.

I am using the CPR 7" 200 micron socks with the plastic handles. They are very thick and stiff, and was not able to turn them inside out for easier rinsing.

Royal Aquariums
11-26-2012, 05:24 PM
I put a dash of bleach in the washing machine with my filter socks from time to time. I've never had negative effects.

Bblinks
11-26-2012, 05:55 PM
Cap full of bleach with a bucket of water to soak is fine. I usually soak it for a week or so before the whole batch is ready for the laundry machine. I use a cap full of bleach also in the wash cycle. After the wash it gets air dried. Important part to remember is to make sure the socks are fully dried as the bleach will evaporate once its fully dried. I have used this method for years with no ill effects.

Reef Pilot
11-26-2012, 11:42 PM
Thanks again for the responses. I haven't dried the sock yet, but will do that long before I use it. I just bought 4 more today, so have 6 in total. That will allow me to set up a regular cycle, where I can clean and wash several at a time. I ran the first one 5 days before changing, and it was still only about 2/3 of the way dirty, so looks like a sock should last a full week, no problem.

BTW, J&L has these CPR socks on sale right now. They are definitely large socks (7" x 16") with lots of capacity.

Reef Pilot
12-09-2012, 03:05 PM
Just a quick update on my recent sock cleaning experience. Some have suggested washing without bleach. I tried that, and after a lot of washing and rinsing, they were still not clean. These 200 micron CPR socks are too thick and stiff to turn inside out, so it is very difficult to wash loose the crud that is stuck in the fibres.

I then soaked them in a bucket with some bleach for a couple days. And almost like magic, the crud was dissolved and easily washed out, clean and white. It took a couple more cycles of rinsing in clear water and then drying to get rid of the bleach smell. But at the end of a week, they were ready for use again.

These large socks easily last a week for me, so a weekly cycle is just the right amount of time to get them cleaned and ready for use again.

Thanks again to everyone for all your suggestions.

Also, for your interest, here are a couple pics of the sock hangar I made out of a scrap piece of lexan. I like working with lexan, as it is easy to cut and shape/form similar to a thin sheet of metal, but is incredibly strong. Works perfectly.
http://www.canreef.com/photopost/data/507/medium/0041.JPG
http://www.canreef.com/photopost/data/507/medium/0112.JPG

The Guy
12-09-2012, 03:43 PM
Just a quick update on my recent sock cleaning experience. Some have suggested washing without bleach. I tried that, and after a lot of washing and rinsing, they were still not clean. These 200 micron CPR socks are too thick and stiff to turn inside out, so it is very difficult to wash loose the crud that is stuck in the fibres.

I then soaked them in a bucket with some bleach for a couple days. And almost like magic, the crud was dissolved and easily washed out, clean and white. It took a couple more cycles of rinsing in clear water and then drying to get rid of the bleach smell. But at the end of a week, they were ready for use again.

These large socks easily last a week for me, so a weekly cycle is just the right amount of time to get them cleaned and ready for use again.

Thanks again to everyone for all your suggestions.

Also, for your interest, here are a couple pics of the sock hangar I made out of a scrap piece of lexan. I like working with lexan, as it is easy to cut and shape/form similar to a thin sheet of metal, but is incredibly strong. Works perfectly.
http://www.canreef.com/photopost/data/507/medium/0041.JPG
http://www.canreef.com/photopost/data/507/medium/0112.JPG
Nice job on the hanger, I bought 2 - 200 micron x14" and 2- 100 micron x14", have not used any yet with my new set up. which one should I start with?

Reef Pilot
12-09-2012, 08:18 PM
Nice job on the hanger, I bought 2 - 200 micron x14" and 2- 100 micron x14", have not used any yet with my new set up. which one should I start with?
I have only used the 200 micron as that was what was recommended to me. Seems to be just right for my bio load and lasts a full week before having to change it. It is a 7 X 16 inch size sock, though, so lots of capacity.

You might want to try both, and see which one works best for you. If you can get more than a few days with your 100 micron, that should provide the cleanest water.

My 200 micron sock is the felt fibre type. I was told that the mesh ones clog up faster.

lastlight
12-09-2012, 09:32 PM
Nice job on the hanger, I bought 2 - 200 micron x14" and 2- 100 micron x14", have not used any yet with my new set up. which one should I start with?

be nice if somehow the polished water from the 200 went into the 100.

Reef Pilot
12-09-2012, 10:16 PM
be nice if somehow the polished water from the 200 went into the 100.
Well, you could make another hanger that just sat on top of the main hanger raising the sock by about 1 inch. Then have the 100 micron on the bottom main hanger, and the 200 on top draining into the 100 sock underneath.

I think that would be a little overkill. I still expect the skimmer to do its job of nutrient export. The 200 micron sock does a good enough job of catching the bigger bits which helps my skimmer last longer before having to clean off the build-up in the neck.

gregzz4
01-01-2013, 02:49 AM
Update ...
I haven't been happy with the residual smell of chlorine, so I've stopped using bleach and my socks come out clean enough

Turn inside out, rinse very well under hi pressure in laundry tub, into washer on gentle and warm water for 2 cycles
Turn right side out and wash 2 more times
Stand up on ring to dry

I could probably get away with 1/2 the wash cycles, but our water is not yet metered

Madreefer
01-01-2013, 02:57 AM
I've used bleach from the first time i've washed my filter socks. But I do 2 rinse cycles afterwards. The smell goes away once they dry.

gregzz4
01-01-2013, 03:13 AM
How much bleach do you use ?
I was using about 1 cup of bleach
Even after 3 more wash cycles, I could still smell something once they dried

bkelly
01-01-2013, 03:20 AM
I use 1 cap full if that cleans three at once for me, Ive been soaking in a pail to wait till I got 3 to wash so Im trying to decide if its better to soak just in water - smells bad or put some bleach in there too, but makes them really smell of bleach.

Madreefer
01-01-2013, 03:24 AM
How much bleach do you use ?
I was using about 1 cup of bleach
Even after 3 more wash cycles, I could still smell something once they dried

Just over a cup for 6 of the felt socks.

gregzz4
01-01-2013, 03:39 AM
Im trying to decide if its better to soak just in water
Someone here (Bblinks maybe) recently mentioned destroying socks by leaving them soak in bleach for too long
Maybe just soak them in bleach overnight when they're all ready for the wash, or don't soak at all. Try experimenting

Just over a cup for 6 of the felt socks.
Hmm ... dunno why I was still smelling it after a week of drying

Reef_Geek
01-01-2013, 04:27 AM
for removal of chlorines (not chloramines), use SODIUM THIOSULFATE

I don't know why aquarium hobbyists haven't caught on to its use, but it is very common practice in aquaculture. It's commonly available from pool supply places... it's what pool maintenance uses to reduce chlorine in swimming pools.

Dissolve sodium thiosulfate (a table spoon or so) in a 5 gallon bucket of freshwater, and soak overnight whatever you're trying to neutralize in residual chlorine.

When I was managing marine ornamental aquaculture and needed to sterilize something (tank, habitat etc)... I'd use pool supply chlorine for a soak overnight, then another soak with lots of sodium thiosulfate.

Reef Pilot
01-15-2013, 10:36 PM
for removal of chlorines (not chloramines), use SODIUM THIOSULFATE

I don't know why aquarium hobbyists haven't caught on to its use, but it is very common practice in aquaculture. It's commonly available from pool supply places... it's what pool maintenance uses to reduce chlorine in swimming pools.

Dissolve sodium thiosulfate (a table spoon or so) in a 5 gallon bucket of freshwater, and soak overnight whatever you're trying to neutralize in residual chlorine.

When I was managing marine ornamental aquaculture and needed to sterilize something (tank, habitat etc)... I'd use pool supply chlorine for a soak overnight, then another soak with lots of sodium thiosulfate.

I went to my local Spa shop, and they didn't have any sodium thiosulphate. However, they did have a product called Aqua Neutralizer which removes chlorine and bromine from water. It contains sodium sulphite.

Is the same type of product and safe to use to remove bleach from filter socks?