Thoughts on filter socks vs more flow in sump

[asylumdown]

I just reworked my entire sump to no longer require filter socks. They're great in theory, but the good 200 micron felt socks that I have need to be replaced about every 18 hours or they clog up completely and overflow. It gets old quick. And fwiw, it think you're going to get detritus build up in a sump with lighting no matter what you do. The detritus, 9 times out of 10 is the byproduct of bacterial activity, which is taking place everywhere, especially in areas with light and corals. For the time that they're not overflowing, they definitely do make a difference in the amount of crap floating around however.

[Myka]

I go for the hybrid attack...

I run a sock for 24-48 hours after each waterchange, then wash it. I also clean out the sump every 3rd waterchange or so. I have a mini shop vac that sits onto a 5-gallon pail and I use that to suck the sump and overflow out. Easy peasy.

[Reef Pilot]

Well, I tried a sponge,... then no sponge, ie unfiltered. And then a big 7" X 16" filter sock. Now I am back to the sponge.

My sump was actually designed for a big sponge between a couple baffles. I stopped using it, because early on I had high nitrates, and people were saying sponges were nitrate factories.

But with no sponge and going unfiltered, I had to clean my skimmer neck more often, and detritus collected in some areas of my sump. And in general my tank water was not as clear.

The filter sock worked really well, but it was a lot of work cleaning them with bleach, etc.

When I finally got my nitrates down to zero, I tried the sponge again. It is certainly the simplest and quickest to clean option. It takes me at most 2 min to rinse and squeeze it out a few times in the sink, and then insert it back in my sump. I do have to clean it more often, every 2 or 3 days, but it is so quick and easy, so I have no problem with that. And if I am away for a while, it just moves up between the baffles a bit to let some water flow by, no worse than no filter at all. And my nitrates still always remain at zero now.

[AquaPin]

I am pro filter sock. Change it out every few days, through the dirty ones in a bucket. I do not even flip inside out. Just a bit of bleach and double rinse cycle and they are good to go again.

[The Guy]

I was running a filter sock and found it a total PITA changing them out every 2-3 days and washing them etc. As well I didn't like the idea of them collecting pods which are a good food source for my mandarin and scooter blenny. 200 micron doesn't let anything through.
I built a filter rack that fits into the middle narrow channel section of my Oceanic sump that enters into the last chamber where my return pump is located, I use the rolled filter floss media that J&L sells which seems to catch most of the detris but seems to let the pods through.
My DT is crystal clear and I change the floss media every 3-4 days, I plan on doing a vac in the sump every couple of water changes. I'll monitor this method for a while as it's only been in place for a month or so but so far so good and I like "new floss in" old gets turfed.