To Filter with your Socks or not?

[Reefer Rob]

Originally Posted by Tyler Werbowski

I have never used filter socks but I am considering it. Is there that much of a difference between felt and mesh in say ... 200 micron?

200 micron felt fills up in 1 1/2 - 2 days, 200 micron mesh seems to never fill, just a bit in the bottom. I'm going try to find 100 micron mesh.

[Werbo]

Ok thanks Rob

[Myka]

Why are your guys' socks plugging up so quick? I left a sock on my tank for a week once (forgot to remove it when I was out of town) and even though the water level in the sock was higher than the sump it still wasn't overflowing. I use the 8" 200 micron socks from BRS.

Originally Posted by lastlight

The mesh Vertex 100 micron I use are crazy fine. CAn't see those pores almost without a magnifier. I find hand-washing mesh way easier than felt.

I've been wondering about these...I'm happy to hear a good review.

I'm also considering a switch to flat cut-to-size 50 or 100 micron media. Make a little compartment in the sump to hold a 6" pond plant basket then "cup" the media into the basket. Being flat it would be really easy to clean. There are several brands of flat media, gotta double check they are washable though as some are not...Coralife, AquaticLife, etc. It is much cheaper than socks considering I could get 4 pads cut out of one I think... [Here's a link to the Coralife]

[lastlight]

Does soaking them in bleach actually break down the stuff that is persistant enough to beat my hand-washing? I can't get my oldest sock white anymore... and it clogs much faster than the newer two.

[phi delt reefer]

Originally Posted by lastlight

Does soaking them in bleach actually break down the stuff that is persistant enough to beat my hand-washing? I can't get my oldest sock white anymore... and it clogs much faster than the newer two.

it certainely does.

but i use mesh...not that crappy felt.

after i hand wash a sock, if i dont bleach it i get 3 days out of it before it overflows. If i bleach the sock after washing it i get 5 or 6 days before it starts to really fill then i just change it at that point.

you dont need a lot of bleach... i use a capful per litre and clean two socks at once.

i use 4 by 12 socks, not the 7 inch ones.

[gregzz4]

300 Micron 4 x 12, but my tank's not running yet. I have my sock hanger after the skimmer. The hanger holds 2 and I bought 4 for swapping. They're the plastic/nylon style so should be very easy to rinse.

[lastlight]

Originally Posted by phi delt reefer

it certainely does.

but i use mesh...not that crappy felt.

Awesome I'm going to do this to mine and see how it goes. I use mesh as well. After they soak you just rinse them with tapwater or do you need to soak them in that as well?

[Myka]

Bleach definitely helps de-clog the socks. I think if your socks are getting that dirty that you probably need to bleach them.

[Reefer Rob]

How are you removing the chlorine residue, are you soaking the socks in de-chlorinator as a last step? Perhaps the 200 micron mesh will be best once they "age" a bit.

[Marlin65]

I use them mainly to fillter out the small snails that run rampant in my tanks and this keeps them from going into my pumps and cloging up my impellers.
I use the mesh ones and just rince them out when I do a water change.