Media In Filter Socks

[Magickiwi]

So I ordered a new sump for my system (terrified that this is going to cause a tank cycle and wipe out my animals and corals) and this one has a couple features my current sump doesn’t offer. It will have a refugium, a place to put my skimmer and also filter socks.

I’m curious, has anyone tried putting media into the filter socks? Not loose stuff but in a bag like purigen, chemi-pure etc? It would sure as heck get a lot of flow through and over the media.

Also am I justifiably worried that this will cause my tank to cycle? My current setup has bio-balls in it but the LR in my tank should be properly seeded with denitrifying bacteria no?

[kien]

Originally Posted by Magickiwi

So I ordered a new sump for my system (terrified that this is going to cause a tank cycle and wipe out my animals and corals) and this one has a couple features my current sump doesn’t offer. It will have a refugium, a place to put my skimmer and also filter socks.

I’m curious, has anyone tried putting media into the filter socks? Not loose stuff but in a bag like purigen, chemi-pure etc? It would sure as heck get a lot of flow through and over the media.

Also am I justifiably worried that this will cause my tank to cycle? My current setup has bio-balls in it but the LR in my tank should be properly seeded with denitrifying bacteria no?

Is more than 50% of biological filtration in your sump?? If so then ya, the possibility is there, although definitely can be managed by not allowing your biological media to dry out. If you do have bio media in the sump like live rock then you can just put it in the display tank temporarily while you do the sump swap.

If you have virtually no biological filter media in your sump then i would not worry about it at all. Just keep your tank heated, oxygenated and circulating during your tank swamp and it'll just feel like a water change as far as your tank is concerned.

[Magickiwi]

Originally Posted by kien

Is more than 50% of biological filtration in your sump?? If so then ya, the possibility is there, although definitely can be managed by not allowing your biological media to dry out. If you do have bio media in the sump like live rock then you can just put it in the display tank temporarily while you do the sump swap.

If you have virtually no biological filter media in your sump then i would not worry about it at all. Just keep your tank heated, oxygenated and circulating during your tank swamp and it'll just feel like a water change as far as your tank is concerned.

More than 50%? Not sure, how would I know? I used the bag of bio-balls that the sump came with. I could add these to the new sump temporarily in the skimmer compartment and then slowly take them out. I have 90lbs or so of live rock (mostly marco rock and some real live rock). Maybe in the refugium compartment until I mud and plant it I guess.

Any thoughts on putting media in your filter socks?

[kien]

Originally Posted by Magickiwi

More than 50%? Not sure, how would I know? I used the bag of bio-balls that the sump came with. I could add these to the new sump temporarily in the skimmer compartment and then slowly take them out. I have 90lbs or so of live rock (mostly marco rock and some real live rock). Maybe in the refugium compartment until I mud and plant it I guess.

Any thoughts on putting media in your filter socks?

I have never placed media in filters socks but have heard people do it.

90 pounds of rock in your display tank should be enough biological filtration. You can probably (slowly) remove the bio balls. If you're attached to your balls, then what you can do is throw them into a mesh or some other porous bag and just hang them in your display tank while you do the transfer. That should keep the bacteria on the balls alive while you do the transfer. Bio balls are really unnecessary if you are using cured porous rock (like the marco rock) in your display tank.

[Magickiwi]

Originally Posted by kien

If you're attached to your balls, then what you can do is throw them into a mesh or some other porous bag and just hang them in your display tank while you do the transfer.

That might be difficult to do, I'm not very flexible...



The sump was initially sized and intended for a 90g fish-only freshwater tank. I decided to make do with it until I needed to change it up. I hesitated including the bio-balls initially but decided it may make denitrifying easier in the short term (start-up).

I think what I’ll do is just put them in a bucket of tank water, do a water change, install the new sump, and then put the balls into the refugium chamber for a while until I’m confident the tank won’t cycle.

[lastlight]

i currently run my rox carbon in one of my mesh filter socks. i suspect it doesn't work nearly as well as running it fluidized in a reactor but i can't say for sure. i do love how easy it is to rinse and dispose of though!

the carbon eventually is all pushed against the bottom of the sock. i'm not sure how good flow is through all of it once this occurs...

[Magickiwi]

If it compacts I'd say that it is doing less good than a fluidized reactor. This would be for media that I like but can't find a good place for like my cuprisorb or purigen.

I think as long as I kept it in a bag I could shake it every couple days.

[lastlight]

i lift the socks every now and then and shake the media around. it's not a huge worry as i only place a small amount in there so I can replace it with my weekly water change. the smaller amount also helps ensure most of it is hit with water.

[saltyair]

I have tried the media in a filter sock and it just doesn't work well. It is also messy imo.

i do love my vertex carbon reactor and so effective.

You shouldn't have a new cycle if you place your rock in the dt while you transfer. If anything your tank will be more stable with the refuge.

Originally Posted by Magickiwi

More than 50%? Not sure, how would I know? I used the bag of bio-balls that the sump came with. I could add these to the new sump temporarily in the skimmer compartment and then slowly take them out. I have 90lbs or so of live rock (mostly marco rock and some real live rock). Maybe in the refugium compartment until I mud and plant it I guess.

Any thoughts on putting media in your filter socks?

[Magickiwi]

I think it would have to be something that wouldn't compact tightly like GFO. I was thinking maybe a bag of cuprisorb or possibly some large particle GAC. If it works great if not well it's hardly any effort wasted. Besides the sump I've ordered has a compartment between the refugium and the return chamber for filter media like purigen etc. Looking forward to receiving it, the build quality and features are leaps ahead of my Eshopp wet/dry sump.