To sock or not to sock ...

vucious

vucious

Member
that is the question.

So I had the pleasure of cleaning filter socks for the first time today and it was no fun. Taking it off and putting it back on was terrible since it's really tight in my sump's first chamber. I've read conflicting things about whether using filter socks is really needed. Who here do not use filter socks and is your tank still clean and clear?
 
I removed mine last year after questioning myself for the longest if it was needed. My display tank is still crystal clear without it...but that's because the water initially goes thru my cheato garden....and then next it passes my protein skimmer, and then to my reactor, and finally to my return pump. I feel the "dirty" water that comes from the display tank feeds my cheato and other micro organisms in that chamber.
 
I don't use a sock but I have a filter pad that I use but every week I pull it out and cut a new piece and it's never the slightest dirty. My fuge and skimmer is all I really need. My water stays perfectly clear
 
I've used them and not used them. They will obviously remove larger particulate from the water as evidenced by how dirty they can get. Would the skimmer have pulled it out anyway? Probably most of it. Your sump will stay cleaner if you use them, that is the main benefit that I found, otherwise I never saw any +/- when looking at the DT or overall coral health.
 
I don't run socks 24x7, only putting them on during monthly maintenance. Blasting the rocks with a power head dislodges a lot of detritus and this is what the socks catch. My system is always pretty clean and clear, if I were to run socks 24x7 I'd likely need to feed corals even more often, causing more maintenance and likely higher nutrient load. Too clear of water can be a problem for filter feeders. Like others, the sump catches most of the detritus which is easy to siphon out during WC.
 
I use one, but have debated taking it off for the longest time. Changing/cleaning them can be a pain. Plus, I switched to a LPS/softie dominant tank which might appreciate the dirtier water.
 
jrpark22000 said:
I don't run socks 24x7, only putting them on during monthly maintenance. Blasting the rocks with a power head dislodges a lot of detritus and this is what the socks catch. My system is always pretty clean and clear, if I were to run socks 24x7 I'd likely need to feed corals even more often, causing more maintenance and likely higher nutrient load. Too clear of water can be a problem for filter feeders. Like others, the sump catches most of the detritus which is easy to siphon out during WC.
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The reefer said:
Take off the filter sock and once a month vacuum out the detritus with this. This is what I use since I have buckets for my wc's

http://m.homedepot.com/p/Bucket-Head-Wet-Dry-Vaccum-BH0100/202017218
Click to expand...


Sounds like a lot of people have had success without a filter sock. I like the idea of only putting one on for maintenance. Thanks for the inputs everyone. I will be sock-less.
 
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http://www.chicagoreefs.com/forums/showthread.php?10615-Running-without-a-filter-sock

http://www.chicagoreefs.com/forums/showthread.php?1471-Filter-sock-or-No-Filter-sock

http://www.chicagoreefs.com/forums/showthread.php?3583-Filter-Socks

and more......
 
I like the idea of the bucket head! Gotta be better than a simple siphon!

My sump is chock full of pods, presumably feeding on the detritus, but I'd like to remove detritus as it builds up.

Any thoughts on how to avoid sucking out the pods? Or a way to separate pods from the detritus to return them to the tank? Or don't bother, they'll multiply to the available food source?
 
i use the sock, after 3 days i change it and its dark brown in color, so i know it works, but my skimmer doesnt have much to skim
 
ultimatemj said:
I like the idea of the bucket head! Gotta be better than a simple siphon!

My sump is chock full of pods, presumably feeding on the detritus, but I'd like to remove detritus as it builds up.

Any thoughts on how to avoid sucking out the pods? Or a way to separate pods from the detritus to return them to the tank? Or don't bother, they'll multiply to the available food source?
Click to expand...
Knock stuff around down there for a minute prior to vacuuming, they will all go hide in rubble and chaeto.
 
Makes sense, except it's the rubble I really need to vacuum; as rubble can become less effective once clogged up.

Considering putting rubble in 2 bags, open mesh kind like fruit come in, so I can lift it all out...maybe the pods can hid in the other bag of rubble still in the sump.
 
ultimatemj said:
Makes sense, except it's the rubble I really need to vacuum; as rubble can become less effective once clogged up.

Considering putting rubble in 2 bags, open mesh kind like fruit come in, so I can lift it all out...maybe the pods can hid in the other bag of rubble still in the sump.
Click to expand...

Vacuuming rubble isn't going to help you. You should be blowing out rubble with a powerhead and then vacuuming/siphoning the dirty, detritus laden water that comes out.

If you have an effective detritus clean up crew, including pods, you also shouldn't have an issue with your rubble clogging due to detritus.
 
I run two big socks in my sump and change them out when they start to overflow over the top, usually in about a week. I run them for two reasons: 1) to catch detritus 2) to keep air bubbles from going into my return chamber of my sump. My sump is poorly designed. It's basically a 75 gallon tank with a center divider with two holes that PVC runs through. I put the socks on those.

I own about ten socks, so I just keep all of the dirty ones in a bucket until they're all dirty and ready to go in the washer. I also use the socks to do the gravel vac into the sump trick.

I don't like dealing with the socks, but they definitely catch a bunch of crap.
 
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