Filter sock cleaning/rotation

S

stratman

I added a filter sock to my setup a few months ago and want to hear some opinions...

How often do you clean/change yours? How do you clean it? What micron size do you run? Has it affected your skimmer (cut down or increased skimmate)? If you wash/re-use yours, how long or how many times before you declare it toast and buy a new one?

Currently, I have 5 200 micron socks that I rotate out once a week. I soak the dirty socks in 6:1 vinegar solution for a week, then spray them down with a garden hose & spray nozzle, and final rinse in RO/DI water.

:?: Thoughts :?:
 
I try to change mine every three days. I just throw it in the washing machine with some bleach, no soap. I then use some ro/di water with Amquil to get rid of the chlorine left from the wash. I think it is 100 or 200 micron bag. I have two of them. I have been runnig it since I set up so can't say about changing the skimmer performance.
 
200 micron change every 3-5 days. through them in washer with nothing else, 2 rinses warm water. Let dry in the sun for at least 24 hours. Quick rinse in the sink before the go in. It hasn't efffected skimmate at all that I can tell but it keeps the sump darn clean and the tank is much cleaner also.
 
Yes, I did notice an immediate decrease in particulate matter and detrius. I expected less gunk settling, but didn't really realize how much more "polished" the tank water would look.
 
I kept forgetting to change mine so have quit using them. I used to wash them in washer in hot water and let air dry.

Are they really necessary if you can't tell a difference? I think it could add nitrates.

Kay
 
@Frogspawn wrote:
Where exactly do you install a filter sock? said:
They go in the sump and cover the return line from the tank. They filter out most of the "larger" items in the water and are better than sponges since they don't provide much growing area for nitrates.

@janakaybravo wrote:
Are they really necessary if you can't tell a difference? I think it could add nitrates. said:
I most decidedly can tell a difference in my tank. My nitrates have never been a concern, and if these were rotated/cleaned on a regular basis I don't believe they would be a problem. A good study would help back that point, but I can't find one :oops:

I am open to input if there is a better way other than the filter sock to take care of particulate matter....
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@janakaybravo wrote:
I kept forgetting to change mine so have quit using them. I used to wash them in washer in hot water and let air dry. Are they really necessary if you can't tell a difference? I think it could add nitrates. Kay said:
Sure they could. If you don't change them it becomes like any other sponge or a wet dry filter, it becomes super efficient at producing nitrates!

You can most certainly be successful without one. It's more a matter of choice to have clearer water for me then any nutrient reduction benefit but clearly if used properly they help both.


There are other things you could do like run a canister filter or HOB filter also but these have the same issues. you have to clean them frequently or they become issues.
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Since I've added ozone my water stays pretty clear. I tested my nitrates last night and they were 10, the highest they've ever been. About to do a big water change. It's probably high due to adding anthias and feeding more often.

On the filters I used, I put them in my sump in one of the slots. I just cut off the top and slide it in there. It would be hard on my sump to get one over the return since it spills into a bubble trap filled with rock. Is that what y'all are doing? Sometimes I get a carbon filter that you can get for $5 at Frank's and slide it in there to run extra carbon. I can't find them on line, wish I could.

Kay
 
Kay,
How often do you empty/clean your skimmer cup. I do mine every 2 days (3 at the most) and switch out filter socks at the same time. To date, my nitrates are never over 5 -6 ppm and I am starting to get my GHA under control due to better nutrient (and detritus) export. :wink:
 
@janakaybravo wrote:
Since I've added ozone my water stays pretty clear. I tested my nitrates last night and they were 10 said:
They are two different "clears". Ozone clears out the yellowing dissolved organics but doesn't address the big detritus particles. That what a filter sock does. My water is crystal clear but there is enough flow that detritus is always blowing around. It reduces it immensly when I run a filter sock and it doesn't recirc.

For some it's not a problem at all for others it is. It also if changed often will help lower the bioload as you can remove a bunch of detritus before it gets processed. The problem arises when you don't change and it breaks down that detritus in record time not allowing all your tank critters to take it the full cycle (back to nitrogen gas) and it just breaks it down into nitrates.
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The return side of my sump doesn't have any place for rubble. My sump has a piece of trim with a pipe on it that my return line connects to. The filter sock is placed below that pipe. My filter sock and euro-reef skimmer sit together in the 1st compartment of my sump.
 
Hey, I tried washing mine your way in the washing machine. Luckily my wife didn't mind, she said she would follow with a load of towels used in our dogs' kennels.

I'll let y'all know how I make out. I really like the idea! That's a lot easier than how I was doing it! 8)
 
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