Export all your nutrients with this one easy trick!

[pseudorand]

High nitrates got you down? Phosphates out of control? Loosing the battle with GHA? CUC just can't keep up? This one tip will clean your tank, grow your SPS, save your marriage, manage your finances and help you find true happiness. Better than a skimmer! More powerful GFO! Faster than a speeding algae roller! And for just three easy payments of $2.32 you too can share in this amazing deal: Filter Socks!

Wait, don't go. I know what you're thinking: "BRS already told us that you have to change your filter socks every few days for it to be effective, and I don't even change my foot socks that often." But here's the trick:

Siphon into your sump through the filter sock.

My problem was that I just couldn't do enough cleaning only taking 15% of the water out of my tank. I'd gravel vacuum, but only get through half the tank before I had to stop. Then the GHA crept up on me, so I started scrubbing the rocks with a toothbrush tied to my hose to suck up what I scrubbed off. No only did I not have time to scrub off all the GHA, but that meant I wasn't gravel vacuuming. Meaning more nutrients still in the tank, and more GHA the next time. I bumped my water changes from bi-weekly to weekly. That helped a bit, but it was a lot of work and costing me a small fortune in salt, as well as the ol' "you love your fish more than you love me!" line (not true, I love them equally). Then I had an epiphany. Why not just siphon the water right back into my sump. I had a bunch of filter socks I gave up on after watching the BRS video, so I gave it a try. I clogged up 4 filter socks (not sure of the size or micron) but I got rid of most of my algae and vacuumed every reachable inch of gravel (yes, I have crushed coral substrate. And a UGF. Get off my lawn!).

If you decide to try this, here's a few tips:

• Position the top of the sock above the water line in the sump but below the top of the sump so that if it overflows you don't spill water everywhere. My socks are pretty stiff, so they will stay in that position. You need the top above the water level to ensure the gunk gets caught in the sock rather than flowing over the top. As the sock gets clogged, flow through the sock slows, so it will go over the top if it can. Even with the top above the water line this will happen eventually, but you'll catch all the debris until then.
• Have a few handy. They will clog. That's how you know it's working.
• Check the sock frequently to see if it's full.
• If your ATO beeps when the water level is too high, it should do so when you stick your arm in the tank. If it stop beeping, something is wrong, such as the hose fell out and your tank is draining.
• Use a binder clip to keep the hose where you want it.
• Don't keep clownfish. The ungrateful jerks just bite you as you clean the tank.
• After you clean the socks in the kitchen sink and your wife/husband wonders what the smell is, never admit that it's fish poop.

Anyone got any tips on cleaning filter socks other than running water through them the other way?

 

[Bobblehead]

Pressure washer works great for me

 

[mann1139]

After removing them from the tank, I turn them inside out and rinse out. Then I soak them in peroxide for 24 hours. Rinse again (still inside out). Lots more comes off the second day after the peroxide.

 

[A2dahlberg]

I wonder if I can make something to put in my all in one.

 

[Aardvark1134]

Would rather have a refugium and take 3 seconds once a week to toss handful of green stuff.

 

[pseudorand]

I have a fuge, and a huge growing ball of chaeto that I harvest every few weeks. But it wasn't enough. I'm glad to report that I only had to do the filter sock thing twice. It let me get ahead of both GHA and cyano. Now I can gravel vacuum the whole tank (at least the parts I can reach) well before draining 15% of my water because there's just not that much crud in the gravel once I got ahead of it.

I still recommend that procedure, but I suspect it's just handy to help get past the ugly stage.

 

[PeterC99]

High nitrates got you down? Phosphates out of control? Loosing the battle with GHA? CUC just can't keep up? This one tip will clean your tank, grow your SPS, save your marriage, manage your finances and help you find true happiness. Better than a skimmer! More powerful GFO! Faster than a speeding algae roller! And for just three easy payments of $2.32 you too can share in this amazing deal: Filter Socks!

Wait, don't go. I know what you're thinking: "BRS already told us that you have to change your filter socks every few days for it to be effective, and I don't even change my foot socks that often." But here's the trick:

Siphon into your sump through the filter sock.

My problem was that I just couldn't do enough cleaning only taking 15% of the water out of my tank. I'd gravel vacuum, but only get through half the tank before I had to stop. Then the GHA crept up on me, so I started scrubbing the rocks with a toothbrush tied to my hose to suck up what I scrubbed off. No only did I not have time to scrub off all the GHA, but that meant I wasn't gravel vacuuming. Meaning more nutrients still in the tank, and more GHA the next time. I bumped my water changes from bi-weekly to weekly. That helped a bit, but it was a lot of work and costing me a small fortune in salt, as well as the ol' "you love your fish more than you love me!" line (not true, I love them equally). Then I had an epiphany. Why not just siphon the water right back into my sump. I had a bunch of filter socks I gave up on after watching the BRS video, so I gave it a try. I clogged up 4 filter socks (not sure of the size or micron) but I got rid of most of my algae and vacuumed every reachable inch of gravel (yes, I have crushed coral substrate. And a UGF. Get off my lawn!).

If you decide to try this, here's a few tips:

• Position the top of the sock above the water line in the sump but below the top of the sump so that if it overflows you don't spill water everywhere. My socks are pretty stiff, so they will stay in that position. You need the top above the water level to ensure the gunk gets caught in the sock rather than flowing over the top. As the sock gets clogged, flow through the sock slows, so it will go over the top if it can. Even with the top above the water line this will happen eventually, but you'll catch all the debris until then.
• Have a few handy. They will clog. That's how you know it's working.
• Check the sock frequently to see if it's full.
• If your ATO beeps when the water level is too high, it should do so when you stick your arm in the tank. If it stop beeping, something is wrong, such as the hose fell out and your tank is draining.
• Use a binder clip to keep the hose where you want it.
• Don't keep clownfish. The ungrateful jerks just bite you as you clean the tank.
• After you clean the socks in the kitchen sink and your wife/husband wonders what the smell is, never admit that it's fish poop.

Anyone got any tips on cleaning filter socks other than running water through them the other way?

Very nice!

 

[Blue Spot Octopus]

I did that trick but I used a 7-gallon bucket with a mesh filter sock and a return pump, I had my son help me, your idea will let my son play even longer on the computer, he thanks you.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

I like this idea thanks!

 

[Drendo]

Hilarious, great read!

 

[N3mo]

I used to pressure clean socks..

Get a filter roller If you have the space, makes life much easier and much better control.

 

[PeterC99]

I used to pressure clean socks..

Get a filter roller If you have the space, makes life much easier and much better control.

Would love to go the route of filter roller but nervous getting it to work in my RSR 425 xl.

 

[N3mo]

Would love to go the route of filter roller but nervous getting it to work in my RSR 425 xl.

some guys have cut out some areas of their RSR sump socks compartment and fitted roller in them, its a bit tricky but has been done.