Filter Sock & Filter Trays: Which do you prefer and why?

Do you prefer to run a filter sock or a filter tray?

  • Filter Sock

    Votes: 368 50.1%
  • Filter Tray

    Votes: 167 22.7%
  • No Filter

    Votes: 113 15.4%
  • Other (please explain)

    Votes: 87 11.8%

  • Total voters
    735

Ippyroy

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I prefer to filter with a massive mat of chaeto with a healthy detritus eating CUC. I will use a filter pad, Pinky's, right after I harvest. I run a filter sock while deep cleaning sand bed and/or basting the rocks and they are really dirty. I only run the socks while vacuuming and maybe an hour after. If the rocks were particularly dirty and the water gets cloudy, I turn up the flow and run the socks for about an hour or two.
In my Mangrove tank I run a filter pad for 2 days a month. It is too small to have a fuge.
 

X-37B

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7" 200 micron filter sock on my 120 and 45 frag.
I will never use 4" again.
Looking for 300 micron.
Mesh sock plug up quicker than standard in my systems.
In the process of building a manual filter roller.
 

Super Fly

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Floss, so much easier to just toss and replace. Socks were too expensive and just a hassle to clean
 

jordan9095

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fleece roller is the way to go if you have the space. the waste gets removed from the water the quickest if you have a good one. IME, the KLIR are not very good for third party sumps (not coralvue).
 

xrouter

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Why not both? :D

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One standard sock and a 3d printed cup with floss and carbon. Best of both words.....but also twice the cleaning..
 

CamT223

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Filter sock is my go to. I like being able to throw media bags in the sock rather than just laying in the sump. Filter socks can also be cleaned easily enough and used for a longer period of time, better for our wallets, better for the earth. Like Klong said, hard to watch all the single use plastics we go through.
 

Isabel’s Hobby

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Running a fleece roller for about 4 month now —— LOVE IT. !!!!
had socks only briefly... to much of a mess with washing them ... no thank you
Had normal filter pads liked them as well but nothing trumps my fleece roll I have now.
 

Peace River

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Although I would prefer a Klir Fleece Filter, I currently primarily run filter media cups. I do also use filter mesh bags and, for special purpose, filter socks.
 

s1rk1118

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Filter tray. 1. When I take the pad out I can flick off the amphipods back into my fuge.
2. I can spray wash the pads and reuse.
3. I can put in a new pad every day. I have 9 total and when I have one left in the tray, I clean the others.
 

Joe Rice

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Socks. Easy to clean in the washer, with a cap full of bleach, air dry. Double 7x12" on a 120 gallon SPS heavy mixed reef. Other options seem far to expensive and wasteful.

I've been using the same 10 filter socks for 5 years now and they're still going strong. I change it every three days so about once a month I have to run a washload. Running without socks (barefoot?) would definitely be one less maintenance chore but I think I'd need to triple the size of my refugium for that to work.
 

Bededog

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I would run a roller if I had room for one. I don't use traditional socks. I have cups stuffed with polyfill. I just toss it once a week and refill. You can get a HUGE bag at a craft/sewing store for ten bucks. Lasts forever.
Do you have a picture of this? What kind of cup? Thank you in advance. I made my own sump out of a 40 gallon breeder and I was trying to decide on a tray or socks. The cup idea might be an option for me.
 

Robert Riccio

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I prefer filter socks and find it very easy to replace, wash and repeat. My sump stays detritus free with no floating particles in the display tank.
 

BobT

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I would run a roller if I had room for one. I don't use traditional socks. I have cups stuffed with polyfill. I just toss it once a week and refill. You can get a HUGE bag at a craft/sewing store for ten bucks. Lasts forever.
Same for me - Klir won't fit in my Trigger sump:(
 

Aquatic acrobat in your aquarium: Have you ever kept an eel?

  • I currently keep an eel in my tank.

    Votes: 29 14.9%
  • I have kept an eel in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 32 16.4%
  • I have not kept an eel in my tank, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 35 17.9%
  • I have no plans to keep an eel.

    Votes: 96 49.2%
  • Other.

    Votes: 3 1.5%
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