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

Rubymoon286

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I have media baskets with poly fil stuffing as filter fleece in the first layer. On my bigger system, I have the option for tray and sock/media basket, but I use a prefilter sponge, then a media basket with fleece on top and bioballs on bottom. I change out the fleece every three or four days. on my other tanks that don't have reactors, I change the media based on what the tank needs. Right now in my frag tank I've got gfo and carbon running just to help with the extra spike nutrients spot feeding the coral causes.
 

SteveMM62Reef

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With my Life Reef Sump, I have all Three, or maybe I should say Seven Systems. There are Sponge Filters over my Danner Skimmer and Return Pumps. Three Pads of Progressively Finer Gauge. I have a Bio-Media Reactor, “T’ed” off my Main Pump, goes to my UV, then through a filter sock, and dumps back into my sump. Also I have Macro Algae in my Intank Overflow. One thing I hate about Filter Socks, is they are Copepode, Amphipods Killers. I put a Tiny Plastic Eyelet in my Filter Sock, to give them an escort route. I noticed there are less of them in the sock now.
 

madweazl

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I think the theory with filter socks is that they need to be changed fairly frequently - I do so every 3 days - before the particulates they catch decompose and release nitrates and phosphates into the water column. I too have a layer of detritus in my refugium and I agree, that that detritus is pretty much inert.

I also like that socks keep the amount of particulates floating in the water column down a bit. Just an aesthetic thing.

Yea, I did it for a while but got tired of the maintenance and after reading some other peoples results without them, I decided to give it a shot myself. Never noticed a difference so I ran with it.
 

jk_s124

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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.
I run a similar set up. Red Sea cup with rolled up poly batting just high enough to cover the holes in the cup and then a small amount of poly fill on top that I replace every other day.
 

robbyg

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Is this a 2018 survey? :p There is no Rollermat option on the survey? Now that I have been using a Rollermat there is no going back to anything else.
 

thatmanMIKEson

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The best way of course is to filter tray in the form of filter socks.
PXL_20210201_021226309.jpg
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Hey whats that fancy contraption you got there, is that in media baskets and filter pad rolled up, with a small ball hockey cone? I like it i need to know more pls!
 

ReefBeta

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Hey whats that fancy contraption you got there, is that in media baskets and filter pad rolled up, with a small ball hockey cone? I like it i need to know more pls!

Yes. It's a cone insert into a icecap filter sock cup. I design and printed that cone insert.
 

saltgeek1

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I went down another path, as I wanted a solution that I didn't have to monitor all the time and won't cause problems down the road in regards to overflow. I loved filter socks for 10+ yrs but I had to wash them once a week, so when rebooting my tank I tried to think of a solution that would fit my setup. It was a settling tank as I have a basement fish room now, I have a 30-gallon brute trash can that collects all of the drain pipes. This does two things for me slows the water before entering the sump and allows the detritus to collect in one place. So when I perform waterchanges I drain this tank which counts for 25 of the 65gallon of water that I have to change
IMG_20150124_191855.jpg
 

Wh00pS32

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Red Sea cup with about 3" of glass marbles in the bottom and filter floss to fill the cup.
The marbles supposedly stop any clogging, don't know if i's true or not but it doesn't hurt anything so they stay.
 

biecacka

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Have used socks in the past, but I’m currently moving and will be switching to a 100 gallon stock tank. Not sure how to implement socks or filter trays....any ideas?

corey
 

snorklr

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filter tray? you mean what we all had on our wet drys in the 80's before sumps and socks were the thing? the more things change the more they stay the same....i'll be pulling the socks when i leave for vacation
 

radiata

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I prefer filter floss (a.k.a. craft store pillow stuffing) in a filter sock's replacement cup. You cant beat the price or the ease in replacing the fluff.
 

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

  • I currently keep an eel in my tank.

    Votes: 29 14.8%
  • I have kept an eel in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 33 16.8%
  • 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 49.0%
  • Other.

    Votes: 3 1.5%
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