Filter sock needed?

[Floyd-]

First off I hate working with the sock.
Second my tanks sump came stock with no provisions to run socks.

The previous owner of my tank took a 7" diameter sock and shoved it over the drains to catch stuff. Now at the moment I feed fairly light based on what I see other people feed and my one sock lasts about 5-7 days before it overflows.

Would it be ok to just take it out and run just a skimmer? I dont have and dont want a fuge. Would just the skimmer be ok? What would be possible side effects?

 

[Mperry622]

First off I hate working with the sock.
Second my tanks sump came stock with no provisions to run socks.

The previous owner of my tank took a 7" diameter sock and shoved it over the drains to catch stuff. Now at the moment I feed fairly light based on what I see other people feed and my one sock lasts about 5-7 days before it overflows.

Would it be ok to just take it out and run just a skimmer? I dont have and dont want a fuge. Would just the skimmer be ok? What would be possible side effects?

I attempted to do this but my skimmer was getting clogged... Really need something to pull out the bigger debris... Even some really really coarse foam

 

[sixline]

i've got a successful 100g mixed tank with only a skimmer. No refugium and no filter sock. Tank has been running nicely for over 10 years.

 

[Floyd-]

I attempted to do this but my skimmer was getting clogged... Really need something to pull out the bigger debris... Even some really really coarse foam

When I look into my filter sock I dont have large debris. Maybe half the size of a pencil eraser at largest.

i've got a successful 100g mixed tank with only a skimmer. No refugium and no filter sock. Tank has been running nicely for over 10 years.

I might just yank the sock and tune the skimmer and go for it and see what my results are in a month or two. Again, this redsea tank didnt even come stock with a sock holder on this V1 sump.

 

[sixline]

Again, this redsea tank didnt even come stock with a sock holder on this V1 sump.

I also have a Red Sea (Red Sea Max s400) that didn't come with a filter sock, although I have seen people being able to put them into place by just sliding one of them onto the ends of the two return pipes. I even bought a filter sock many years ago with the goal of trying this. After a few years of not getting around to it, i just gave the filter sock to a friend.

 

[Floyd-]

Yes I have the Max S-650 V1 and at the moment a filter sock is shoved over the pipes but its a pain to change out and clean.

 

[PatW]

I understand that many people run systems without filter socks. I run filter socks. They are good for removing particulate from the water column, Depending on how often you clean them, they work for some nutrient removal (or so it is said) but you need to do them about twice a week for that to work, You can probably do fine with skimming and water changes for nutrient removal.

 

[Gtinnel]

I currently do not run socks on my 125g. My sump is diy and I stupidly didn’t leave any easy way to use them.

I am getting ready to setup a used S400 and the previous owner said he just slid them over the pipes also. I was considering trying to make something that would work as a filter sock holder.

 

[theMeat]

Gave up on socks years ago and not looking back. If you don’t clean them every 3-4 days, what they catch starts to break down and enter the water column anyway. Sump may get a bit dirtier but would rather clean the dump a couple of times a year, than socks a couple of times a week

 

[Klyle]

Its possible the skimmer will work better without a filter sock...I use socks sometimes. If my nutrients get too high I'll run socks for a couple of weeks. It depends on how much you feed and how well your skimmer works. That will determine how often you need to run socks- or some type of filter pad

 

[Floyd-]

Thanks for the input everyone. I did my weekly water change last night. Im going to do my testing tonight and also remove the sock.
Also I dont clean the socks twice a week so the stuff has to be breaking down with it staying in there almost a week at a time.

 

[August]

I think i am a convert from no socks in my old diy system to running socks in my new sump. the whole point of socks is to mechanically filter out things that fall into your drains. So if you leave the socks on to the point that what is caught is rotting in the sock, you probably have other problems than filtration in your system.

if your system doesn't already have a good way to deal with a sock overflowing and needing to bypass into your sump, and you don't want to play with it daily, or twice a week, then the posts on filter media cups mentioned already might be a better avenue.

but that said, I think filter socks are superior to running a skimmer because it collects things from getting into the sump's more sensitive areas where you might have probes or reactors. socks will catch things that will plug or junk up your skimmer's, reactors, or return pump. I have yet to see anything large size wize in my skimer's collection cup. it is a lot easier to deal with an overflowing sock, then a skimmer that needs to be disassembled if the pump isn't easily accessible.

yes you can run without a sock, I did on my first build because socks weren't really a thing I learned about till much later. but I had times when a fish/crap/snail would go exploring into the overflows and down into the sump where he could be picked up into the pumps and possibly cause a more catastrophic failure in the tank. (I also learned about the need for strainers in my overflows instead of running open drain pipes as a result. :) )

 

[((FORDTECH))]

Gave up on socks years ago and not looking back. If you don’t clean them every 3-4 days, what they catch starts to break down and enter the water column anyway. Sump may get a bit dirtier but would rather clean the dump a couple of times a year, than socks a couple of times a week

If you were having to clean your socks every 3 to 4 days due to the breakdown of the debris caught by them what makes you think the same thing is not happening in the bottom of your sump. But yet you leave the debris in there to break down and it’s not removed for months on end

 

[theMeat]

If you were having to clean your socks every 3 to 4 days due to the breakdown of the debris caught by them what makes you think the same thing is not happening in the bottom of your sump. But yet you leave the debris in there to break down and it’s not removed for months on end

Actually no.
Do get some mulm that grows in sump, which i mostly leave be and let it do it’s thing. It grows in places that would otherwise be flat and void of any nutrient reducing potential. Not 3 dimensional bacteria that is mulm.
And most of the debris settles in the fuge and gets consumed by cuc

 

[August]

Actually no.
Do get some mulm that grows in sump, which i mostly leave be and let it do it’s thing. It grows in places that would otherwise be flat and void of any nutrient reducing potential. Not 3 dimensional bacteria that is mulm.
And most of the debris settles in the fuge and gets consumed by cuc

Mechanical filtration is just that . It captures and holds it until the sock is removed and cleaned or it breaks down in the sock. If it is breaking down in the sock, then the sock seems pointless as a mechanical filter because it is suppose to be removed from the tank before it breaks down and becomes nutrients for something else. In my socks, I often have algae from cleaning rocks or something that breaking loose (i have a bit of an hair algae issues I am trying to control which perhaps might not release much back into the water over 3-4 days, but it smells fishy, bad, and would hamper use of a carbon reactor) For my sump, it is easier to clean out the sock then any other part of the sump.

I don't know your terms 'mulm' and 'cuc', so if you can private message me what they are, I'd like to look at them and not be silly in guessing that it is something I already have seen and because of age, forgotten. :)

Its my understanding that mechanical filteration helps reduce the load upon other filteration techniques such as skimming. Another poster noted how their skimmer works 'better' when they stopped using filter socks. the skimmer would have less to pull out of the water if mechanical filtration was being used which seems to show that it was doing something effective at a considerably lower cost than a skimmer or upsizing a current skimmer. When purchasing a skimmer, BRS has a video that you can actually downsize the skimmer if mechanical filteration is present. My first skimmer i purchased, I thought I needed to spec for the total water volume without consideration for other filtration.

For the OP, it already seems that they are leaning towards more biological filtration with their habits, but there are other benefits to mechanical filtration for the other hardware in the sump which one can consider if you are going to ditch socks or mechanical filteration all together. Like I said prior, I ran my first setup without any mechanical filteration which opened me up to other issues which mechanical filteration would have literally caught.

 

[theMeat]

Mechanical filtration is just that . It captures and holds it until the sock is removed and cleaned or it breaks down in the sock. If it is breaking down in the sock, then the sock seems pointless as a mechanical filter because it is suppose to be removed from the tank before it breaks down and becomes nutrients for something else. In my socks, I often have algae from cleaning rocks or something that breaking loose (i have a bit of an hair algae issues I am trying to control which perhaps might not release much back into the water over 3-4 days, but it smells fishy, bad, and would hamper use of a carbon reactor) For my sump, it is easier to clean out the sock then any other part of the sump.

I don't know your terms 'mulm' and 'cuc', so if you can private message me what they are, I'd like to look at them and not be silly in guessing that it is something I already have seen and because of age, forgotten. :)

Its my understanding that mechanical filteration helps reduce the load upon other filteration techniques such as skimming. Another poster noted how their skimmer works 'better' when they stopped using filter socks. the skimmer would have less to pull out of the water if mechanical filtration was being used which seems to show that it was doing something effective at a considerably lower cost than a skimmer or upsizing a current skimmer. When purchasing a skimmer, BRS has a video that you can actually downsize the skimmer if mechanical filteration is present. My first skimmer i purchased, I thought I needed to spec for the total water volume without consideration for other filtration.

For the OP, it already seems that they are leaning towards more biological filtration with their habits, but there are other benefits to mechanical filtration for the other hardware in the sump which one can consider if you are going to ditch socks or mechanical filteration all together. Like I said prior, I ran my first setup without any mechanical filteration which opened me up to other issues which mechanical filteration would have literally caught.

Mulm
http://reefsanctuary.com/forum/index.php?threads/mulm-in-a-reef-tank.96965/^ linky no workie. If you Google mulm, maybe add paulb, you’ll find some good info. Bottom line, a clean sump not necessarily better

Cuc = clean up crew. Which is snails, hermits, pods, and in this case any filter feeders

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Run around with no socks and you'll get blisters..

I'd like to go sockless, but my sump gets dirty enough plus I like ULN.

 

[Floyd-]

Maybe I just need to save up and just get a filter roller. People seem to like the new redsea roller and its a direct drop in without mods in my redsea tank.
My socks just seem to catch a fine dusting and nothing more. I dont see chucks or bits in there when I change them out. My socks are not really effective leaving them in there for almost a week on end.

 

[Jon's Reef]

My previous tank had no socks. On my new tank I run a reef diaper on the primary drain and a mesh nylon on the secondary. The reef diaper lasts 3-4 days and I wash the nylon every 1-2 weeks.

My goal is not nutrient reduction, just clear water and keep the sump/ equipment cleaner.

 

[gbru316]

No socks. Just skimmer + GAC + GFO. I don't want to remove particulates with socks because particulates = coral food. And I'm under no illusion that I'd ever want to change and clean socks a few times a week.

Portions of the sump lack flow to keep detritus suspended to it tends to collect in pockets. During my weekly water change, I vacuum the small detritus pockets out.

The tank is still new, though, and my DIY sump was designed for expandability without removing it and changing things around. If I add decide socks in the future, I'll use reef diapers.