Filter sock or not??

Do you use a filter sock


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711reefer

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i just pulled my sock off my system for now. i am trying to see if the sock was a source of po4 in my system. i have always battled high po4 for some reason. the sock has only been off for a few days and there is definately more floating matter in the water column.
 

erk

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I run no socks. I also dose vodka, so I have lots of particulates in the water column. I consider it free food for my corals.
 

Bronc

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I switched to mesh filter socks about 2 weeks ago and will never go back to felt. The mesh are soooo much better.
 

Crashjack

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I do bi-weekly water changes and put my socks in right before and remove 2-3 days later. This way, my socks catch everything stirred-up during the water change, but don't remove many pods or coral food I add to the tank. Removing that quickly also keeps the socks from becoming nitrate factories. I realize I'm not getting great mechanical filtration, but I am getting some, and I'm not dealing with the negatives... the biggest negative being cleaning the socks more than once every two weeks.
 

jimmyzhou

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I'm use filter socks and change ever3-4 days It worth the money my sump is nice and clean all the time and clean is easy just bleach and laundry that's all I got 33 pcs I did wash 1st per month is much easier than other type of filler. The one form brs
 

ntayler

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I hate cleaning socks....socks be gone now. Have not noticed any change in floating particulate or water quality. We will see if that changes as bioload increases
 

DSC reef

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Been running socks for years now. I like how they keep the water polished and the pumps/equipment stay cleaner for longer periods of time. I've just accepted changing them is part of maintenance so it's worth it to me. Never had an issue with nutrients and washing is easy. Put the dirty ones in a bucket with water and oxiclean, soak until ready to throw in the wash, extra rinse and tumble dry medium.
 

roberthu526

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I change the socks twice a week. Polishes the water quite well. If I don't run them my water gets all kind of detritus in the water column and it looks ugly.
 

CodyRVA

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i just pulled my sock off my system for now. i am trying to see if the sock was a source of po4 in my system. i have always battled high po4 for some reason. the sock has only been off for a few days and there is definately more floating matter in the water column.

Filter socks can't produce PO4.
 

s2nhle

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I used live rock and refugium without filter sock.
 

711reefer

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cody i agree the sock itself cant produce po4 but uneaten food in the sock thats left to rot can. i was reading a thread on another forum about this. a reefer was experiencing major po4 issues and was burning through gfo to stabilize po4. spent months trying to figure out why his system always had high po4. part of his maintenance was cleaning his filter socks once a week. finally he started cleaning the socks every 3 days and the po4 started to go down. then he started cleaning them every day and his po4 came down to manageable levels. problem solved. i am trying to see if running no socks helps solve my po4 issues
 

CodyRVA

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cody i agree the sock itself cant produce po4 but uneaten food in the sock thats left to rot can. i was reading a thread on another forum about this. a reefer was experiencing major po4 issues and was burning through gfo to stabilize po4. spent months trying to figure out why his system always had high po4. part of his maintenance was cleaning his filter socks once a week. finally he started cleaning the socks every 3 days and the po4 started to go down. then he started cleaning them every day and his po4 came down to manageable levels. problem solved. i am trying to see if running no socks helps solve my po4 issues

The food is going to rot in the system regardless if there's a sock there or not. The sock simply provides an efficient way to remove the waste from one location in a timely manner, which is up to the reefer to do. It is not up to the sock to reduce nutrient levels; it is simply a catalyst to make the waste removal effort easier and doable. In regards to this reefer changing socks; this is directly relative to your bio load and the volume of food you dose. A system with a lower bio load will require fewer sock changes and, if needed, less GFO. A system with a high bio load will require socks to be changed more frequently, maybe daily, with the possibility of GFO, maybe even more than recommended.

A sock is a mechanical filter, it does not contribute to or decrease PO4 levels by itself; it's mechanically catching waste in a designated area. It is then up to the reefer to change the sock and in turn remove that waste which can have a positive affect on keeping PO4 at manageable levels.

FWIW I am by no means advocating filter socks, simply re-enforcing the true point and purpose of them. As stated in my original response, filter socks are relative to your systems demands. Your system is going to need X amount of mechanical filtration in conjunction with your biological filtration and relative to your bio load. However one decides to piece together the amount X required for mechanical filtration is entirely up to them. Maybe they go heavy on biological: (fuge, carbon dosing, etc) or maybe they go heavy on mechanical: (skimmer, socks, etc). That's personally one of the most enjoyable aspects of this hobby for me; deciding which means of filtration to use and by how much you want to invest into each. Cheers! :)
 

BluewaterLa

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Sorry did not vote as no option was available to what option I run.
I believe that socks mesh or felt have their own uses in the hobby but neither are absolutely needed.
I use felt socks when I need to polish the water and remove particulate matter by stirring the sump and parts of the tank, corals and critters feed and the socks clean up.
I use mesh socks on the regular basis to allow the system to maintain some of the flock/ detritus which helps keep my nutrients where I want them balanced and keeps a food source for the filter feeders and copepoda within the system.
 

bigdrew

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I'm pro plankton! No indiscriminate killers like socks or UV. A baby banggai grew up in my sump just eating the plankton passing through my system. Strong refugium, big skimmer, high flow sump.

I am attempting to re-activate an old forum here, but I noticed this post by @BreakingWave and it's a very interesting concept. Can you describe more about your tank? Do you see pods floating around? What are your nutrient levels? Mixed reef, softies or dedicated SPS?

I am about 30 days in to a new 64 gallon build and I am considering alternatives to socks. While they quiet the system, I am enamored with the concept of a high flow system. I oversized my return pump with the idea of being able to adjust the flow very high or very low, depending on what I learned with my system over time. You are advocating for a high flow refugium. I have not come across that a lot, but conceptually, I like...leave the plankton, pods, food, etc., circulating. Allow the rock to breakdown Nitrate with minimal mechanical intervention. I run a decent skimmer and a filter "sponge" at the backside of the refugium to reduce micro-bubbles returning to DT. I also have Chaeto and some Gracilaria in the sump. Can you elaborate a bit more on your setup? Do you run macros? How do they respond to the high flow? How do the pods respond? Any insight is appreciated! ;Bookworm ;Writing
 

jaxteller007

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If you choose not to use filter socks or floss/media what are other ways to help eliminate detritus? Right now I have a high flow cup that I've been putting some kind of floss or filter pad in, then the skimmer section with my skimmer and a recently added media reactor and then the return section. I generally keep a piece of filter pad in between the skimmer and return section because the way the sump is designed and how i had to arrange things to get the skimmer and reactor in, it's hard to keep micro bubbles out of the return section. But of course that piece has to be changed a lot because it gets dirty. Was trying to think of other ways to keep the large detritus out of the sump like Purigen or something?
 

bigdrew

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I hate cleaning socks....socks be gone now. Have not noticed any change in floating particulate or water quality. We will see if that changes as bioload increases
Did the bioload change? it has been about 18 months since your post. Any updates?
 

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