Filter socks and sps

[jackson6745]

I use socks in my system 24/7 and wash them with bleach in my machine. My health and colors are excellent. I highly doubt socks cause issues. Those of you with issues are LED users. Perhaps something related? Perhaps removing the particulate matter is detrimental with LED use? I dunno… just saying :) Actually, some of the best LED systems I have seen are unskimmed so this would make sense.

 

[Reef_a_holiks]

I was always suspicious of residual detergent from the washer in them. I ran them for years and and always thought something was off. the tanks i didnt run them was always just fine. things kind of got "normal" once i pulled them. Agree also that the suspended particles can be benificial.

Talking to a guy today at a store and told him about my setup and how I no longer use them for my tank and he told me that it's best not to run socks for a sps tank. Not that it causes harm to the corals but the particles that are floating around the setup actually feeds the corals and sps grow faster without socks because of this. He explained to me that socks actual take away food from corals. Anyone agree or is this another theory to be taken with a grain of salt?

For those of you that arent using filter socks anymore, what are you guys using now to replace the socks?

 

[marke]

I quit using socks because my wife complained she had to wash them. So I am now using filter floss that gets trashed every 2-3 days. Its sold in like 30 ft rolls and last a long time. They do get nasty and I thought my water is crystal clear? My concern is if left in the sump for more than a couple days it could become a detritus sink. Sometimes I run without them, cant say I notice a different in my corals without them. But its the same with carbon? I run in most of the time, and think it helps, but if I go a month without running carbon I cant notice a different? So at the end of the day.... it all work!

 

[Diesel]

Shoot Ben:( Do you think that may have been it? I'm telling you. When I ran the all the time I always had things going on that I couldn't explain while the other systems were completely fine and thriving


It can be a huge relief to have an answer if possible but that still really stings if that's what happened

The more I read this the more I believe that this happened.
You know me three test a week and even send my water samples off to 2 different labs, twice!
I never washed my socks as I used mesh 4" before but since my new sump I use 7" felt.
And all the trouble started since I washed those in bleach in the Samsung, as I mention before.
Socks are out from now on.

 

[duke62]

Jackson before I got the front loader my corals were doing fine in my old 92 besides the aefw which I was living with and didn't even know I had them the last 6 months my tank was running. I had decent growth with the LEDs as we'll. since I switched setups and got the new washing machine I lost even my toadstool which you could leave in fresh water for 2 days and it would be fine lol. Since I found my issue the washing machine and got rid of the socks my corals are thriving and growing pretty quick compared to my last tank. I still run LEDs. I was looking at the pic of the acro I opted here and you can see the growth in the month of posting pictures. I never had that much growth in such a small period of time and most my acros are growing at the same rate. I think that guy may have something with the growth rate and socks.

 

[trido]

I run them continuously. I have 20 socks and change them every 2-3 days. Wash them in the washer with a cup of bleach and an extra rinse. Air dry for 2 days then use. Never had a problem doing that.

Seeing the stuff they remove makes me leary of stopping. Anxious to see others opinions.

I have 20+ fish and also about 20 filter socks. I dont run them through the washer anymore but run them 24/7. My water is crystal clear and zoas dont like my tank but my SPS have awesome color and grow like weeds. Plenty of fish poop to keep my display dirty enough to feed SPS..

 

[trido]

I use socks in my system 24/7 and wash them with bleach in my machine. My health and colors are excellent. I highly doubt socks cause issues. Those of you with issues are LED users. Perhaps something related? Perhaps removing the particulate matter is detrimental with LED use? I dunno… just saying :) Actually, some of the best LED systems I have seen are unskimmed so this would make sense.

I dont think bringing LEDs into a filter sock topic is at all relevant. I run 24/7, bleach during cleaning and use LED's.

 

[duke62]

I also didn't mention I use 2 tanks in my filtration, 1 sump with my equipment and 1 tank as a fuge. Both tanks have bubble traps and I'm thinking a lot of deitrus don't make it back upstairs to the DT. Every water change which is once a week I syphon out whatever settles in the bottom of both tanks so the left over deitrus isn't there for to long. I also find it easier to do that then change aocks every 2 days so if this is helping my corals and makes it easier for me it's a win win :)

 

[Reef head]

I agree with trido. Statements like these are of no use.
I don't run a refugium because of the uptake of the filter socks with a larger protein skimmer. Why wait for the waste to break down enough for the probability for coral intake?
I could see stating a certain type of detergent killing sps, or ones protocol of lack of cleaning a filter sock, but stating "filter socks killed my sps" is very comical.

 

[ritter6788]

I used them in the past, washed in the machine with bleach without issues. I quit using them because I got tired of changing them and they didn't really make any difference in my system.

 

[FarmerTy]

Haven't used them for 4 years and not looking back. What a hassle. I don't do water changes either and don't even bother sucking out the detritus. I just use my CaRX, GFO, and biopellets. I dose aminos and lugols and that's about it.

I get some pretty ridiculous polyp extension on my sps... not going to say it's entirely because I don't run socks but I have my suspicions it helps.

 

[dankreef]

This thread is blowing my mind. Pulling mine tomorrow.

 

[Karl Hevacheck]

did you notice a difference in your corals when u stopped using them ? as far as growth , coloration ect ect

Not that I can tell.

 

[Diesel]

Just wondering what our Sponsors think about using filter socks?
Do they even use them in the frag or grow-out tanks?

 

[zesty]

I use socks when I do a water change or if I'm re-scaping and releasing a lot of detritus in the WC. I usually run one for 2-3 days and then run another for 2-3 more and then pull them. I soak them in hyd peroxide, then put them in the washer with no bleach and an extra rinse.

I have to find the article that talked about bleach not killing all the captured sock matter, but just changing it's color vs peroxide that will deteriorate the waste collected.

I found a page that actually had some tests run on socks with bleach vs peroxide, but this is all I can find right now.

Mr. Saltwater Tank TV Friday AM Quick Tip: How to Clean Your Filter Socks

 

[yellojello]

^+1 ... only use them for a few days when doing major turkey basting or algae removal.

Does the ocean use filter socks? lol j/k

 

[duke62]

For the guys that use them and say they have good growth, how do you know if you pulled your socks for a few weeks your growth will be better?

 

[JFrar]

facts are hard to come by in this hobby lol. i started running socks about 6-8 months ago and noticed clarity improvement instantly.... i'm a mostly sps/lps soft coral guy, not too much fish for bioload. I have been told to use the sock when feeding, and take the sock out otherwise. But i usually just run it till it overflows and clean it(about once a month). I have had great coral growth consistently since i've been using a sock filter. but at the same time ichanged my lights to LED and started a refuge at around the same time. so whos to say :/

 

[trido]

For the guys that use them and say they have good growth, how do you know if you pulled your socks for a few weeks your growth will be better?

After having ran them on and off for eight years. I can tell you, I've never noticed a difference in speed of growth. I was running mine sporadically and earlier this spring I found two polyclad flat worms (clam and snail killers) in my filter socks over a few weeks time. I've been using them 24/7 since. My corals have not slowed in growth.

 

[b_rad_G]

Judging growth can be very tricky in this hobby. Saying you have increased growth is nearly an impossible claim to back up. Then to attribute the growth to filter socks or lack of again would be nearly impossible. There are very few concrete facts in the hobby.

I like to run my sock mainly when I notice particulate matter floating or if I decide to blow off my rocks. I don't think all particles or detritus is necessarily nutritious to corals and particles in the water column can stress sps corals.

I never wash my socks in the machine. I only have one and it gets cleaned in the sink. I usually just spray it with the nozzle but every now and again I will bleach and vinegar bath it.