Filter Socks: why are they between the tank and the sump??

[JPM San Diego]

I am running a 40 gallon system with a 10 gallon DIY sump. Sump is configured based on what I saw commercially when I was starting out. Order of flow is: filter socks, then skimmer section, which includes heater and carbon reactor, then chaetomorpha refugium, then return pump section, which include ATO and doser. The water most free of particulate matter is just past the filter socks. It seems to me, unless I am missing something, it would be better if the most particle free water was entering my tank. I would rather have detritus in my refugium than in my display tank. This is dramatically apparent whenever I try to clean my refugium, or even just trimming the chaetomorpha. Boatload of debris heads right into my tank. Wouldn't it be better if the filter socks were just upstream from the return pump? I would appreciate your thoughts.

 

[Mical]

In my setups, tanks drains into first chamber w/chaeto -> then to 2nd chamber w/skimmer -> then to return chamber. I let the chaeto take the full brunt of detritus before heading to skimmer. No socks.

 

[cshouston]

Some sumps, like mine, have a foam pad just before the return pump chamber. I don’t think socks would really work because water wouldn’t have the same force through them as when gravity-fed at the start. It would take only a small amount of clogging to back up and flood your sump.

 

[P-Dub]

I am running a 40 gallon system with a 10 gallon DIY sump. Sump is configured based on what I saw commercially when I was starting out. Order of flow is: filter socks, then skimmer section, which includes heater and carbon reactor, then chaetomorpha refugium, then return pump section, which include ATO and doser. The water most free of particulate matter is just past the filter socks. It seems to me, unless I am missing something, it would be better if the most particle free water was entering my tank. I would rather have detritus in my refugium than in my display tank. This is dramatically apparent whenever I try to clean my refugium, or even just trimming the chaetomorpha. Boatload of debris heads right into my tank. Wouldn't it be better if the filter socks were just upstream from the return pump? I would appreciate your thoughts.

You can add filter floss or pads in your baffles just prior to the return pump. The primary reason they are at your overflow as that is where the most, generally, particulate is generated in the greatest quantity from the largest source, i.e. your display tank.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Why don't you want detritus in your display tank? That's good food!

 

[Hermie]

I know this is months old, but in both my dIY sump layouts I have filter floss/socks after the refugium (1st chamber), before skimmer.

It's triton style but there is a mechanical filtration chamber between the refugium and skimmer. That way I can use them or not, it's my choice, but the refugium won't be leaking big chunks of anything into the display. (nuisance algaes mainly).

 

[biecacka]

Some sumps, like mine, have a foam pad just before the return pump chamber. I don’t think socks would really work because water wouldn’t have the same force through them as when gravity-fed at the start. It would take only a small amount of clogging to back up and flood your sump.

What foam pad are you using?

corey