Heyyyyyy y’all!! Let’s talk filter socks

[Jon Fishman]

You put soap on them?

no

 

[Brooke24]

BRS

Thank you!!

 

[Brooke24]

no

Bleach

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

I also thought people were throwing out socks every few days when I was getting started. My new tank has been up for about 3 weeks and I have changed socks 3 times (waiting too long on the first). I power spray them in a sink or outside with the jet nozzle on my hose then into the washer. Bleach will gas off as it dries so no issue there.

 

[WiscoFishNut]

I run 2 socks on my 60g cube and have to swap them out about every 7 days. I'm too lazy to wash em so I just replace em with new ones. I'm thinking it may be cheaper to just buy a Klir fleece filter like @boacvh

 

[excell007]

Ok, so, how often do I need to change out my filter socks? They’re kind of expensive, and if I change them out too often won’t all the good bacteria go away...?

I use a 100micron 7x12 filter sock and change it weekly or when it's close to overflowing, whichever comes first. Then insert the used one on a piece of 3inch PVC(2 feet long) and pressure wash(just garden hose with nozzle) upside down from the outside. then air dry.

 

[eggplantparrot]

the pet shop you work at doesn't sell them?

 

[Kris 2020]

I use felt filter socks, but I put a media basket in each with filter floss. To me the sock is more for a final polish. I change them once a week. Sometimes one or both will be overflowing by then but I don't worry about it. I wash my socks all together every few weeks in the washing machine with just water, and hang dry.

 

[kjbrooks71]

Ahh, I would buy socks, I just don’t know how to wash them. I don’t trust bleach at all, and I don’t have a power washer

I wouldnt worry too mych about using bleach, I use about a cup of bleach with 6 or 7 socks at a time and run an extra rinse and i have had no issues at all.

 

[Joeg]

I like the felt socks but don't care much for the idea of letting them build up and then running them through the washing machine.

I've also used cups with floss too but found that it seems to get waterlogged pretty fast and eventually slows flow even though there's not a lot of waste in the floss. It also seems a bit wasteful to constantly be tossing floss.

I think I'd landed with mesh socks because there is no waste and as @Jon Fishman mentioned they are super easy to wash out in the kitchen sink with the sprayer. My sump only uses 2 socks so I have a set fo 4 which means I can quickly swap them out and clean the dirty pair when I have a spare 5 minutes.

 

[Alchameth]

From waterandhealth.org

The two substances that react to form bleach—chlorine and sodium hydroxide–are made by conducting electricity through salty water. As bleach is used to destroy germs, it reverts mainly to salty water.

 

[sfin52]

Ohhhhhhhhhh. I didnt know You could reuse them- I was like, wow that is expensive to pay ten dollars three times a week for filter socks

I was mine in the washing machine with bleach. After one time through the washer I rewash without bleach.

 

[MattW33]

Haha, where do you get plastic filter cups?

I use the red sea ones:

 

[vetteguy53081]

I run 2 socks on my 60g cube and have to swap them out about every 7 days. I'm too lazy to wash em so I just replace em with new ones. I'm thinking it may be cheaper to just buy a Klir fleece filter like @boacvh

Machine wash 20-30 min cycle in warm water- no soap or bleach and allow to air dry.
The machine is doing all the work for you

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ahh, I would buy socks, I just don’t know how to wash them. I don’t trust bleach at all, and I don’t have a power washer

Machine wash in warm water - No soap or bleach and allow to air dry
Machinist doing all your work for you

 

[slojim]

roller mats are like automatic socks - so while they are worthwhile for some, they are not necessary for a decent aquarium.
Socks themselves aren't necessary. Many don't use them at all - depending instead on their snails and worms and crabs and such to help break down the waste particles to the nutrient/waste chemicals that your biological activity to break that down further. I tend to put a sock on every now and then when I want to blow out the rocks with a turkey baster and remove some waste matter, but I normally run without socks.

This is a helpful community, but one of enthusiasts. As such, many of us may be prone to doing those things that cost a lot for that extra little benefit we are chasing over time. So don't forget, you're setting up a first time tank, as a teenager with lots of other life changes likely in the coming years.

 

[Viva'sReef]

Like my hunting clothes, when I washed my fleece socks, I ran the washer on the Sanitary cycle empty first to get any residual soap out of the washing machine, then would run the Sani cycle again. No soap, no Bleach. The super heated water does the trick without any addition of anything but water

 

[Viva'sReef]

Jeez I don’t even wanna think about how much that costs

Me either, LOL. The sump was way more than I've ever spent on a sump, thats for sure.

 

[Brooke24]

I also thought people were throwing out socks every few days when I was getting started. My new tank has been up for about 3 weeks and I have changed socks 3 times (waiting too long on the first). I power spray them in a sink or outside with the jet nozzle on my hose then into the washer. Bleach will gas off as it dries so no issue there.

Sweet!!! What fish are in there so far??

 

[Brooke24]

Machine wash in warm water - No soap or bleach and allow to air dry
Machinist doing all your work for you

Ah, nice. Thanks so much!