Sump filter. mesh or felt?

[Paul C.]

Hello R2R'rs. Im a 5 month newbie in this hobby. Have a 75 gal rimless, with a collection of fish and Lps corals. Set up a 30 gal as my frag tank because i can't decide on a fish tank or a coral tank...So, now i got both. My question to all of u, is as far as your sump...What kind of bag filter are u using Felt or Mesh? Im currently using felt, but have bought 2 pairs of mesh to try. I like the idea that u can clean the mesh vs the felt. Also, what would i use to clean and how? i have read dishwasher, and the washer. Thanks for your input. Paul

 

[saltwaternoob]

I use poly filter socks and clean them in the washer once a week.

 

[REEFKEEPER10]

I would stay away from felt the are a pane to clean.

 

[Paul C.]

I never cleaned them. I just replaced.. So, thats why I'm trying the mesh. Look good so far. Haven't noticed any difference in the water clarity. Thanks for the responses.

 

[KSzegi]

I don't run any on a continual basis. I use the felt ones when I do a water change that includes blowing off the rock etc .... I just clean them well in the sink with plain water or run them through the washer without soap.

 

[Paul C.]

KSzegi..Dont run them on a continual basis?? Please tell me why. Dont they serve a purpose of removing particles from the water like fish waste, food, etc? With out them isnt everything just getting returned into the DT??

 

[btkrausen]

I run felt 24/7, and they get changed out every few days, sometimes up to a week, depending on when they clog up.

I have about 10 of them, so after I put on the 10th, I wash the other 9 with hot water and a tad of bleach.

 

[AZDesertRat]

I never run a sock or filter of any kind in my reef systems and never have. Why trap all the good stuff along with the bad? Let the skimmer do its job of removing the organics and floaties.

 

[KSzegi]

KSzegi..Dont run them on a continual basis?? Please tell me why. Dont they serve a purpose of removing particles from the water like fish waste, food, etc? With out them isnt everything just getting returned into the DT??

Yes, they definitely filter out 'gunk' from the water column.... but if not maintained well on a regular basis they pose more problems than they are worth. I hated sock maintenance so I decided to try my tanks without ..... and I've never looked back! I guess my belief is that if not overfeeding .... and plenty of biological filtration, good skimmer, and clean-up crew and sand bed critters ..... seems to take care of itself. My water is still extremely clear - just as clear as it was when I was using socks - so after two years without - can't find any good reason to use them again.

The only difference I notice is that I do get more detritus settling out in the sump - but thats okay with me, easier to remove that when I do water changes than maintain socks!

And - I agree with DesertRat ..... always hate throwing out all the 'good stuff' cleaning the socks too ..... I want those copepods and beneficials in my tank!! :wink:

Maybe it won't work for everybody .... but it works great for me and my tanks....

 

[myzislow]

I never run a sock or filter of any kind in my reef systems and never have. Why trap all the good stuff along with the bad? Let the skimmer do its job of removing the organics and floaties.

What good stuff are you trapping? All I find in my socks is nasty crud and some amphipods that I could really do without anyhow.

For my system a filter sock is crucial. Keeps the sump clean and traps air bubbles while polishing the water of debris.

 

[btkrausen]

I keep a Fish Only tank, so socks are critical to me, especially when I make it a point to overfeed. With being fish only, I don't have to worry about trapping to good stuff

 

[Mike&Terry]

We use felt socks and have about 20 on hand. We rotate them out every 4 to 5 days. When I take them out, I flip them inside out and dip in saltwater to rescue any pods that may have found their way into the socks.

To clean, I take them outside and hose them off inside and out which removes almost all of the detritus. I then run them thru the wash w/a 1/4 cup of bleach. I rinse them in a 5g bucket with RO/DI water with a dechlorinator tab and then one more quick rinse in plain RO/DI water. Sounds like a lot of work, but I clean several at a time and it really doesn't take that long.

The mesh socks are easier to clean, but do not trap as much detritus as the felt.

 

[myzislow]

We use felt socks and have about 20 on hand. We rotate them out every 4 to 5 days. When I take them out, I flip them inside out and dip in saltwater to rescue any pods that may have found their way into the socks.

To clean, I take them outside and hose them off inside and out which removes almost all of the detritus. I then run them thru the wash w/a 1/4 cup of bleach. I rinse them in a 5g bucket with RO/DI water with a dechlorinator tab and then one more quick rinse in plain RO/DI water. Sounds like a lot of work, but I clean several at a time and it really doesn't take that long.

The mesh socks are easier to clean, but do not trap as much detritus as the felt.

This is exactly what I do, minus the pod saving lol.

 

[Mike&Terry]

This is exactly what I do, minus the pod saving lol.

I save them for my wrasses, LOL!

 

[myzislow]

I save them for my wrasses, LOL!

haha I do toss my wrasses some fresh apmhipods when cleaning out the socks that's for sure; they love it!