TO SOCK OR NOT TO SOCK?

[TOMACONDA]

Hello all, General questions pertaining to filter socks. Seem like a lot of folks are not using filter socks, if so HAD you ever used them if so when did you decide not to use anymore. and why did you decide on not using them? Was it a nutrition thing? how do you manage your sump and the messy part. I am asking because I am now seemingly no po4 and po3
Would removing the sock help keep this up? I do not want to feed a ton right now as i am dealing with some green hair algae. My current system is total 300 gal, running for about 8 months. pretty decent load of fish two clown two yellow wrasse two yellow tang one royal blue tang three chromis, fire fish tomini tang. white tale bristle tooth lawn mower blenny. and diamond goby. two cleaner shrimp. and a lot of assorted crabs and sails for cuc, I do run a auto water change about two gal a day.

 

[edsbeaker]

Hi,
If you have green hair algae growing that indicates that you do have phosphates. They may be being used up by the algae so may not show up on the test kit. Or, your test kits could be wrong depending on which you are using.
What test kits are you using for phosphate and nitrate?

Regarding filter socks, I do not use them specifically. It is a pain to change them out and clean them. I use a roll of filter floss that I cut to fit and place above the filter sock openings. I find it a lot easier to change out.

If you do find that your nutrients are low, then, yes, going sockless will help. If you are running a skimmer, running it for shorter periods will also help as will feeding more.

 

[Reeferbadness]

I have 2 x tanks (180g and 200g) I swapped out the 4 sock systemfor a Reef Matt 1200 in the 200g - and am soooo friggin glad i did. The 180g tank won't fit the Reef Matt so i'm stuck with a 2 filter sock system in that one. I really hated cleaning my socks (with a power washer every 6 weeks or so - i had a lot of socks on hand to help minimize this PITA task). The moment i find a way to fit a Reef Matt on the 180g i'll swap it out. So easy (change filter material every couple of months) and also cleaner tank (lower Phos for sure).

 

[vlangel]

I have a much smaller tank system (56g display and 30g sump). It's an ornamental macroalgae, LPS/softie dominant system so I intensionally try to keep the nutrients a bit higher.

I used to use socks but changing and washing them was a pain so I quit using them. On occasion if I want to remove particulate in the water I use filter floss.

 

[Tahoe61]

I only have small systems, and I only use the sock to polishes the water after water changed, then I remove it.

 

[TOMACONDA]

Hi,
If you have green hair algae growing that indicates that you do have phosphates. They may be being used up by the algae so may not show up on the test kit. Or, your test kits could be wrong depending on which you are using.
What test kits are you using for phosphate and nitrate?

Regarding filter socks, I do not use them specifically. It is a pain to change them out and clean them. I use a roll of filter floss that I cut to fit and place above the filter sock openings. I find it a lot easier to change out.

If you do find that your nutrients are low, then, yes, going sockless will help. If you are running a skimmer, running it for shorter periods will also help as will feeding more.

I have a trident NP and i follow up with the Hanna checkers. other then pulling out all the rock and scrubbing it off is there an effective ways to remove without being to hard on tank? I def think the hair algea is the uptake this is the case I was running about 8 and .03 for a long time which now I now was to much for the amount of coral intake I had.

 

[exnisstech]

I have a roller on my acro tank which runs low N and P, often zero tested with Hanna when I'll dose to bring them up. I started turning my roller off several nights a week and let it overflow which seems to help. I don't have an algae concern tho and a dirty sump doesn't bother me.

 

[buzzfin]

I just removed my socks and installed a ReefMat 500 in my 100g. Got tired of cleaning the socks every 2 or 3 days and how the ATO would overfill when the socks clogged. Loving the ReefMat so far!

 

[Spare time]

Sumps can become nasty without a filter sock or other mechanical filtration. I wouldn't recommend running sump system without one.

 

[Jungle Blue]

Have you considered an algae scrubber of sorts? It'll make it a focal point for hair algae to grow instead of in your display. Plus, it'll export nutrient quite effectively.

 

[UnnamedReef]

I ran my tank for the first year with socks, but always had to test N03 and P04 and adjust. Removed the socks completely, and now my nutrients roughly balance themselves and I only test once a week, rarely any surprises. My sump is definitely messier, but I have a good crew of brittle stars, trochus snails breeding, and pods to help out. Might prompt me to clean my sump every 6 months or so, but well worth the trade-off of stability for my nutrients. Just one example.

 

[Tamberav]

I hated the filter socks I had with the hard plastic ring. I bought some really big ones with a drawstring and they are much easier to turn inside out and wash now.

The socks are really helpful for now as I had a gha bloom and it’s dying and the socks were catching all the dead gha. If my tank gets to a point where I feel I don’t need them, then I can simply remove them. For now, they are helping balance my tank. Not every tank needs or will benefit from them.

 

[TOMACONDA]

Have you considered an algae scrubber of sorts? It'll make it a focal point for hair algae to grow instead of in your display. Plus, it'll export nutrient quite effectively.

I actually started a refugium for this purpose and seeded again with pods also added some marine pure blocks and cheato or however you spell it lol

 

[TOMACONDA]

I hated the filter socks I had with the hard plastic ring. I bought some really big ones with a drawstring and they are much easier to turn inside out and wash now.

The socks are really helpful for now as I had a gha bloom and it’s dying and the socks were catching all the dead gha. If my tank gets to a point where I feel I don’t need them, then I can simply remove them. For now, they are helping balance my tank. Not every tank needs or will benefit from them.

I THINK I would love to get to this point but am dealing with some of that GHA so removing from system seems to make sense

 

[Freenow54]

Hello all, General questions pertaining to filter socks. Seem like a lot of folks are not using filter socks, if so HAD you ever used them if so when did you decide not to use anymore. and why did you decide on not using them? Was it a nutrition thing? how do you manage your sump and the messy part. I am asking because I am now seemingly no po4 and po3
Would removing the sock help keep this up? I do not want to feed a ton right now as i am dealing with some green hair algae. My current system is total 300 gal, running for about 8 months. pretty decent load of fish two clown two yellow wrasse two yellow tang one royal blue tang three chromis, fire fish tomini tang. white tale bristle tooth lawn mower blenny. and diamond goby. two cleaner shrimp. and a lot of assorted crabs and sails for cuc, I do run a auto water change about two gal a day.

Wow quite the bioload. Have fun with the hair algae Took me 6 months of endless scrubbing but finally one day it left forever. Anyway to your question. I have used a sock since day one. I have fallen out of love with it big pain to get in and out. I have one chamber in my sump full of batten that you get at a material store, and I just throw it out every water change. A 4 by 6 by 2 inch thick piece cost me $ 20 Canadian or 50 cents for you. Also have fiberglass furnace filter material in the next chamber which I sandwich a phosphate pad in. No problems . I am throwing sock out next change

 

[GARRIGA]

Since the 80s been decomposing my trash as it pertains to fish and see no reason to stop and especially these days with the advent of carbon dosing and how effective that is at reducing nitrates and means available to reduce phosphates including algae itself which isn't new. Latter also removes co2 and certain metals although if I can avoid it then I will as less plumbing or space allocation for it including more lighting or extra trace dosing.

Socks and roller mats and other means of mechanical removal means more manual labor vs letting nature solve it.

To sock or not to sock? Not me...

 

[TOMACONDA]

Wow quite the bioload. Have fun with the hair algae Took me 6 months of endless scrubbing but finally one day it left forever. Anyway to your question. I have used a sock since day one. I have fallen out of love with it big pain to get in and out. I have one chamber in my sump full of batten that you get at a material store, and I just throw it out every water change. A 4 by 6 by 2 inch thick piece cost me $ 20 Canadian or 50 cents for you. Also have fiberglass furnace filter material in the next chamber which I sandwich a phosphate pad in. No problems . I am throwing sock out next change

Live and learn on the Bio load lol, Now I just keep scrubbing it out, easier on the smaller rocks but some of these are heavy AF!!

 

[Freenow54]

Live and learn on the Bio load lol, Now I just keep scrubbing it out, easier on the smaller rocks but some of these are heavy AF!!

Yup I was lucky no coral yet. I got that advice from a customer of mine back in the day. I have some trying to stake a claim in my new tank. I am totally convinced and no one can change my mind on this. IT likes high flow. I just turned off my power head that I was using on my new coral just to prove it one more time. Obviously light is the other factor, And my prejudice is phosphate levels. In my younger days they put phosphate into laundry detergaent to soften clothes it was a huge marketing thing. The great lake Erie being shallow had algae so bad you could almost walk on it. Seriously you had to clear a spot out to drop a fishing line through it. You could not troll

 

[dlemonz]

I run sockless and definitely noticed my sump get dirty. I got a shop vac and it’s pretty simple to vacuum it up every few months highly recommend

 

[TOMACONDA]

I run sockless and definitely noticed my sump get dirty. I got a shop vac and it’s pretty simple to vacuum it up every few months highly recommend

Wow a shop vac ! What’s simple solution! I’ve been using siphon lol not easy