Waterbox filter socks issue

[tomtheturkey]

Hello,

I am wondering if anyone else has or had an issue with waterbox filter socks?

I got my 190.5 setup and the socks clogged literally overnight when I ghost fed some food to start the cycle. It was by no means a ton of food at all like a couple cubes of brineshrimp.

Now my issue is the socks are clogged and they overflow into the refugium but my Return Pump chamber empties and pump starts sucking air. I don't have the ato on the tank yet but kinda glad I don't because it would for sure overflow the tank.

I will be getting a roller mat but not right now.

Does anyone or did anyone else have this issue? I'm gonna rinse the socks but there is ZERO fish in the tank and socks literally clogged with ghost feeding which is very concerning to me like what will happen when actual fish are in?

Please share experiences

 

[Jedi1199]

Seems odd that they would clog that fast. Perhaps they are too fine of a mesh?

It takes about 4 days or so for my filter sock to clog. I have enough of them to last about a month or so. My sump only uses one 7" sock so it is easy enough to keep a dozen and change them as needed.. Once I get down to one clean one left, I toss the others in the wash and I am ready to go again.

 

[tomtheturkey]

Seems odd that they would clog that fast. Perhaps they are too fine of a mesh?

It takes about 4 days or so for my filter sock to clog. I have enough of them to last about a month or so. My sump only uses one 7" sock so it is easy enough to keep a dozen and change them as needed.. Once I get down to one clean one left, I toss the others in the wash and I am ready to go again.

This system as two 7in ones and I just rinsed them out. It's not overflowing into the fuge anymore but still is getting high in sock chamber

 

[tomtheturkey]

I'm wondering if it's just high flow. I have the sicce sdc 9.0 and it's at 30% power but yeah idk

 

[Harpo]

Why use them if your cycling your tank?

 

[Jedi1199]

How long are the socks? I suspect they are fairly short? That would explain why they clogged so fast.

Here are the ones I use on my sump... https://www.amazon.com/gp/buyagain/search/?ref_=pd_bap_d_srh&q=filter socks

As you can see these are 16" long so they hold quite a bit before clogging. If you can fit them into your sock chamber, this may be the way to go for you as well.

 

[tomtheturkey]

Why use them if your cycling your tank?

Yeah thats a good point I guess in my excitement of setting up tank I didn't think about it when I set.up my others in the past I removed them

 

[tomtheturkey]

How long are the socks? I suspect they are fairly short? That would explain why they clogged so fast.

Here are the ones I use on my sump... https://www.amazon.com/gp/buyagain/search/?ref_=pd_bap_d_srh&q=filter socks

As you can see these are 16" long so they hold quite a bit before clogging. If you can fit them into your sock chamber, this may be the way to go for you as well.

Yeah they are pretty short I think they barely touch bottom if at all the are the ones from WB

 

[Jedi1199]

Yeah they are pretty short I think they barely touch bottom if at all the are the ones from WB

Yeah, you posted that photo while I was typing my reply. I don't think the ones I use will work. If you are dead set on a rollermat (which BTW I discourage) then I guess you can just deal with the socks clogging for a bit. Otherwise, I would invest in a months worth of socks and change them out as needed.

The drawback to the rollermat is that the media is not really easy to wash and reuse. I have heard of people hosing it down and re-rolling it but that is a LOT of work. For 2 socks every couple days, and then a run through the washer once a month.. That would be my route anyway.

 

[tomtheturkey]

Yeah, you posted that photo while I was typing my reply. I don't think the ones I use will work. If you are dead set on a rollermat (which BTW I discourage) then I guess you can just deal with the socks clogging for a bit. Otherwise, I would invest in a months worth of socks and change them out as needed.

The drawback to the rollermat is that the media is not really easy to wash and reuse. I have heard of people hosing it down and re-rolling it but that is a LOT of work. For 2 socks every couple days, and then a run through the washer once a month.. That would be my route anyway.

I did get an extra pair of the wb socks during their blue Friday. But this wasn't happening until I ghost fed. I might take them out. I'm not sure if I can lower the flow to make it to where there is no water level buildup in the sock chamber until I get done cycling. But then again I am worried once they go back in when fish get stocked they gonna clog again.

Pump is overpowered for this tank but I haven't put in my manifold and uv yet. So I went a little higher power to compensate for all the plumbing I want to have.

I'm will try to lower the flow and dial the gate valve back in to see if that works while cycling but we shall see

 

[Jedi1199]

What is the depth of your sock chamber?

 

[Jedi1199]

I found an 8 pack on Amazon for under $40. 12" long.



2 socks every 3 days, that's 20 per month.. So for $120, you could have about 5 weeks worth. Cheaper than the rollermat and you won't need to replace the media.

 

[tomtheturkey]

I found an 8 pack on Amazon for under $40. 12" long.



2 socks every 3 days, that's 20 per month.. So for $120, you could have about 5 weeks worth. Cheaper than the rollermat and you won't need to replace the media.

Thank you I'm starting to adjust the flow down to 20% instead of 30 but I will look into these

 

[tomtheturkey]

So update its not the socks. I took them out completely and the water level still reaches the level that it did with them installed. I think its evaporation or water cant move through Sump fast enough because pump just too strong or both

Lowering to 20% pump speed helped for a whole afternoon so leads me to believe it's the above evap and pump power

 

[Ordovician_Reef]

Hello,

I am wondering if anyone else has or had an issue with waterbox filter socks?

I got my 190.5 setup and the socks clogged literally overnight when I ghost fed some food to start the cycle. It was by no means a ton of food at all like a couple cubes of brineshrimp.

Now my issue is the socks are clogged and they overflow into the refugium but my Return Pump chamber empties and pump starts sucking air. I don't have the ato on the tank yet but kinda glad I don't because it would for sure overflow the tank.

I will be getting a roller mat but not right now.

Does anyone or did anyone else have this issue? I'm gonna rinse the socks but there is ZERO fish in the tank and socks literally clogged with ghost feeding which is very concerning to me like what will happen when actual fish are in?

Please share experiences

I use both Waterbox and BRS socks and have no issues. I am running a 200 gallon with about 5-8 turnover. Maybe your return pump is moving a lot more water?

 

[tomtheturkey]

I use both Waterbox and BRS socks and have no issues. I am running a 200 gallon with about 5-8 turnover. Maybe your return pump is moving a lot more water?

It likely is I bought a stronger pump than needed as in the future I will be plumbing alot more things in so right now it's return chamber back into the display. Instead of going through all the 90s and other equipment like uv. Just figured with the pump being on 20% power it would be fine

 

[I never finish anythi]

I found an 8 pack on Amazon for under $40. 12" long.



2 socks every 3 days, that's 20 per month.. So for $120, you could have about 5 weeks worth. Cheaper than the rollermat and you won't need to replace the media.

Well I spend £15 every 8weeks with my roller mat so I don't know how you are working that out tbh .

 

[Jedi1199]

Well I spend £15 every 8weeks with my roller mat so I don't know how you are working that out tbh .

That is easy... I only paid for my socks once. In one year, you spend 97.5 Euro. On top of that you are throwing the used stuff in the garbage with is wasteful and unhealthy for the environment.

For my own socks, I paid about $70 about a year and a half ago, washed and reused them multiple times and have never thrown one in the garbage.

Oh yes.. since my sump only uses one sock, it takes me all of 3 minutes to change it out from start to finish.

 

[Ordovician_Reef]

It likely is I bought a stronger pump than needed as in the future I will be plumbing alot more things in so right now it's return chamber back into the display. Instead of going through all the 90s and other equipment like uv. Just figured with the pump being on 20% power it would be fine

Yea, I bought a beast of a pumi Sicce and am running it at 18 %

 

[dadnjesse]

I don't have that sump but your flow shouldn't change just because the socks are clogged. I see in the picture it has an overflow in the sock chamber. It should just go through the overflow and just not be filtered by the socks but the flow should be the same. Are you sure it's not because of no ATO