What if I just ditch the filter floss?

[Brit’s Fish]

So I have 2 side by side ProClear 150s. The black one is about 15 months old & the white one is about 6 months old. The nitrates are staying really stable in both tanks - params will be below. I am running MaxSpect SK400 skimmers in both. I got tired of constantly needing to clean filter socks because these tanks are in our office & I have to bring them home with me to clean them. I started just using pads of filter floss cut to the size of the area where the socks would sit and this seems to work just as well & I can just throw it out.
I know there are plenty of people who have ditched the filter socks and floss all together. I’m just wondering what the real side effects would be.
Would I have a huge uptick in nutrients?

Black ProClear 150:
Slightly overstocked at 14 fish (but this includes a tiny Blue Neon Goby)
Corals are all softies, gorgoinians, frogspawn and one elegance coral.
Nitrates- 39.4 w/ Hanna checker
Phosphates - 0.47 with Hanna

White ProClear 150:
11 fish
Semi-mixed reef: zoas, euphyllia, gonis, LPS & a couple montis and chalice, one RBTA.
Nitrates - 22.3
Phosphate - 0.25 (spiked after WC??, normally 0.14-0.16)

Anyways, any thoughts are welcome! Did you try this and change your mind? Or have you never looked back? What effects did you notice?

 

[JumboShrimp]

First presumption I have is that you might start to see little “fine” bits floating in your tank that the floss was catching. So your water possibly may not appear as clear and polished.

 

[mehaffydr]

I would think you would have to have a uptick in Nitrate because what ever you were removing in the filter will remain in the tank. You might try skimming heavier.

 

[Brit’s Fish]

First presumption I have is that you might start to see little “fine” bits floating in your tank that the floss was catching. So your water possibly may not appear as clear and polished.

True! my wrasses like to spit sand all over the place as does my Lawnmower Blenny. They’re jerks, but that’s a good point.

 

[Brit’s Fish]

I would think you would have to have a uptick in Nitrate because what ever you were removing in the filter will remain in the tank. You might try skimming heavier.

Good point. I’m only needing to empty my skimmers every 2-3 weeks (sometimes less often) right now as I skim fairly dry, so I certainly have some wiggle room there.

 

[homer1475]

Only issue I ever saw when I ditched my socks/filter floss, was an uptick in particulate in the water. Water never seemed to be "clean".

Never saw an uptick in nutrients.

 

[cww81]

I recently found out about disposable filter socks called reef diapers. I’m currently testing them out and would recommend checking into them because they seem like they could be a good idea in your case especially.

 

[Brit’s Fish]

I recently found out about disposable filter socks called reef diapers. I’m currently testing them out and would recommend checking into them because they seem like they could be a good idea in your case especially.

This is a great suggestion. I will check them out. Thank you!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

In the 20 years I ran my tank I never used anything like filter floss.

 

[Reefinmike]

All a reef needs is decent lighting, good flow, stable chemistry/parameters, good sand and LIVErock.

the rock, sand, critters coral and algae are the “filter”. I outright removed all filtration- skimmer and floss 15 months ago and corals haven’t been happier. My favorite reef ever was just a simple 150g rubbermaid setup for a few months mid move. Literally just a reef pond.

 

[Steve and his Animals]

I removed my mechanical filtration over a year ago and have noticed nothing major, besides water clarity being slightly lower (Could also just be my glass being scratched up, secondhand tank/glare). I have noticed a larger accumulation of mulm in my sump, but as far as I know that's not really anything bad.

 

[Sebastiancrab]

I stopped using my sock and went to an acrylic basket with floss. It is working fine.

 

[Nathan The N8]

I stopped using filter floss and instead used an acrylic basket with a nylon mesh filter sock that looks similar to what pantyhose look like. I'm no longer having to pick amphipods out to save them. It catches the big stuff but lets everything else flow through. My nutrient levels have dropped significantly since.

 

[get-salty]

Not having any sort of filters - detritus buildup in the sump, rise in nutrients (unless your tank is matured and established), and ultimately more maintenance on your part at the end.

filter floss are very affordable and can be easily replaced - takes no more than a min to swap it out.

my thoughts.

 

[BryanM]

Almost certainly will see fines floating in the tank w/o socks.

You will almost certainly also have to clean the same more, as those fines will collect there, darken the sand, etc.