No more filter socks.....?????

[MikeC]

I'm afraid of soap resedoo with the washer and how much Clorox do you use?

 

[Alfredo De La Fe]

That is why I run my machine in the rinse cycle with nothing in it before hand.

Alfred

I'm afraid of soap resedoo with the washer and how much Clorox do you use?

 

[bizzarro]

I'm too lazy to wash them by hand... Why do that when I have a perfectly good washing machine and clorox is cheap?

I have increased how often I swap filter socks and I am seeing a BIG difference. Now that I have been doing it every day things actually look better!

Alfred

You wash the mesh or the fabric ones?

 

[Alfredo De La Fe]

I wash the felt/fabric ones. I just don't see the mesh ones doing a good enough job at capturing ditritus.

Alfred

You wash the mesh or the fabric ones?

 

[nanoreefer22]

Strangely, I would much rather plan for a longer, more tedious task that I only have to do once in a while instead of sticking to a very rigorous regimen of doing something every 2-3 days. If I'm off by a couple of days on the sump cleaning, it's only a fraction of the total time span that has passed. However, if I'm supposed to change my filter socks every 3 days, and skip until the 4th, well, I've just gone 33% past the "service interval".

So with this method, how often are you cleaning your sump? I would assume maybe once a month.

Now the stuff that the filter sock would catch and that would be removed in 3 days from the system, is left in the sump to decompose for a month. Sure some of that extra stuff is going to end up getting caught by the skimmer, but just as much of it will end up settling in the sump or making it's way back up to the main tank and settling behind the rocks.

Maybe I'm missing the point, but I don't see this being effective long-term unless you're cleaning your sump weekly.

I've run both ways and the socks definitely beat out not having one. The amount of crap in my sock in pretty incredible after a few days, would hate to have it floating around freely in my tank, depending on my skimmer to catch it.:redface:

 

[tangy84]

I take my socks and let them soak for a couple of hours in about a gallon of water with 1/2 cup bleach, then I wash them with water and add tap water conditioner to remove chlorine, then I let them air dry for a day or 2.

 

[selkoner]

I take my socks and let them soak for a couple of hours in about a gallon of water with 1/2 cup bleach, then I wash them with water and add tap water conditioner to remove chlorine, then I let them air dry for a day or 2.

And that keeps them white ?? Or sorta white??

 

[tangy84]

Clean bright white

 

[QAngelfish]

I see that there are several proponents of filter socks, and I understand that it's probably because it's really not that big a deal to actually take them out. Even for me, it only takes me a few seconds to gradually pull them out of the round cutouts in my sump. However, it's not all about just taking them out. They have to be cleaned too. What I usually do is take them outside, lay them on the cement patio (which I spray clean first for a few seconds) then I blast the socks with a hose until they are clean. Next, I swing them around to dry them out as much as possible, finally I leave them out in the sun and a few days later I do the same thing to the other ones that are in the sump.

The above operation takes a lot more than a few seconds.

As far as the rotation thing goes, I only have 2 sets. I thought about getting another set but then I thought - how does that benefit me? Say I had 7 sets and bothered to change them every day. I'd still have to clean the ones that just came out, right? That chore doesn't go away. You still have to clean out the ones you just took out right away, whether it's one of 2 pair or one of 7 you can't just leave them somewhere to fester.

I understand that the above may seem like a rationalization for getting rid of socks. In other words, "it's too much trouble, so I'm not going to do it". That's not really my reasoning behind my decision. I just wanted to set the record straight that it's not as quick as it may seem.

Now back to the "no sock thing":

I actually yanked them out this morning .

Home from work about an hour ago, and nothing seems amiss. Water just as clean as it was yesterday. However, I noticed that my skimmate is already a little darker than usual. I'm going to monitor things for a while and see how it goes. If it doesn't work for me - and, as is the case in many hobbies what works for one may not work for another - I'll commit to socks. We'll see.

-John

I agreed, it does not just take 2 minutes. It takes few minutes only if you replaced with a clean one and threw away the dirty one. Otherwise, the entire process takes a lot more than just few minutes. My case, it takes about 15 to 20 minutes. I take the dirty one to the basement, rinse it in the sink repeatedly until no more brown stuff, then lay there until when I have enough to be put into the washing machine. I have been thinking about running the system sockless again.

 

[bklynreef]

washingmachine once with nothing inside to clean out any soap residue because no matter what there is soap residue left over from the clothing and ive seen it first hand when i let it go a cycle with nothing in it, you had to see how much suds with nothing in the machine.
then after that cycle i put them in for two cycles and the first cycle with a cap full of bleach. No dryer, just air dry for as long as it take to dry.
You will kill corals with soap residue! better be safe then sorry.

 

[vio]

Just curios,
by using plain water supply from city threw copper pipes, full of PO4 ,Cu,Clorine,Cloramine,Amonia etc, we may import some bad minerals for Reef Tanks ?!

 

[bklynreef]

Just curios,
by using plain water supply from city threw copper pipes, full of PO4 ,Cu,Clorine,Cloramine,Amonia etc, we may import some bad minerals for Reef Tanks ?!

You are correct Vio, but how much stays in the socks and anyways the problem is how else are we going to wash them?
mabe we do have a use for our water change water, wash our filter socks with it. just kidding, now you know someone here will start doing it lol.

 

[vio]

Maybe custom socks, one way, get dirty ,throw OUT.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/371196178511?lpid=82&chn=ps

:knockedou

 

[BKLYN REEF]

i hate filter socks and opted for filter floss. remove every few days and throw it away and replace with afresh piece. i buy the huge roll off eBay and i don't have to wash anything..

 

[Tonyscoots84]

I'm actually taking my socks offline for a while until i see a need for them. I think they maybe causing more harm then good. Let the skimmer skim

 

[Dk638]

No socks here, much easier to just syphon the sump. And no contaminates. Water is crystal clear

 

[ixTCxi]

How do you use filter floss in a sump?

 

[duke62]

Haven't used socks in a year and I see no need for them. I clean my sump out every week when I do a water change and find it ALOT easier then changing socks every 3 days and cleaning them. Never will I use socks ever again

 

[oh207]

I went sockless about a year ago. I'm not going back.

 

[vio]

How do you use filter floss in a sump?

Maybe Paint Strainer Bag or some plastic case from old Domestic water filter (i got some, i will PM the pics.) or Magnum canister filer.

This week i gone try convert the Vortex Diatom Filter Jar w/ those filers, just to clean the sump.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sediment-Wa...cron-/221776622798?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash