I have never used filter socks unless I am doing maintainance. They cause more trouble that they are worth. If you have a good skimmer, it takes care of the excess. Maybe is all the sponges and socks is where all of the nitrates come from. Also why would you put traps for your beneficial organisms like copapods, that is what a sock basically does. Some of the most impressive systems I have ever seen had no mechanical filtration of this sort, just a good skimmer and refugium.
I need help!!!!
- Thread starter Reef lover24
- Start date
- Location
- Long island
well rob to answer your question when I first started with the reef hobby I did not have much of an idea on what I was doing and was unaware of a forum such like this.. So I went and did what my LFS had recommended and that was with the use of the socks so this is where I am at. Don't want to start switching things up now and etc because I don't know if it would be harmful to the tank or not. That is why I use the filter socks. Next go round I have more knowledge on how to set up sump and etc.
- Location
- Connecticut
I think this discussion illustrates that reef keeping continues to evolve and how yesterday's best practice (filter socks) can become just another habit to break.
It might also be another one of those cases where the impact we are debating (filter socks) is too small to matter, even though we can argue strongly either way. And alas, there are too few Paul_B's out there with enough curiosity to try to understand the issue through experimentation. For example, who has taken the material collected on a sock and looked at it under a microscope? How many copepods are really removed this way? And does that number matter for your aquarium? I might have to get off my lazy butt and take a look myself
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