Equipment - Poll: Filter Sock Media... Good or bad???

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Poll: Filter Sock Media... Good or bad???

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Forum Name: Equipment
Forum Description: This is the place to ask question about reef equipment.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=71
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Topic: Poll: Filter Sock Media... Good or bad???

Posted By: Ryan Willden
Subject: Poll: Filter Sock Media... Good or bad???
Date Posted: September 24 2002 at 8:46am

I have heard bad things about filter socks/media, so I'd like to hear some different views on why they are good/bad. I stopped using mine as a form of filtration because all of the nutrients that feed my refugium were being taken out by the sock. I also determined by lack of daily cleaning that it was the cause of Phospate levels rising in my tank. I also noticed several of the good critters from my tank were ending up in the sock, instead of my refugium.

Now, I only use mine for basic maintenance.

Replies:

Posted By: Jake Pehrson
Date Posted: September 24 2002 at 9:39am

I agree. Don't use them. If you do use them get a large mesh sock instead of a fine material sock.

Just my $.02.

Posted By: Adam Blundell
Date Posted: September 24 2002 at 12:08pm

Hmmmm, I wonder why I am alone on this. I think they are good. I think anything filtering the water is good. What if you put the sock somewhere else in the set up as opposed to the sump inlet? Maybe I'm wrong on this, but I like the idea of flushing water through a sock to remove stuff, especially larger tanks like over 300 gallons.

Curious to hear what everyone else says.

Adam

Posted By: Firefish
Date Posted: September 26 2002 at 8:39pm

I use a micron sock on my tank. All the water goes through it before entering the tank again. My tank still has an over abundance of critters scurrying at night. On the rocks at night there are 1 for every1/4 inch of rock and sand space. It looks like a bug march. My phosphate levels have never gone above zero. I think it works well for my tank. I don't have a refugium. I wouldn't think you would need a sock if you had a good refugium, but the only thing with a refugium is you can't be putting on a high power motor that is typical of most of our systems. I only change my socks when they are too dirty, and then I only turn them inside out and wear them again. That last line was a joke. Just seeing if anyone is paying attention. I change my micron sock when it starts to overflow or maybe even a day or three after that.

Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: October 24 2002 at 6:15pm

I have used one on my 240 gallon tank. The fine mesh quickly plugs up and the sock overflows. I have heard that some people even cut an opening for this excess to get out. Then one must wash the sock. How do you wash the sock with out soap? I have stuck it in the washer by itself without anything but water and it has come quite clean to my eyes. For myself, I am still undecided.

Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: October 25 2002 at 11:57pm

Mechanical filter media are very useful where there is a lot of waste. It helps a heavily loaded tank so that the biological filtration can handle the rest. It should not be used on the output of a refugium, since the purpose of the refugium is to grow critters that will be pushed up into the main tank.

And by the way, a powerful pump does not hurt the tiny critters. They are suspended in water and these humongous paddles push the water with the critters suspended in it. This is information you can see for yourself by viewing the WMAS video of John Walsh in 1997 or 98. He is the guy who set up SeaQuest, the first large scale marine ornamental fish breeding facility. It's still operating and they do about 30 or 40 different fish now!

Washing the filter socks in soap in the washer is okay because the rinse cycle of the modern washing machine adequately removes soap residue.

The images of my tank in the Gallery, show a tank that never used any mechanical filtration for almost 10 years and yet it was beautiful. Anyway Adam always told me so. If you look closely you can see clown eggs and one of the young ones after metamorphosis. (Sorry, the images were taken early in the digital camera era, so the resolution is low.) Adam still has that fish as far as I know. It's about 2-3 years old now.

So, My opinion is that a filter sock is only necessary with a lot of fish if you don't have other ways to handle all the waste, meaning a sand bed a refugia and a skimmer.

Remember, that waste could be food for other organisms. If you eliminate the waste those other organisms will not do so well. Sponges and sea squirts are part of the benthic zone. They seem to do very well in dark, lower circulation and higher detritus environments or areas of the tank. I love turning rocks over to see how many different types of benthic organisms are growing there.

Mark