Filter Sock Poll

I do sometimes but when I do, it's a brand new, never used sock and I run it for 24 to 48 hours. This is very seldom though. Here is why I don't use them: Yes they are an absolute nitrate factory unless they are washed and bleached every few days. When you are running water through a filter sock, most all of your water is coming in contact and running through a bunch of organic matter leading to a rise in nitrate. If you let this stuff settle in the sump it is easily removed and your water isn't running through it, rather it is running over it. Does this still produce nitrate? Of course it does but a whole lot less than if 100% of your water is running through fish poo and decaying food. Now, if I were running a fish only system, I would certainly use filter socks, if not a canister filter due to all of the large particles that are in the water. With our reef tanks, it's not so much. Furthermore, the food particles and poo that are in the water column provide food for coral. It's a win win situation.

 

i usually use mine on and off 1 week on few weeks off. this is so if there are any large particulates floating around it picks them up, but I leave it off more due to the fine particulates to help feed the corals. I have noticed tho the tank looks happy with or with out them..agreed tho cleaning them is a pita but worth it..

 

Is using bleach the only effectiveway to clean them? I have to be honest, I only ever just aggressively rinsed with hot/cold water and/or washed them.

 

I have used vinegar in the past, but IMO you dont need either bleach or vinegar

Bleach is more of a whitener, that is why most toilet bowl cleaners have bleach so people will see the toilet bowl is whiter they will assume it is cleaner. It will also kill all bio matter

 

I use to but have not in a while, if it is not too much of a PITA to clean them, in theory it should be a good form of mechanical filtration.

 

Somthing new all the time!

You put em in with a dechlorinator?

Wow, never even occurred to me

 

+1, I haven't used one in months, but seldom do to polish things a bit.

 

I don't use filter socks but I do use poly filter in between the baffles of my sump. I replace it weekly.

 

I have yet to see the need for excess filters in my system. Not being lazy, but in the success of keeping my system stable, I found that sponge type items will become saturated with detritus, and my nitrates would rise. When I took them out, yes my nitrates did climb at first, but as the system absorbed the excess, everything stabilized. I've been running my tank now 4 months skimmer free, (18 month old tank) and the only thing that changed was a slight cyano patch in my sand. Even that went away after 2 months. Granted, I only have 6 fish, skunk shrimp, and CUC. I have never used a sock nor do I intend to in my next build. Water changes and a good CUC will take care of itself.

 

Used them for a long time on the FOWLR system. Recently started on the reef side, and they have helped a lot. There used to be a huge amount of junk that settled out at the bottom of the sumps. I have 4 sump tanks inline for the reef. If my sump wasn't set up this way, I would have never seen how much settles out, even after the skimmer. Now, with the filter socks, they stay very clean. They are not nitrate factories if they are changed at reasonable frequencies. I throw them all in the washing machine with bleach and let them air dry. No need for dechlorinator. No hand washing. They take maybe a whole minute to change. IMO, they are one of the easiest and cheapest methods to help keep your tank clean.