Filter socks.

[jmaneyapanda]

What "harm" are you seeing that precipitated you trying to run without them? Im with most others, I cant understand what benefit you'd hope to have.

 

[acroholic]

A lot depends on how you use filter socks. If you are the type that just lets them overflow and don't clean them until absolutely necessary, then you are just using them as detritus traps and lessening sump accumulation, basic mechanical filtration, which is fine. In this case I don't know if it really matters if you use them or not. Not using them just means you will clean your sump more often.

But if you rinse them every couple days then you are also performing another function by removing waste before it degrades into nitrate, probably mostly uneaten food, I would guess, maybe some other stuff coming off the corals.

I use them both ways. In my mixed LPS/Softy tank I wait until the socks start to fill up with water before rinsing them because I am not looking for ultra clean water in that system, but in my SPS tank I remove/rinse every couple days because in that system I am looking for ultra clean water.

 

[silver surfer]

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[acroholic]

jmaneyapanda;890476 wrote: What "harm" are you seeing that precipitated you trying to run without them? Im with most others, I cant understand what benefit you'd hope to have.

I have read that some folks don't like filter socks because they think it traps pods and small particulates that come corals would otherwise filter out of the water as food.

 

[silver surfer]

My sump is covered with feather dusters and filter sponge. They both should be helping filter my water.

Acro,

On your sps tank I know you run a bb tank. Your flow is enough that you don't see any detritus. That's how my sump is. There is a small amount in my refuge area but easy to syphon out.

 

[picoreefguy]

Acroholic;890481 wrote: I have read that some folks don't like filter socks because they think it traps pods and small particulates that come corals would otherwise filter out of the water as food.

those folks probably shouldnt run a skimmer or reactor either since the skimmer will also pull out particulates and the pumps can kill the pods lol

 

[acroholic]

Picoreefguy;890494 wrote: those folks probably shouldnt run a skimmer or reactor either since the skimmer will also pull out particulates and the pumps can kill the pods lol

Agreed! I have never fed my corals directly, and I have multiple reactors and a skimmer, so I probably have little to no pods in my tank. Little guys wouldn't stand a chance swimming against the flow in the display.

Maybe a few clinging to the LR in the display, but there is no LR or media to live on in my sump.

 

[silver surfer]

Ok. Update.

ORP has gone up since I have ditched my socks. Also, my tank and sump are clear of detritus. Sand hasn't looked better. If things stay on this course, not adding back the socks.

 

[supermancrv]

I have never ran socks on my system. I do vacuum the sump once in a while but not often and I have never seen any bad results. My system is swarming with pods also but, I don't know if the two are related.

 

[ralph atl]

Looks great buddy! Nice stuff! that's a wow! very organized.....I do pounder why mesh socks are needed.....changing them out every 2-4 days loaded with crap would seem to think you would....but everyone has a different story.....