I Fired My Filter Socks!

[urbanknight]

I don't wash filter socks anymore! I cut the plastic top off of my filter socks and siliconed them to the top of a plastic bottle that I cut the top from. The bottle fits down into the hole where the filter sock goes. I drilled about 20 holes in the plastic bottle. I stuff it with filter floss. After 3-4 days, I simply take the floss out, toss it and insert new floss. Works like a charm and traps more sediment that the socks did.

 

[Adam]

That's a great idea Doug! How much flow are you running through the bottle/floss?

 

[Trizzino]

Thumbs up!

 

[bcavalli]

Im working on adding that feature.  .   Great idea Doug.

 

[urbanknight]

Adam, I went back and counted the 1/4" holes I drilled in the bottle. There are 25. I haven't installed my flow meter yet but I'm running am Ecotech M1 at 75%. The new set up has not impeded my flow or caused any problems with my skimmer that are visible. I've been using this new filter system for about two months now.

 

[Trizzino]

Love the idea so i researched other examples. There is a guy in Australia making these in acrylic  but it would cost a lot more than I'd. like to pay at the moment with shipping them here. So I decided to do a little DIY too.  here's what I built using materials I purchased off eBay. It's not perfect but it works and I didn't have all the tools for acrylic work. Prototype in testing with half of the sock being Matrix and the remaining amount filter floss.



I am currently using them in the stock Trigger Emerald sock plate with 3 holes  I have a sock in the first hole to polish the water and then these in the next two. My thought is once the sock gets dirty and clogs it will be forced into these two and will be a test to see how long it take for them to clog if at all. I'm running a Neptune Cor 20 pump on 100 percent

 

[spike]

Some great ideas

 

[joseayes]

Nice work guys.  I'm interested now, have a sump with 4 hole 9" sock filters, not willing to add more extra to the maintenance chorus.

 

[i3enny]

clever

 

[raz0945]

How is the new diy water cleaning system working for your tanks? Does anyone have any pictures or links to the reefer in Australia that was having success with this, not sure what to call it. Holley

 

[Onefallleaf]

This sounds like a great idea. I have to give it a try sometime. I used to have a similar type of thing using Polyfilters but that got more expensive than using socks so i went back.

 

[andyl9063]

anyone got a picture of how this look?

 

[globalbutterfly]

I bought the filter cups. Fit into my filter sock holders. Fill them with filter floss (poly fill) and just pull dirty floss and bin it. So far so good.

 

[civics14]

Just get the premade filter cups. I got the red sea ones and love it. Never using socks again.

 

[cotton101]

I used to do the same when I first started and had a HOB overflow on my 75, stuffed into the HOB as a “pre” filter, it did an amazing job and easy to change, catches everything.

 

[cotton101]

*stuffed floss into HOB.

And the floss is so cheap.

 

[danielll]

"traps more than filter sock" How? at least with my sump it's a pretty tight fit, i can't see anything getting around it (unless you forget to change it and let it overflow into the next chamber)

I do like the idea though, What about a piece of very large pvc to use at the "cup"?

 

[Steve Burton]

I just made a shelf for my sump out of a frag rack to lay a strip of floss, traps a ton, change it every other day or so.

 

[lshin037]

Does the skimmer go crazy (overflow) when you change out the floss?

 

[globalbutterfly]

Does the skimmer go crazy (overflow) when you change out the floss?

Mine doesn’t. I use the cups and change out the floss every couple of days. I do have a little strainer basket I found at the dollar store that kind of hangs/sits over the sump and I put the dirty floss in it and let the water drain out slowly before I throw it away.

"traps more than filter sock" How? at least with my sump it's a pretty tight fit, i can't see anything getting around it (unless you forget to change it and let it overflow into the next chamber)

I do like the idea though, What about a piece of very large pvc to use at the "cup"?

I don’t think it’s a matter of the cups and floss catching MORE than the filter socks, it’s just that for me, it’s a lot easier to simply pull out a wad of dirty floss and throw it away than it is to change out the socks and then try to get all the crud out of the dirty ones.

Yes, you probably “could” DIY some cups. Some people online (Texas??) found that the plastic promotional cups one of their local restaurants gave away fit perfectly.

I just ordered them online. The pre-made ones are designed to fit right into your existing sock holders. I first bought the cups that just have the holes on the bottom (Saltwateraquarium.com) but they slowed down the flow too much and got clogged. Tried the Red Sea ones that have the slits on the sides as well and like them much better.