Looking for ideas

[NanCrab]

I’m trying to decide what to use in the first chamber of my sump. I know everyone has different thoughts and beliefs on this so it’s not really the should I or shouldn’t I question. I’ve decided I do want some form of mechanical filtration, just trying to see what’s available and what we might be best using in our particular system. I started out with socks and even after less than a week running the first of the three was disgustingly dirty. So, I’m not a fan of the socks because the thought of cleaning them out is unappealing to say the least. Currently all I have in that chamber is a porous black sponge that is sitting atop the sock holder rack.
What are my options? What will capture the bad but let my beneficial copepods through for the most part? Cost effectiveness? Ease of maintenance?

 

[kullas]

I use socks. There is a diy post on r2r about using a polyester felt to make socks. When I make it to a job Ann's I'm going to pick up some material and make some. Makes socks around 50 cents. At that price you can just toss them

 

[ichthyoid]

I’m using Red Sea filter cups, which drop right into 4” sock holders. These are very convenient and you can use them with GAC (granular activated carbon) Chemipure or other media.

It helps to cut a couple layers of filter pad to shape, as a pre-filter on top of the GAC. The pads are inexpensive and can be tossed along with any media you may use in them.

4" Filter Media Cup

Run Carbon GFO or any other media in the Red Sea Filter Media Cup. Pack the Red Sea Filter Media Cup with filter floss, ceramic media, carbon, gfo, or any other media you want. The slots at the bottom half of the cup force water to flow down through your media before it can freely exit. With the...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

 

[sharis100]

Several choices- you can see if you can modify the first chamber and fit in a roller filter- our Clarisea is a beast- there are also brands like Klir which drop into the sock opening so no modifications or minimal work if you have a sump which works with them, you can use plastic socks and filter floss disposable as needed like the poster above suggested, or you can go pure Triton and use refugium and skimmer only- I don’t have experience with this method. Lots of choices to research while waiting the pandemic out.

 

[NanCrab]

I’m using Red Sea filter cups, which drop right into 4” sock holders. These are very convenient and you can use them with GAC (granular activated carbon) Chemipure or other media.

It helps to cut a couple layers of filter pad to shape, as a pre-filter on top of the GAC. The pads are inexpensive and can be tossed along with any media you may use in them.

4" Filter Media Cup

Run Carbon GFO or any other media in the Red Sea Filter Media Cup. Pack the Red Sea Filter Media Cup with filter floss, ceramic media, carbon, gfo, or any other media you want. The slots at the bottom half of the cup force water to flow down through your media before it can freely exit. With the...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

So I like this idea because it seems flexible and affordable. I’ve heard different things about carbon. I have a big canister of carbon that is tiny little pellets so I’d probably have to put them in a media bag cause they’d fall right through these cups. In a brand new system is carbon detrimental? I think it was Adam that told me it removes good things with bad things. I could do what you said, stuff them with filter floss which is also cheap and just replace the floss every few days?

 

[sharis100]

So I like this idea because it seems flexible and affordable. I’ve heard different things about carbon. I have a big canister of carbon that is tiny little pellets so I’d probably have to put them in a media bag cause they’d fall right through these cups. In a brand new system is carbon detrimental? I think it was Adam that told me it removes good things with bad things. I could do what you said, stuff them with filter floss which is also cheap and just replace the floss every few days?

Carbon should be used when needed to remove something or clarify water when it yellows- doubt a new system would need carbon. And yes you put it in media bag and place that into the filter cup .

 

[Rickdareefa]

I use socks. I have about 10 of them. When they get nasty i stick them in a 1 gal bucket until theyre all used up. Then i dump the socks in the washer with a lil bleach. Then run 1 more cycle with just water to rinse the out and throw them in the dryer. Works great been doin it for over a year.

 

[Cook]

I use socks. I have about 10 of them. When they get nasty i stick them in a 1 gal bucket until theyre all used up. Then i dump the socks in the washer with a lil bleach. Then run 1 more cycle with just water to rinse the out and throw them in the dryer. Works great been doin it for over a year.

10? I have 50. I bought a ton of used ones here for $20 and they still do the job a year later (after cleaning of course). I really hate cleaning socks, but once it's time, a few hours of work and I'm good for another 2-3 months. My favorites are the BRS 200 micron socks, 4" x 8" I believe, they take longer to clog and rinse out easier. I find the filter cup with filter floss is the easiest as others have said and it's cheap. I do that with my Red Sea 170, I can go 3-5 days before changing the floss is necessary in that one.

 

[Adam]

I use socks. There is a diy post on r2r about using a polyester felt to make socks. When I make it to a job Ann's I'm going to pick up some material and make some. Makes socks around 50 cents. At that price you can just toss themView attachment 20209

I have a bunch of the felt. I bought a bundle, whatever you call the things, when I 1st started. I never used much because I stopped using socks all together. I give it to you. The catch is you gotta come get it.

If I was going to run mechanical filtration I'd buy bags of polyfil from Walmart and stuff it in cups. That way you can just toss it.

 

[NanCrab]

If I was going to run mechanical filtration I'd buy bags of polyfil from Walmart and stuff it in cups. That way you can just toss it.

This is what I’ve decided to do. Definitely don’t want to use socks

 

[Adam]

This is what I’ve decided to do. Definitely don’t want to use socks

Be sure to put a piece of felt in the bottom of the cups. Itll keep the little fragments of the polyfil from getting in the system. There's always tons of little broken strands that come loose from handling the stuff.

 

[NanCrab]

Be sure to put a piece of felt in the bottom of the cups. Itll keep the little fragments of the polyfil from getting in the system. There's always tons of little broken strands that come loose from handling the stuff.

Ok thank you for the tip. Kinda like a coffee filter that covers all the holes/slots?