I have a felt filter sock that has been on 2.5 days and looks like a nitrate factory. How the heck do I clean this thing? Bleach comes to mind but I do not see that as a "reef safe" Solution. What advice can you offer me? I really need to find a second one.
Suggestions on Cleaning a filter sock!
- Thread starter kayakatl
- Start date
- Messages
- 4,973
- Reaction score
- 389
put it in washing machine with NO SOAP in hot water and wash it 
it will come out nice and clean
it will come out nice and clean
Turn inside out, rinse with water hose, soak in bleach/water solution, rinse VERY well with RO/DI, then soak with RO/DI and Prime. That's the way I do it becuase I don't want to run them through the washing machine. I fear the possible mechanical damage that might occur over time.
I usually keep several on-hand so I only do this like once a month. Just store the dirty ones in a water-filled container.
I usually keep several on-hand so I only do this like once a month. Just store the dirty ones in a water-filled container.
- Messages
- 4,973
- Reaction score
- 389
when i did run them.. i just threw them in the machine... washed them.. rung them out .. let it dry on the porch and stuck it back in the sump.
no problems. little hassle
no problems. little hassle
I better not leave it on the porch in this weather.. I don't know if icy sock is what my tank would prefer. I can see the mechanical damage side too. So diluted bleach and a good rinse.... I really need one or 2 more. Better than rubber banded filter media though. That will have to be my alternate at the moment. It is too effective not to use at this point.
Washing machine with hot water and bleach. 2 rinses, Prime in both rinses. Let 'em dry.
I don't fool with RO water for washing socks, the Prime kills off any chlorine and if they dry out before I use them no tap water goes into the system anyway.
But then I rinse bags of carbon and such in tap water, shake 'em off and put them in. The few milliliters of tap water that might make it to a system are pretty inconsequential anyway.
Jenn
I don't fool with RO water for washing socks, the Prime kills off any chlorine and if they dry out before I use them no tap water goes into the system anyway.
But then I rinse bags of carbon and such in tap water, shake 'em off and put them in. The few milliliters of tap water that might make it to a system are pretty inconsequential anyway.
Jenn
dawgdude;434643 wrote: Google is your friend in this hobby.
http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/Prime.html">http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/Prime.html</a>[/QUOTE]
Nice, so I should be adding some prime at every top off/WC? Btw, K3's will be here Thursday. Im sorry about the bombardment of threads over the past week! Hopeing to be ready for fish and coral after the new year.
Ph 8.2
Ammonia 0
TRITE 0
TRATE 10
Alk 10.9
Cal. 510
Phosphate 0
Sg 1.025
all test seachem or salifert.
No RODI yet, using a brita :doh: But testing all param out of it, no heavy metals, no copper, no chlorine. I hope someone has an RODI at the swap on the 12th.
Ammonia 0
TRITE 0
TRATE 10
Alk 10.9
Cal. 510
Phosphate 0
Sg 1.025
all test seachem or salifert.
No RODI yet, using a brita :doh: But testing all param out of it, no heavy metals, no copper, no chlorine. I hope someone has an RODI at the swap on the 12th.
This tank is done cycling. It has been up over 6 weeks. We have already followed the nitrate cycle, had the attack of the algae, it has all but disappeared. Inverts have been hard at work 3.5 or 4 weeks. An RODI is on the list. I know that is the next MUST HAVE. Mg is the only test I still need. I am doing my WC to try and get nitrates down. Skimmer is doing pretty well, I still have it skimming pretty wet, I will be drying it out over time. The skimmer has only been running 5 days or so. A piece of LR I got has some pallys on it, and I have 2 mushrooms on one other piece of LR.
DONT disturb the sand bed? I actually (regretfully) have coarse crushed coral bed. If I had known better (and not gotten the coarse crushed coral with the tank) I would have gone sand. I have been vacuuming the bed at every WC. Do I need to stop that so the bed has a better chance of becoming live?
Ok well then I am open to suggestion... Should I A. Remove coral bed and replace with sand
B. Place sand over the coral.
I have been considering this anyway. I do not know the better route. I would also give me the chance to put my LR on the glass if I remove the coral.
I have a small clump of Cheato in the fuge. I forgot to take a lit pic of the fuge. It is cheato and LR rubble.
B. Place sand over the coral.
I have been considering this anyway. I do not know the better route. I would also give me the chance to put my LR on the glass if I remove the coral.
I have a small clump of Cheato in the fuge. I forgot to take a lit pic of the fuge. It is cheato and LR rubble.
With displacement from the rock, I am sure I am at 1 lb/ gal including whats in sump. I may remove 1/2-3/4 of gravel, put rock on bare glass, and cover with sand. so... i see Live sand label on dry bags of sand... How is that possible? I am assuming it is marketing and BS.
Dry sand from Home Depot? Or a marine specific sand? Sorry for the questions, I will most likely add a bit more LR, But I do have about 20 lbs of dry rock stacked in there, It will not take long for it to become live either.
While I am at it I will ask one more question. I have a small colony of palys on the bottom, i ATM have 2 CF lights. 1 power glo, 1 marine glow. These are going as soon as the T5s come in. What should my light cycle be to keep the palys healthy but also promote coraline and other growth and spread to the base rock?
Alright... So I pulled most of the crushed coral and put the sand in. Looks like it will be at least next week before I get that light and install it. We are really liking the look of the sand over the crushed coral aesthetically.Now I just need a little live sand to seed this stuff. Thanks for all the help. I will see what I can do to offer some better coral placement and grab a bit more LR. My next investment however will of coarse be an RODI.
Similar threads
