Tell me about filter socks

The tank I inherited came with a filter sock on the sump return. However, it did not come with a lesson on how to use the filter socks.

How often should I clean them and how should I clean them? How many times can a filter sock be used before it has to be replaced? Is it necessary to sterilize the filter sock every time you clean it and, if so, what is the best way to sterilize?

My tank is running pretty high nitrates and I've observed quite a bit of detritus buildup in my sump. The sock seems to foul up pretty quickly, and the bottom of the sump has a layer of detritus. I'm going to get on a schedule to clean the detritus out of the sump weekly when I do a water change, but it seems the filter sock probably won't go very long without cleaning.

Finally, my LFS recommended I put porous rock media inside the filter sock, which I've done, to support the development of bacteria to reduce nitrate. However, it seems to me that this porous rock probably creates more problems by blocking off part of the filter.

 

i change mine weekly.

 

I don't use them. More to maintain.

 

I don't use them personally. However on other tanks, they typically go "bad" in three to five days. I find it's good to have 3 socks per system so that way two can be washed while the third is running.

For washing simply turn them inside out and put it through a wash cycle without any chemicals.

 

My socks need to be changed about every 3 days. In your tank that could vary. Some socks are 4"X14".. some are short some are very wide. So depending on feeding and the socks it will fill up at different times. If it's over flowing it needs to be changed. It you don't have socks the same gunk will just settle in the bottom of your sump and is not nearly as easy to clean out as simply taking the sock out and putting another back in.
I use the felt type vs. the mesh. Mesh is better than nothing but with felt socks you will notice visually the water looks clearer.
I have maybe 20-30 socks so I don't have to crank up the washing machine very often. I give them a decent rinse in the sink and throw it in a bucket for the machine wash. You can wash them as much as you can in a sink but in the washing machine they come out pretty clean. (no soap just water)
This is a 60 second chore that I feel is the first line of defense for the nasties in my tank. I like to stir up the detritus in the rocks, turn all pumps on full blast and let the socks collect all that gunk. It also is a good protector of anything that may make it's way down to the sump like a tiny snail, star fish or whatever other thing that you don't want stuck in a pump.

 

I agree with this fully and can think of nothing to add.

 

im with civic and reef on this one, if your sump is building up detritus you could try moving the sock to the intake rather than the return. I had detritus build up in my first compartment (skimmer/filter/gfo/carbon) so I stuck a powerful pump in there pointing downwards. i figured this would not only keep the detritus in suspension in that compartments for my filter and skimmer to pick up but also create more flow for the activated carbon and phosphate remover.

socks need to be regularly cleaned to my understanding and if not done can actually be counter productive.

 

A filter sock works similarly to filter floss, it catches gunk but has to be cleaned often in order to keep from restricting flow and becoming a nutrient factory. The biggest difference is the filter sock is super easy to swap out and you don't release most of the crud back into the tank like when changing filter floss.

It is not much of a chore and you get a good return on the time spent on swapping them.

 

I've been changing them every few weeks. Ha. I thought that green stuff on the bottom of my sump was algae. One step closer to reducing my nitrates and phosphates . . . I'll try changing them every few days and keeping that sump clean.