To sock or not to sock??

Discussion in 'New To The Hobby' started by adicus, Jan 9, 2010.

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  1. adicus

    adicus Aiptasia Anemone

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    I'm starting to see more members who remove the sock from their sump/fuge.

    It catches a lot of crap coming from the DT, which could clog pumps etc. But it can also catch wanted items in the circulation - pods . . .

    Which is more beneficial? Take it out, or leave it in?
     
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  3. coylee_17

    coylee_17 Fire Goby

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    I ran without it, personal preference I guess. Like you said, it catches lots of junk but also stops beneficial stuff. I guess it depends on what you want, more circulation of beneficial or more filtering of junk.

    Sorry that probably doesn't help much, lol.
    Jake
     
  4. 2in10

    2in10 Super Moderator

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    It really has to do with your maintenance practices and if you want pods to survive. If you are going to do maintenance on the sock every day or two or maintenance the sump every week.
     
  5. steve wright

    steve wright Super Moderator

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    IMO adicus

    it depends on what your keeping, in a tank full of softies, or if you keep mandarin fish etc
    filtering out all the suspended stuff and pods may not be a great idea and some would say counter productive

    but in a tank full of SPS, where the feeding requirements of fish and corals are being managed by the aquarist, filtering out all the detrius which breaks down and adds to your bioload is a good idea IMO

    at the end of the day, water quality is the deciding factor on the use of these mechanical filtration methods, if you can maintain parameters and tank clarity in other ways, then no real need IMO

    but if your fighting a nitrate problem, an addition of a filter sock, maintained regularly reducing the work load for the bacteria, is part of a possible solution.

    Steve
     
  6. Screwtape

    Screwtape Tonozukai Fairy Wrasse

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    SPS may also feed on lots of microscopic stuff in the tank too that you might be filtering out. I agree that it's a water quality issue but I think most people can find a way to maintain good water quality without mechanical filtration.
    I personally feel that mechanical filtration is unnecessary except for occasionally if you want to give the water a good polishing or if you want to clean your rocks or something and get a bunch of junk out. I wouldn't run one 24/7 though, just more unnecessary maintenance.
     
  7. AZDesertRat

    AZDesertRat Giant Squid

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    Never had a one and never will have one. Why trap beneficial pods and the other freefloating organisms that feed lower life in the system? With a proper setup a sock is not needed nor wanted.
     
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  9. pgreef

    pgreef Fire Goby

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    Don't use one.

    My fuge is full of chaeto. Although only about 25% of my water goes through the fuge I let the chaeto catch what it can. The chaeto if full of bristle worms and pods that break down what gets caught.
     
  10. adicus

    adicus Aiptasia Anemone

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    Thanks for the feed back - what about

    Thanks everyone for the feedback. There is one other issue I'm concerned about removing the sock - that being bubbles. Without the sock, how does one settle the bubbles from the overflow down?
     
  11. AZDesertRat

    AZDesertRat Giant Squid

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    Baffles in the sump.
     
  12. adicus

    adicus Aiptasia Anemone

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    what about the protein skimmer

    If the sock is removed, is there an issue with clogging the pump on the protein skimmer?