To sock or not to sock??

I feed my skimmer with a MaxiJet powerhead with the screen installed, no sponge. I clean the screen every week to 10 days and its never been an issue. I empty the collection every 3 days or so and do a quick visual on the water level in the skimmer neck which tells me if the screen needs cleaning or not.

 

Don't like the results

After running for a week without a sock, I must say the clarity of the water is poor at best. I've also noticed a dramatic increase in the deposits from my Protein Skimmer.

 

I saw somewhere that reefers were putting smaller rock and rubble in the chamber that holds the sock from the drain pipe. This supposedly collects "nasties" and keeps beneficial bugs alive.

 

How are you defining water clarity? Is it hazy? Lots of particulates? Tinted some color?
If it's just some particulate in the water that can actually be a good thing for coral, lots of that stuff is small organic material that corals, and sometimes fish even, will eat. I always expect some amount of "stuff" floating in the tank.
If you really need to have crystal clear water, try running with a filter sock for a day or two a week maybe? That might give you a good compromise.

Also what do you mean by "deposits" from the protein skimmer? The amount the protein skimmer is collecting?
You should expect your protein skimmer to work harder with less mechanical filtration in place, it's picking up where the filter sock used to do some of the work.

 

On a reef tank of any type with a vast biological make up of many different creatures what is the sock good for ? Better yet I'd ask why does anyone use a micron filter on any reef tank ? What is its purpose ?and what benefits is derived from the use of the sock ?

 

I ask the same! I just don't use one anymore......no problems.

 

Yes - It is hazy with lots of micro bubbles that I did not have before. I am also concerned with nasties dropping out of the wate in the return chamber and building up to create a bacteria farm.

 

never ran one for 6yrs. then fish load increased and water was cloudy. cant say that its filtering out all the good guys.when i check the sock theres hardly any in there mostly junk

 

Bubbles are from a bad return design or there is a leak on the wet side of the pump ? And if its a white hazy cloudy then your bacteria is in bloom and out of sorts and ned to get into balance , Stop feeding the tank for a week or so. and allow it some time to settle in.