filter sock or no filter sock?

[Sgt Jonny Cat]

I know they need to be changed regularly or they become nitrate issues, but I am wondering with proper care will this help keep nitrates under control? And improve water clarity?

presently I don't have one on my tank but I'm considering it...

[FraggledRock]

I tend to notice my water is not as clear without them. i DONT want to keep them, but my water is crystal clear and I would rather have clean water then worry about a weekly sock cleaning. Get a few extra and do a wash with them once a month and change every week.

but you HAVE to clean them at-least once a week or they will clog up and not be as capable of filtering well

[coffee_snob]

I throw mine on during water change when I "dust off" LR which stirs things up a little. I take it off a couple days later.

So I have it on 2 days, off 5.

[phillrodrigo]

For what ever reason mine fill up in 3 days. So I change mine every 2 to 3 days. If you can buy like 10 of them they are worth it. Buying a couple is more of a hassle than its worth

[Sgt Jonny Cat]

Thanks guys....do you guys see any relationship between the filter socks and controlling nitrates by catching debris in the tank?

[FraggledRock]

nitrates are the end of the nitrogen cycle. Catching all the debris keeps it from finding its way in dead spots and keeps nitrates down.

AGAIN if you DON'T change the socks in time, its as though you didnt have them in the first place...

[DaveRaz]

I starting using one but stopped. No difference in my nitrate levels. DT stays clear although I do run carbon 24/7. I just didnt see the difference using one made. Perhaps due to my low bioload. Trying to keep it simple and straightforward. One less thing to worry about.

[erickcooper]

Mine filled up too quickly and it was hard to get them in and out with the skimmer I have in there. I took them out and moved the drains down to the water level to stop the noise. I do get some accumulation in my first compartment, but I vacuum that at water change. I notice I get more pods in that compartment too.

[Coelli]

Do you sew or know anyone who sews? You can get a ton of socks out of a yard of extra-thick felt and zip ties. I made a bunch and have been washing them but I just realized they're so easy and fast to make that I might start just throwing them out instead of having to find a place to dry them and then washing them.

My tank is fairly new but I can definitely see the difference between when I have one on and when I don't.

[Goldndoodle]

Amazon had a box of 8 of them for $40 that I bought. Figured that gives me plenty of socks to use, wash, rinse, and let thoroughly dry before using them. I have them standing on a rack in the basement in order - newest washed in back, ready to use up front. (I like order ...)

[whosurcaddie]

I can definitely tell a difference in the clarity of my water when I use them. Sometimes I run without for about a week just to let the water dirty up a little for my zoas.

I did a cleaning in my work sink a while back that is about 10 socks hand washed.

[Mcgeezer]

I use a big filter sock intended for a system much larger then mine...only change it every 2 weeks. I have zero nitrate issues and crystal clear water. As long as your tank was properly cycled and your bio load is consistent with the amount of live rock you have to balance the biological filtration, then you are fine.

For mechanical filtration and polished water, they can't be beat. However, Copepods and other micro fauna can get stuck in them

I just throw dirty ones in the washing machine on hot with no detergent of course and they come out very clean ( have to wait til wife goes to bed....she'd kill me if she knew)

[ChimolaFish]

I change mine weekly during wc's on my 90 and dont run one on my 115 (probably should) that being said, I usually skip a week or two if Im lazy and run without socks on my 90 and my nitrates are still 0, so I do it as an added precaution usually.

[coffee_snob]

Originally Posted by mcgeezer

i just throw dirty ones in the washing machine on hot with no detergent of course and they come out very clean ( have to wait til wife goes to bed....she'd kill me if she knew)

lol

[Mcgeezer]

What she doesnt know....doesnt hurt her lol

[cloak]

Originally Posted by Sgt Jonny Cat

I know they need to be changed regularly or they become nitrate issues, but I am wondering with proper care will this help keep nitrates under control? And improve water clarity?

presently I don't have one on my tank but I'm considering it...

They will improve your water clarity, no doubt about that, but as far as keeping your nitrates under control goes, no. If your cleaning your socks every other day because they're dirty, what your seeing in the sock is probably just a glimpse to what's really in your system. Your rocks, your sand bed & perhaps your sump & refugium are probably full of this muck. If you want to address a nitrate problem, this is what you need to be removing on a regular basis, not the small amount that happens to get caught up in a filter sock from day to day.
FWIW, other than running a filter sock for a few hours during a water change, I've never felt the need to run one 24/7. My tank does just fine without it. JME, GL.

On a side note, if your running a bare bottom tank with a ridiculous amount of flow in it, running a filter sock on a regular basis could be a very useful tool.

[FraggledRock]

I just did a test. I took my sock off last night. I fed last night.

I look at my tank today and the water is hazy...

Im not sure if its micro bubbles, so i put a baffle on the drain side (wedge some measured acrylic front to back) lets see if tgat helps or i put the sock back on