the great ...err, uh... sock debate

[fatoldsun]

I’m seriously considering removing my sock – I know this is nearly as hotly debated as “which salt to use” but I thought before I decided I would tap in to the vast opinions here – thoughts? who runs 'em? who doesn't? why/why not?

 

[SirFragalot]

I used to run them on my 75 but i'm not sure if I will on the 58 i'm setting up yet. I HATED having to clean those things. So did my wife since I used the washing machine for it. I MIGHT use them as a once in a while thing but not constantly.

 

[fatoldsun]

I'm leaning towards a -just when I blow off the rocks - approach. My wife hats it too - I clean my by hand in the kitchen sink and carefully remove any pods I spot to feed to the display - that creeps her out quite a bit. I do catch a lot of deteris and my maroon clown has a habit of fanning large quantities of sand multiple times a day which puts a lot of particulate matter into the water column – so I’d be losing that. I guess it would just mean I’d have to clean the “drain” section of the sump more frequently. The way I have it set now, my drain splits (about 80:20, with 20 going to my fuge and that has no sock

 

[Mike S]

I use them and switch them out every 2 or 3 days. The way I look at it is if I dont use them the junk will end up just settling in my sump and become a nutrient source. For me its much easier to deal with socks than to regularly clean out my sump.

 

[jgraz]

When I set up the tank i did use them but quickly changed that after getting lazy changing them. I don't see a difference in the sump either. My drain/skimmer section has a ton of flow in it between the main drain, bio reactor and the drain from the frag tank. This seems to keep stuff in suspension and allow the skimmer to do it job. I also do most of my WC's from the sump so I usually stir up the bottom before draining off water.

 

[grink]

I use a larger sock rather than the small ones. I tend to get lazy too, but this way the change out is far less frequent.

 

[JRWOHLER]

Going sockless is so early 90s...

I agree with Mike below better to clean the sock then the sump.
I clean them once a week.

I use them and switch them out every 2 or 3 days. The way I look at it is if I dont use them the junk will end up just settling in my sump and become a nutrient source. For me its much easier to deal with socks than to regularly clean out my sump.

 

[MatteZ]

I have 4 sets of them. I would like to say I change them every few days but that would be a lie. About once a week I change them and then I let the dirty ones hang on a pipe in the basement till I use 3 sets of them to throw in the wash

 

[fatoldsun]

So the consensus seems to be in favor of socks. If I could get through a week I'd be less opposed but after 3-4 days tops its overflowing and pointless anyway. And that's the mesh. I found the felt were so much worse - 2 days tops and cleaning was more of an ordeal.

 

[redfishbluefish]

If they will fit, go with big socks. I have 7 inch diameter socks and get a week + out of them before I have to change them.

 

[fatoldsun]

If they will fit, go with big socks. I have 7 inch diameter socks and get a week + out of them before I have to change them.

did you ever see the movie Tommy Boy? "fat guy in a little coat" - sadly I doubt I could fit the 7" jobby - i have WAY too much crammed in that section as it is - on my list for suptoberil the 2nd is to re-do my plumbing and sump. I will try and facor in a bigger sock then bot for now I think I'm stuck. I guess I'll measure tonight before I flat-rule it out

 

[Hockeynut]

I don't know right or wrong of it I just pulled mine out yesterday. I hated cleaning every couple days, socks draining on the counter pods that I want in my system getting wiped out its all to much.. I also do water changes in my sump so there is no build up and even the little that does in between water changes is no more then what sits in the sock for those couple days between cleanings. Ill see if there is any changes over the next couple weeks if it seems like there is to much junk laying around ill go back to a mesh

 

[Hawkeye]

I use them but I don't put them in my washer. I take the dirty one, rinse them briefly in the laundry room sink, then put them in an empty salt bucket with water and diluted bleach (yes bleach). Soak a few days. Rinse, air dry. Use again. Never had a problem.

 

[lefkonj]

I change mine about twice a week, as they back up. I run them through the washer, which my wife hates, but life. I have removed them for a time but didn't like the micro-bubbles in my display tank that resulted. Wish there was a better solution but i haven't heard of one.

 

[Hockeynut]

When I cleaned mine I used the bleach method as well it seemed to work pretty good

 

[fatoldsun]

I used to go through the bleach mess followed by the washing machine after all but 1 were dirty. Now I just use 1, when its dirty I rinse it rubbing the material against itself and pop it back in

 

[Zippy69]

I just run mine on the stain cycle,hot water and no bleach or detergents. They come out great!

 

[Alcohol120]

ever since i started using one, i had a lot of my algae problems go away. that was probably a coincidence but it keeps my sump/skimmer from getting really dirty with brownish stuff. like others said i much rather clean the sock every other day then remove the whole sump.

 

[SirFragalot]

I am at least making room for my holder in the skimmer section of my sump before putting the baffles in. Just so I have the option.

 

[Tommyboynj]

ever since i started using one, i had a lot of my algae problems go away. that was probably a coincidence but it keeps my sump/skimmer from getting really dirty with brownish stuff. like others said i much rather clean the sock every other day then remove the whole sump.

Same here. I used to use the mesh ones. Pretty much useless. I switched the felt and it made a big difference. I did that and pulled of the rock rubble out of my sump. It's was a serious detritus trap. Withing a few weeks I finally got my po4 and no3 to undetectable levels. Things started to grow more and color up also. It's a hotly debated subject but I'm a firm believer in them.