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coffey18
10/07/2008, 06:18 PM
should i use one do i need one what are yhe pro's and cons' if i decide to use one pls give me your opinion

ReefRockerLive
10/07/2008, 06:26 PM
Filter socks are mostly good, but can be bad if you do not change it regularly. The benefits of having one is more detritus and particle removal thus resulting in clearer water. The only bad thing I can think of is it having potential to become a nitrate factory if left unchanged for several weeks.

HTH

edwar050
10/07/2008, 06:28 PM
Totally agree with Reef Rocker, I also wonder why more people dont make there own, yeah there cheap but you can make 20 for the price of 1... or make a couple of large ones if you can sow.

coffey18
10/08/2008, 06:23 PM
you guys have any pictures, my sump is tight my drain comes in behind my skimmer weekly maintaince could be a problem i have redone my drain line twice already i was planning on installing a sock but my skimmer takes up a little more room than i thought it would my sump is set up drain, return, fuge from left to right if your looking at the tank. Any ideas?

razataz
10/08/2008, 07:59 PM
How do you make them

Rysam
10/08/2008, 08:20 PM
buy a yard of felt at wally world and spend an hour in front of the sewing machine. easy as it gets. it came to just shy of 5$ for 8 of them.
http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/norcalreefer/DSCN3251.jpg

SeanT
10/08/2008, 09:23 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13503493#post13503493 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ReefRockerLive
The only bad thing I can think of is it having potential to become a nitrate factory if left unchanged for several weeks.
Weeks? ;)

Pike614
10/08/2008, 09:48 PM
wonder if you could use hot glue insted of sewing. That'd make it a 5 minute job!

Runfrumu
10/08/2008, 09:55 PM
I have about 100 in my closet right now my girl made for me back when I still used them regularly, seems like I was battling cyano the whole time I used them. Now I just stick them on for a few hours when I blow the rocks off.

If you use a real fine felt to make them, they will clog in about a day, and the crappy thing is, the only felt I could ever find was super fine.

razataz
10/08/2008, 09:58 PM
I need to get me some felt. Is it a certain kind of felt.

Pike614
10/08/2008, 10:03 PM
Even the $8 pro socks clog in about 2 days in my tank. I can clean them about 2 times and they are really no good after that. I suppose you could make these out of just about any bulk filter mesh also.

carlso63
10/08/2008, 10:55 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13511563#post13511563 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Pike614
Even the $8 pro socks clog in about 2 days in my tank. I can clean them about 2 times and they are really no good after that. I suppose you could make these out of just about any bulk filter mesh also.

Agree that socks will tend to clog up after only a few days... I use 2 socks at a time as I have a dual overflow and I have 2 pairs so I can swap out the dirty ones, but I usually get 3 - 5 days out of each pair before I need to change them out. If you only get 2 days then maybe you have excessive detritus in your sandbed getting stirred up - or you are perhaps overfeeding and it is running down your overflow and into your sock(s) and causing clogging?

Also, if you say that after only 2 cleanings they "are no good after that" then I wonder how you are cleaning them? Mine (felt socks, BTW) I hose off with a garden hose to get rid of most of the nasties then throw in the "white clothes" wash = hot water, soap and bleach; with an extra "rinse cycle" to make sure there are no residues left in the socks.

Been doing that for about 2 years now; the socks come out as clean and work as well as the first time I used them...

:)

silverwolf72
10/08/2008, 11:41 PM
polyester batting from a fabric store. I can sew one up with draw strings and all in about 15min. The glue prob wont work as the batting material tends to pull apart if not sewn. Cost about $6 to make prob 4-10 of them depending if you do them double thick or single layer.

mg426
10/09/2008, 03:47 AM
I also use filter socks. The junk that they catch is preety nasty. You have to keep them clean though.

LexSkizzle
10/09/2008, 06:31 AM
I change my socks every saturday morning when performing a water change. They seem to clog up all the time by late friday night. Been rotating 3 of them for the past six months with no issues. I rinse them off with hot water then set them in a pale filled with a little bit of chlorine and water for 24 hours. I then rinse them off again really well with water and thier good to go for the next round! BTW, their all 100 micron socks.

lizardarm
10/09/2008, 06:46 AM
I've got about thirty 50 micron socks (4" with plastic ring) that I purchased from filterbag.com for only a bit over two dollars a piece. I run two at a time and change them daily. They can be washed in the washing machine (I run them through once, take out and flip inside out, then run through again) without soap. Some people use bleach when they wash them and report no ill effects. For the price I just replace them after about ten uses.

AcroporAddict
10/09/2008, 07:19 AM
I used to use the 200 micron felt (polypropolyene) socks and they were the biggest PIA to clean.

I now use these: http://www.filterbag.com/browse.php?...it= Find+Bags

Turn them inside out, blast with a graden hose, and 2 minutes later they are back in service. We just did a group buy on these 200 micron mesh bags in my local reef club.

edwar050
10/10/2008, 10:47 PM
If you want to use an aquarium floss to make the socks look at marine depot or foster/smith or any of the big websites, they offer 24" X 36 alot of times and bigger sheets for like 5-10$. When sowing them flip up a small lip like 1" so you can have an easy way to hang them before you make the main stitch.

bandsaw2
10/11/2008, 07:33 PM
hey acroporaddict I just started to use them and I like the way you do it nice and easy
and thanks for the link going to order so from them

Los
10/16/2008, 08:07 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13512961#post13512961 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by AcroporAddict
I used to use the 200 micron felt (polypropolyene) socks and they were the biggest PIA to clean.

I now use these: http://www.filterbag.com/browse.php?...it= Find+Bags

Turn them inside out, blast with a graden hose, and 2 minutes later they are back in service. We just did a group buy on these 200 micron mesh bags in my local reef club.

The link doesn't take me to a specific SKU. Would you mind listing the part number or the specs? Thanks in advance and thanks for posting your experience.

kdblove_99
10/17/2008, 10:32 AM
I got my fabric at joanns $10 made me 18 filter socks

rdelong
10/17/2008, 11:12 AM
Los, depends on size you need. I recommend 100 micron Polypropylene Felt. I use the PONG100P1P filter bag from filterbag.com.

Los
10/18/2008, 07:50 AM
thanks!

luvreefs23
10/18/2008, 10:42 AM
I read they can contribute to the cause of hair algae in the overflow box due to the nitrates they help accumulate.

das75
10/18/2008, 11:31 AM
Use a single 100ยต 10x16" bag at a time (rotate 4) for a 200g system and at 1000gph can last over a well over a week before overflowing.

Even if I do get lazy I always test zero or next to zero nitrates (Salifert).

With the amount of crud they pull out, can't see not wanting to use one.

AcroporAddict
10/18/2008, 11:46 AM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13561635#post13561635 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Los
The link doesn't take me to a specific SKU. Would you mind listing the part number or the specs? Thanks in advance and thanks for posting your experience.

Hi Los,
Here is the exact part number from www.filterbag.com:

NMO200P4P filter bag
nylon monofilament mesh, 200 micron, size 4, plastic ring

One of the best products I have bought for my reef.
Dave

Los
10/31/2008, 07:30 PM
Thank you, Dave!

SoFloReefer
10/31/2008, 07:56 PM
Which filter bags last the longest?