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#1
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Mechanical Filtration, Or Not?
I have a sump mounted filter sock that I was thinking of installing but I have read a lot of mixed feelings about this sort of filtration.
I have a refugium, so my thinking is that mechanical filtration for me means: One more thing to keep clean. One more thing which can clog. Something which might prevent proper food/waste circulation around my tank for the biology. That being said, having something else to help remove waste doesnt seem like a bad thing. Should a protein skimmer be enough to get the job done? Thoughts. |
#2
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People run nice tanks with and without filter socks. Personally, I am too lazy to clean one, and would worry about clogging, but using one might keep the water a bit clearer.
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Jonathan Bertoni |
#3
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Thanks. Im going to leave it off for a while, and see how the water looks once there is some stock in there.
Its nice to know I have it sitting in my crate of stuff in the event I decide to use it. |
#4
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After seeing what collects in my filter sock I elected to continue using one even though it adds a small daily chore. What I do is switch it out for a clean one at feeding time -- I'm at the tank anyway, it just makes feeding time a 5-minute job rather than a 3-minute one.
I collect dirty filter socks in a bin of water and bleach, and when it's full at the end of a week or two (I think I've got about 10 socks in rotation ATM) I take the bucket down to the laundry room, toss the socks in with a cup of bleach and wash them on the white (hot water) cycle. They come out white and nearly dry -- I just lay them out to fully dry for the afternoon and then put them back into the fish cupboard. All in all it's a pretty easy job and it really keeps the tank cleaner - the amount of detritus a sock can trap in a 24-hour period is amazing.
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"The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea." - Isak Dinesen |
#5
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Yeah, Once I have stock in my tank I will likely put it back.
The main reason I removed it was because it was kinda cramped in my sump with the sock and the skimmer in the same chamber. I might hang the skimmer on the outside of the sump since I have that option and put the sock back on. Not sure yet. I dont have more then one sock atm but if I had a couple of them I could see how it could be very low maintenance. |
#6
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I do not use a sock at this time, I think it hinders my pods from multipling.
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#7
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Quote:
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#8
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I mostly worry about something in the tank overflowing because a line got plugged completely.
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Jonathan Bertoni |
#9
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I use one during maintenance or when I'm blowing detrius into the water column. As an example. I opened my tank up to clean some powerheads today and peeked into the megaflow boxes. They were full of aiptaisia even though I don't see any in the display( peppermint shrimp on the prowl I guess). I knew if I cleaned them up many would wind up in the drain and be distributed throughout the tank. Instead they're in the sock. i do not leave it on for the reasons noted above.
Some use them to stop microbubbles which can be accomplished with baffles. k
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Tom |
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