Filter Sock Placement, Size and #

[NW Cichlid Keith]

I'm doing a new tank and will do filter socks for the first time. It will be on a heavily stocked Central American 225 wide 72"L x 30"W x 24" high. I will likely do a 48" x 24" custom sump. Questions are:

1) Are two 7" socks enough? I don't want to clean them but once a week tops.
2) I was thinking the 16" long vs. 32" socks - am I making a mistake?
3) I want a clear tank, but don't want to clean the socks constantly. I was thinking of a design where I will have two socks at 200 micron and then will have a second section at 100 or 50. The 50 should make it crystal clear, but not clog so fast as the first section w/ 200 should get the big stuff. I haven't seen this - would it work?

Thanks for your input,
Keith

 

[JK47]

I'm doing a new tank and will do filter socks for the first time. It will be on a heavily stocked Central American 225 wide 72"L x 30"W x 24" high. I will likely do a 48" x 24" custom sump. Questions are:

1) Are two 7" socks enough? I don't want to clean them but once a week tops.
2) I was thinking the 16" long vs. 32" socks - am I making a mistake?
3) I want a clear tank, but don't want to clean the socks constantly. I was thinking of a design where I will have two socks at 200 micron and then will have a second section at 100 or 50. The 50 should make it crystal clear, but not clog so fast as the first section w/ 200 should get the big stuff. I haven't seen this - would it work?

Thanks for your input,
Keith

Hey Keith. I would not say you are making a mistake but rather I think you will wish down the road that you had gone with the longer 32" socks. The additional length starts to fill up where the shorter socks would have already been clogged by that point. If your objective is to reduce having to mess with socks, the longer the sock the less frequent they have to be changed between clogging. Honestly if they made a sock that was 20 feet long I would love it as rays are messy....

 

[NW Cichlid Keith]

Hey Keith. I would not say you are making a mistake but rather I think you will wish down the road that you had gone with the longer 32" socks. The additional length starts to fill up where the shorter socks would have already been clogged by that point. If your objective is to reduce having to mess with socks, the longer the sock the less frequent they have to be changed between clogging. Honestly if they made a sock that was 20 feet long I would love it as rays are messy....

Thanks, are the 32" hard to find? I read on this side about 32" but all I see online are 16". Also you clean them less often, but are they harder to clean when you do? Another thought was to go in the same space w/ four 16"?

 

[DN328]

I have about the same size tank as you OP (28" tall), but likely a lighter load than you. I've never thought to use a 32" inch, and I'm curious how that would work if your sump isn't deep enough. I'd imagine it would bend once it hit the bottom of the sump and waste wouldn't flow to the bottom. I typically us 8" and 10" and I swap every two weeks now that my Aro and others are bigger.

Beyond socks, I'd suggest looking at a combo of poly filter AND dense felt to take care of polishing for crystal water.

 

[ragin_cajun]

I use 4 7X16 socks on my 540 gallon, and I change them every other week. I'd say do 4 7X16 on your tank, if you want to go longer between changes, then buy 4 7X32.

I just run 4 200 micron socks. If I really want the water to be totally clear, I'll start vacuuming the bottom every 3-4 days. THAT'S what makes the water clear.

 

[NW Cichlid Keith]

I use 4 7X16 socks on my 540 gallon, and I change them every other week. I'd say do 4 7X16 on your tank, if you want to go longer between changes, then buy 4 7X32.

I just run 4 200 micron socks. If I really want the water to be totally clear, I'll start vacuuming the bottom every 3-4 days. THAT'S what makes the water clear.

Thanks - are the 32" hard to find and/or harder to clean?

 

[knobhill]

McMaster Carr sells all sorts of filter socks. Check them out. They will have what you want.

 

[tomojsg]

try to get them in bundles/whole sale prices. i never clean my filter socks
out... i just take em off the clips that holds em and throw em away and clip
on new ones lol... only thing i clean is the japanese mats once every 3 months
and everything else is bio media so i just leave it. i use 16" socks btw.

 

[monkeybike]

I regret not doing 7" socks. I run 3 holders for 4" socks and have to change them nearly daily on a moderately stocked 180. I have a bunch of wood eating plecos and feed zucchini so there is lots of silt being caught in them.

 

[bbortko]

I run (2) 7x16 50 micron socks on my well stocked 72x30x25 and I can easily make it a week so long as I don't over feed. I have a decent amount of wood and rock with a 3d background so I have pockets where waste will settle if I let it but a quick vacuum of these spots makes a huge difference and can be done in a commercial break.