Looking for help to improve moving bed K1 filter in 100 gal stock tank

[DB junkie]

My tanks do take up real estate, lots of the filtration is under them, aside from the (2) 55 gallon drums that serve as 1st stage mechanical. I wouldn't call it complicated, I'd call it thorough.....lol.

I'd definitely use the barrel idea..... You'll be amazed how much crap you can catch prior to the socks, so in turn you can run smaller socks. I wouldn't be surprised if I could go a few weeks on (4) 7x16 100/50 socks. I'm willing to bet it wouldn't take much to get even better results then I am if the design of the radial flow separator (I'm using 55 gallon barrels) is improved......

I don't use bleach on the socks, just pull the inner sock out and huck them in the washer.... They seem clean when they come out?

 

[rodger]

Anyone have an opinion on my sand filter idea?

 

[DIDYSIS]

The sump right now they are in is a 125 gallon tank but I also have a 220 I'm adding to the system at 30inches tall that will house more socks and be able to lower my water level back down.. explain below why.
At first with just my 600 gallon tank the 125 always had a low enough water level to make the socks last a good 3 weeks plus. I wash them in the washing machine hardest longest cycle twice with extra rinse. After I added the 400 gallon tank to my system the sump water level was increased to really full and now I probably get about 2 weeks from them. The change was how much of the sock was out of the water. But still overall even now the longer socks last much longer and are better even submerged than the 17 long which hung almost completely out of the water. Socks are not perfect but i do not know what is but they work for all my water filtration needs and are rather inexpensive. My water is crystal clear. Now the drip system changing out water does have to do a touch with it as well because I'm adding super clean water into my system all the time. Anymore I go off the theory. Use as large of socks as possible and use as many as possible without going way crazy. I think 2 per return is really good. Obviously they need to be changed at some point.
I find rinsing with a hose does not do enough to really clean them. I wonder of your gentle cycle is cleaning them fully or they are staying a little dirty. I made some comments about types of socks in a thread. These that I use are more like a tough mat fabric vs fluffy. I don't get the fluff balls out of mine at all to very often. Honestly I've stopped paying attention as the other normal felt ones I had were horrible and found these much better ones. I don't like bleaching them but I use to for a little. Now I dont.
As for a sand filter I'll have to read more what your talking about I missed that part. But if you are talking about a Hayward sand filter my friend has one on his system. Has to backwash it often and it takes allot of water to backwash. He even swapped the sand for a better sand type media and it made it a little better but the back wash was still allot. On a 500 gallon system he drains I would say more than half of it. And it's a small filter.

Must have a pretty tall sump to use 32" socks.....

How often are you changing them?

My socks are about 1/3 submersed. I use two 7X16" socks. If I went with the long socks I would have a good amount just laying on the bottom. The top of the socks are about 28" off the bottom. I wash them in the washing machineon a gentle load, cold, inside out. I think maybe I am beating them to death as I pull a lot of pilling off of them. Should I just use a hose to know most off and bleach them> I use the propolyne instead of the polyester. I was told they hold up longer, but I have nothing to compare to.
How deep is your sump? 32" is mighty deep!

Sent from the Monster Fish Keeping App