Dirt cheap filter socks, are they safe??

[JakeH]

Well dang! Filterbag.com...now who would have thought of that? I guess there really are just no original ideas anymore.

 

[jcardona1]

I use the 100 micron, 7" felt socks from filterbag.com in my reef tank. They are somewhat rigid and have a hard plastic collar at the top. I just stand them up between the side of the tank and my skimmer and they stay fine for a few days. I change them every 2 or 3 days. I have a bunch of them, and when take them out of the sump, I just toss it into a bucket until I have enough to do a load.

To clean them I just turn them inside out and pop them in the washing machine with some bleach.

http://www.filterbag.com/PENG100P1P-p536.html

good stuff, i was wondering if i could wash them in the washing machine. so do they break down eventually?

and damn these LFS are making a killing on these things! buying them in bulk, sell them for $10, making over 300% profit!

and for those who dont have one of these in your sump i highly recommend fitting one up. a 100 micron sock will make your water stupid clear! i added it sunday and my tank is SPARKLING! but the sock is clogged today, almost spilling over the top of the sock. need to wash it

 

[jcardona1]

just ordered 10x from mcmaster. got the "Polyester Felt Bags with Galvanized Steel Retaining Ring and Woven Polyester Handle"

7" 100 micron was $3.37 each, its actually cheaper than the advertised prices. you will see this when you click the item number

 

[Pharaoh]

Nice. I might get a few of these once I get my new sump built.

 

[SpeshulEd]

just ordered 10x from mcmaster. got the "Polyester Felt Bags with Galvanized Steel Retaining Ring and Woven Polyester Handle"

7" 100 micron was $3.37 each, its actually cheaper than the advertised prices. you will see this when you click the item number

Just got some as well.

 

[johnny roastbeef]

A few important things: first off, the bags are polyester, so they wont break down like cotton would or even like filter pads in an HOB. They will eventually fall apart though, the stitching will pull through the felt, and possibly the neck ring will pull out. No biggie, they're cheap. Remember to change them often, otherwise, as the wast breaks down, you are just introducing nitrates and smaller particles of junk into your tank, when you could have easily gotten all that wast out of your system.

I would be worried about using galvanized steel in my tank. Galvanized steel is made by coating the metal in tin. Tin is toxic to fish, inverts and some bacteria. Also the galvanized will likely rust at some point and that will just be a bigger mess. I would always look for inert materials when using with an aquarium. Good luck!

just ordered 10x from mcmaster. got the "Polyester Felt Bags with Galvanized Steel Retaining Ring and Woven Polyester Handle"

7" 100 micron was $3.37 each, its actually cheaper than the advertised prices. you will see this when you click the item number

 

[jcardona1]

A few important things: first off, the bags are polyester, so they wont break down like cotton would or even like filter pads in an HOB. They will eventually fall apart though, the stitching will pull through the felt, and possibly the neck ring will pull out. No biggie, they're cheap. Remember to change them often, otherwise, as the wast breaks down, you are just introducing nitrates and smaller particles of junk into your tank, when you could have easily gotten all that wast out of your system.

I would be worried about using galvanized steel in my tank. Galvanized steel is made by coating the metal in tin. Tin is toxic to fish, inverts and some bacteria. Also the galvanized will likely rust at some point and that will just be a bigger mess. I would always look for inert materials when using with an aquarium. Good luck!

yeah i saw that about the steel but its just the ring, and since that wont be submerged, i didnt think it would be a problem, unless i let it clog and it overflows

 

[jcardona1]

LOL im so dumb, didnt realize there were 4 pages of filter bags!!! found these, and theyre about 40 cents cheaper: Polyester Mesh Bags with Polypropylene Retaining Ring and Integral Polypropylene Handle

gonna call to get my order adjusted, just to be safe

 

[Muni]

LOL im so dumb, didnt realize there were 4 pages of filter bags!!! found these, and theyre about 40 cents cheaper: Polyester Mesh Bags with Polypropylene Retaining Ring and Integral Polypropylene Handle

gonna call to get my order adjusted, just to be safe

Smart call. Thats what i would go with.

 

[jcardona1]

they already shipped, these guys are quick. ill consider sending them back. lesson learned, make sure to scroll throuh mcmaster's massive catalog!