How many filter socks

[bbortko]

My new tank is finally done and with some luck I'm heading up to Michigan to pick it up this weekend which means I'm about to start plumbing my first sump. I'm going with a beananimal setup and have a good grasp of what I need to do but now I'm second guessing my filter socks.

Tank is 72"*30"*25" with about 2200gph going through a 75g sump.

I have 50 & 100 micron 7"*16.5" socks and was thinking of splitting both the full siphon and channeled siphon to feed 2 socks each with 50s on the channeled and 100s on the full if the 50s dirty to fast on the full. My ideology is I want supper crisp water without changing socks between weekly water changes. Since I have no first hand experience with sumps and filter socks I'm seesawing on whether this is a good idea or if I can acheive my goals with only one sock on the full and another on the channeled.

Any thoughts or concerns will be greatly appreciated.

 

[David R]

What is your stock like?

So you're going to split the two drains, and run four socks total? At a guess I'd say you should get at least a week out of them, so long as they're mostly raised up above the water in the sump.

 

[duanes]

I like to use a number of socks in each sump, some above the water line, some just below to add a ripple effect throughout the sump.
And as David R suggests, your stock, and or over stock of the tank, will determine how often cleaning is needed. Sometimes a simple few minute rinse of one of the socks in a bucket of old tank water is all that is needed.

 

[bbortko]

What is your stock like?

So you're going to split the two drains, and run four socks total? At a guess I'd say you should get at least a week out of them, so long as they're mostly raised up above the water in the sump.

4 sock is the plan. Drain will enter the stand running horizontally into a T where water will go into a sock from the bottom of the T and I'll nipple out the back ot the T then 90 down into the second sock.
Current stock that will go in this tank is:
1 paraneetroplus melanurus
1 crenicichla bellycrawler
2 severum
4 acarichthys heckellii
3 silver dollars
2 common pleco

Not sure what I'll add or how it will change over time.

I was under the impression that the drains need to break the surface of the water to be quiet which is vital since this is going in my living room. This made sense since its holds true to filling a bucket with a hose. I plan on socks extending 2" above the water like with the drain extending 1" below the water level.

 

[David R]

I was under the impression that the drains need to break the surface of the water to be quiet which is vital since this is going in my living room

Yes you're right, I guess that factor with the available height under your tank will decide how far out of the water you can have the socks. The further out they are the more effective gravity will be in doing its thing and the longer you'll get between cleans. That said, four socks on a tank that size should give you enough surface area to last a while.