Sharing my simple filtration to the gar tank

[xander]

I also have a micron ( 400 ) sock at the tanks outlet, upon entrance into the sump.

Problem is, it needs cleaning weekly ( at least ).
i would suggest going with 200 @ least, 100 if you can find some. my 200 have to be cleaned every 2-4days! hope it gets better as jose says

A couple of questions, oh Master Xander:

- When you mean wash the Eheim monthly, what exactly do you mean? Cleaning with tank water and eliminating the larger particles?

washing happens in 2 steps. i first rinse the media in tank water, then fill a bucket with tank water and basically wash the media in it till all particles are gone and the media is clean.

- Is your Eheim's scope mainly mechanical?

no, eheim is bio. i have to be frank, the bio on this thing is second to none, but the mech is appalling. the sock takes care of my mechanical.

- What do you feed, and what do you mean with 50% full? The fish bellies?

basically, yes. haha i feed them half of what i know they can eat

in green. thanks Miguel. i only just installed the sock holder a month or so ago, but it's working amazing well and finally solved my mech filtration problem

 

[xander]

This is basically how I plan to filter my next bigger tanks in a few years. Cool to see the sock mechanism. I probably will have an open overflow that pours through a giant sock, but mine will be ugly to see while yours is sleek.

haha you can diy your own sock holder? mine is basically different pieces of pipe put together

 

[xander]

Very cool! I like how you incorporated an overflow box, filter sock and a canister filter!!

What size micron is that sock? I ran a 50 micron sock on my 400g and it kept the water stupid clear. I use 25 micron socks on my planted tank, and that water is retarded clear

hhehe it's 200, i wish i could get smaller sizes, but they're relatively new in my country and only 1 size is available. hopefully they will be more sizes available in time to come. i can imagine!!!! i'd have to wash it out every 2-3 hours

You must have some really dirty water!! When I first added a 100 micron sock to my 400g, it would clog in less than a day. Slowly it took longer as it pulled all the crap out of the water. I eventually switched over to a 50 micron sock and that would last 3-4 days before it clogged. Thing is, you need to be patient as all that dirty water gets filtered out of your system. On an established tank that's never had filter socks running before, this can take several weeks of constantly cleaning out clogged socks. But the result is well worth it!

Like I said, my planted tank has dual 25 micron socks and I'm confident it's the clearest water you've ever seen!

maybe his water is really mature & clear?

i really need smaller socks. i running 25 must be friggin insane!! how long did it take you before the 25's worked smoothly? have to bear in mind the incredible difference in size between out tanks...not to mention that the amount of gravel i have is downright frightening

 

[jcardona1]

haha you can diy your own sock holder? mine is basically different pieces of pipe put together

Or if you have a sump, it's even easier! I just use simple piece of coated cable and hang over the inlet pipe





http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=512157&d=1279767546

 

[xander]

nice, i was wondering if it would work with my tank. The hole in my overflow is only 25mm though so would present a slight constriction. what sort of bulkhead fitting do you use?

25mm diameter? i'm not too sure but in theory, i dont see why not. im not too clear on the bulkhead. what are you refering to?

 

[xander]

damn...another sticky maybe? "how do you use your micron socks...haha

 

[knifegill]

haha you can diy your own sock holder? mine is basically different pieces of pipe put together

Yeah. I don't know how fine I'll go on the pores but I'll have a sock mounted inside a tube above a distributor and then to my bio. That way if it ever clogs or overflows it will be contained and still flow through through the rest of the system normally.

What happens when yours clogs?

 

[Miguel]

My water is clear ( at least to my sore and tired eyes )

Problem is that my critters are big and eat a lot.

 

[jcardona1]

hhehe it's 200, i wish i could get smaller sizes, but they're relatively new in my country and only 1 size is available. hopefully they will be more sizes available in time to come. i can imagine!!!! i'd have to wash it out every 2-3 hours



maybe his water is really mature & clear?

i really need smaller socks. i running 25 must be friggin insane!! how long did it take you before the 25's worked smoothly? have to bear in mind the incredible difference in size between out tanks...not to mention that the amount of gravel i have is downright frightening

Yeah I just realized he said WEEKLY cleaning. That isn't bad at all IMO. But given that's a 400 micron sock, switching to a 100 or 200 would maybe need daily cleaning. Just a matter of flushing out all the particles from the system.

As for the 25 micron socks, I put these in since day 1 in my planted tank, so there was really no "adjustment period". As it stands, I can go about 7 days in my tank. But of course, my tank and fish are TINY compared to your monsters lol.

Have you looked at this site? This is where I get mine, but I have no idea if they ship outside of the USA http://www.mcmaster.com/#filter-bags/=a15lid

 

[xander]

knife, when the sock is clogged my eheim starts making noises. this is usually my signal to wash/change the socks.

Miguel, we have the same problem old dawg:S