Mechanical Filtration In A Sump

[westiemarble]

After a year of an Orca 450 I'm setting up a bigger tank with sump. I have a typical 3 compartment sump with baffles/bubble stops and have the overflow pipe in the left compartment into a filter sock next to the skimmer and reserve heater. The centre section will be a layer of sand with LR pieces and cheato whilst the RH section will house the return pump, main heater and phosphate reducing media.

Whilst trawling through the net for ideas I find that some people dislike socks claiming they take too much cleaning and 'deprive the centre section of nutrients' and advocate the use of filter wool (somewhere?) whilst others think socks are good as they trap all the detritus.

Views, opinions and advice would be appreciated

 

[SkiFletch]

Filter socks really make the water look pristine for sure, as you alluded to though, keeping them clean and changing them when required is the hard part. Depending on the micron size of the sock will dictate both how thoroughly they clean the water, and of course how fast they fill up. Something like a 10 micron filter sock will likely fill in 2-3 days. A 100 micron sock will be more in the 1-2 week range. When they have too much stuff in them, they overflow so make sure you design your sump to handle that.

I have no personal experience with socks, but a lot of folks in my local club LOVE them. And some of these "old salties" have GORGEOUS looking tanks, so they can't be bad, "depriving things of nutrients..."

Make sure when you setup your filter sock area, make it EASY to remove and install new ones. Also buy a BUNCH of socks, so you can launder them simultaneously and not want to shoot yourself with cleaning them constantly

 

[westiemarble]

Thanks for that.

Out of interest, if you don't use a filter sock how do you filter your system?

Cheers

 

[jtnova13]

i have filter floss at the top of the first section of my sump. I also have the phosphate/carbon in a hob filter pouring onto that. I'll take a picture when i get home. I change it when it looks dirty. I also use this filter floss to put in a hob filter for a qt tank.

 

[SkiFletch]

Thanks for that.

Out of interest, if you don't use a filter sock how do you filter your system?

Cheers

Only when I used to dose Lanthanum Chloride. I currently do not, I just use an inlet sponge on my return pump to get "big" particles.