Other options instead of filter socks?

[sphelps]

You can purchase filter floss which is just polyester fiber sheets which you can get cheap from Walmart in the craft department (used for pillow/quilt stuffing). You just need a piece of eggcrate to hold the fiber perpendicular to the water flow direction in your sump. Typically you install the eggcrate horizontally in a baffled section. The floss is cheap enough to be simply tossed when it becomes spoiled and it's much less maintenance than filter socks. It's not quite as thorough as the sock but it's usually all people need.