Messy Filter Socks...

staceyd72 · #1 02-11-2011, 01:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delphinus

... I am excited to try out some mesh socks as an alternative, just got them in from BRS yesterday. They are a nylon or something similar material, looks like they should just hose off clean and clog far less often. Might be something you want to look into if you're not comfortable with cleaning yours in the washing machine.

Hey Tony,

Please keep us updated on these, I was looking at them also but have not found any feedback on them. Did you get the ones with the plastic ring or draw string?

I change my filter socks out every two days, it only takes a couple of minutes for me and I actually don't find it much of an inconvenience. Tossing them in the washing machine is probably the easiest and most convenient way to clean them.

Delphinus · #2 02-11-2011, 01:49 AM

They arrived about a week ago but I waited a few days to rotate them in since I had just put on clean felt socks the day before they came.

They are 200 micron (actually it looks like BRS doesn't sell anything BUT 200 micron) so they definitely last longer. The material feels like a sort of stiff nylon.

I have a bit of a cyano thing going on so they got clogged once already but I all I needed was to rinse them off and they were fully clean so I just put them back in instead of rotating in different ones.

Definitely getting longer between cleans, the felts I was using are 100 micron and I'd only get 2-3 days before the water was overflowing from the top.

I have sock holders in the sump so I got the ones with the plastic ring.

Raven34 · #3 02-11-2011, 02:22 AM

Go to walmart. They sell the same material that the socks are made from and stitch them up with fishing line. Im getting better and maybe takes 15mins. 3$ a sock in the end.

jon.smolders · #4 02-11-2011, 02:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raven34

Go to walmart. They sell the same material that the socks are made from and stitch them up with fishing line. Im getting better and maybe takes 15mins. 3$ a sock in the end.

I like that idea. What is that material called?

And hey, if you don't like cleaning your filter socks you could just toss them and sew new ones (at 3 bucks a week).

... I'm too cheap for that though.

Raven34 · #5 02-11-2011, 02:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jon.smolders

I like that idea. What is that material called?

And hey, if you don't like cleaning your filter socks you could just toss them and sew new ones (at 3 bucks a week).

... I'm too cheap for that though.

Its in the bedding department but forget what it called, its in a plastic clear bag. Then i go steal a shoe lace out of a pair of her shoes and make a loop. 2ply is what ive been doing. Then into the wash with bleach when all 20 are dirty.

staceyd72 · #6 02-11-2011, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delphinus

They arrived about a week ago but I waited a few days to rotate them in since I had just put on clean felt socks the day before they came.

They are 200 micron (actually it looks like BRS doesn't sell anything BUT 200 micron) so they definitely last longer. The material feels like a sort of stiff nylon.

I have a bit of a cyano thing going on so they got clogged once already but I all I needed was to rinse them off and they were fully clean so I just put them back in instead of rotating in different ones.

Definitely getting longer between cleans, the felts I was using are 100 micron and I'd only get 2-3 days before the water was overflowing from the top.

I have sock holders in the sump so I got the ones with the plastic ring.

Thanks Tony,

I used the 100 micron felts also, but I noticed that I really had to change them at day two, the water would overflow them, whereas the 200 felts don't really need to be replaced sooner(I just do it to reduce the likelihood of NO3 buildup).

I have also found that the plastic ring breaks off from the felt over time, and the seams split, I think this may be a result of using too much bleach during the wash which is making the materials weaker; I'll have to reduce the quantity of bleach on the new ones.

Good luck with the cyano battle.

es355lucille · #7 02-11-2011, 01:08 PM

I only use a filter sock when I am cleaning my tank. I find that when I am dirtying things up during the cleaning, then I throw a sock on for a day. Same thing I clean my socks in the washing machine. I was told not to.....but I could not get it clean at all by rinsing it off.

Stones · #8 02-11-2011, 05:29 PM

How much bleach are you guys using when washing the filter socks in a washing machine? I've always just washed in hot water but all my filter socks are now a pleasant shade of gray and it is difficult to tell when they are dirty or clean unless the water is already overflowing out the top of the sock.

Coleus · #9 02-11-2011, 09:55 PM

I used the mesh sock and don't have to replace in months but then it is not doing a good job of trapping particles so i have to switch back to felt sock

Delphinus · #10 02-11-2011, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stones

How much bleach are you guys using when washing the filter socks in a washing machine? I've always just washed in hot water but all my filter socks are now a pleasant shade of gray and it is difficult to tell when they are dirty or clean unless the water is already overflowing out the top of the sock.

I just use a "generous splash" of bleach (ie., I pour for about a second or so). In my old washing machine I'd run the cycle twice, once with bleach, once with nothing just to make sure it would rinse all out. My new washing machine is a front-loader and just has a setting for "whitest whites" and I set it to that and I have a section where you add detergent that's just for bleach, I just put the bleach in there and call it done. No detergent, just a bit of bleach and that's good enough.