Filter socks...

[Haulin Oates]

So when I downsized I decided to run a filter sock coming off the main sump pipe. I know cris at Aquatic Art runs them and changes them out weekly. My question is mine are completely clogging in about a weeks time and it's a black nasty substance:

It's so bad it even stains my hand!

Are the filter socks becoming a bio filter? I figured changing every week would keep that from happening, although I was not expecting them to clog in a week...

 

[CRW Reef]

Wow black? Wonder what the heck that is, mine are always brown. Following along to see convo on this

 

[cdrewferd]

Is this the first time you've changed them? Maybe they are pulling a lot of crap out of the new tank? If you have a couple maybe try changing them out every 2-3 days for a couple weeks and see what happens.

 

[Ghosty]

Side-note, where do you guys buy yours for a decent price? By "changing out", you mean cleaning them or actually throw them in the trash and replace?

 

[reef dummy]

That looks like carbon dust. Are you running carbon? My socks brown out after a week and i change them but I've never seen black.

 

[reef dummy]

Side-note, where do you guys buy yours for a decent price? By "changing out", you mean cleaning them or actually throw them in the trash and replace?

BRS has the cheapest ones I've seen and you wash them and reuse them.

 

[Haulin Oates]

I got 2 from BRS... So I can switch out one a week and have time to wash the other. Cris washes his in a washing machine, so I did that as well. This is the second time I've switched them out. And both were extremely black! I do run carbon in a bag, but I rinsed it really well and it's only about a cup full... These are 12" by 6" socks!!! I can't image there would be that much... Although the lack of nasty smell when I'm changing them does lead to that conclusion...

 

[reef dummy]

Yeah I think that is just carbon dust, no big deal if your tank is doing well.

 

[crisc]

Agreed, looks like carbon dust. If you are running too much flow through your carbon it will grind up and dust out. Or it could just be a soft form of carbon as well, different carbons have different dust levels and are made differently. Even if it isn't carbon dust for some reason, you got it out of the tank which is good.