How often do you change your filter sock?

I HATE doing it! I've been doing 2 large (50%) water changes per month, and I change it each time I do that. My coral growth is really slow, so I've been thinking about doing 2 smaller changes, about 15% each for a total of about 30% per month and changing my sock more frequently. I'm hoping this will create a more stable, less stressful environment.

It seems whenever I see what I think is a super nasty tank, full of hair algae and ripe with neglect, their corals look better than mine with great grow out.

I'm also cutting back on my lights, leaving them on for 8 hours instead of 10-12. I have 2 150w 120k halides running, and some of my nems and leathers have turned brown.

Also, how do you clean your pumps? Do you run them through with vinegar? Should I be taking them apart? I've had this tank for 10 months now and I'm sure there are some more long term maintenance items that are due, but I'm not sure what???

Bump for help...

Im getting ready to pull my sump out into the front yard and give it a good cleaning, but what should I do?

why would you pull your sump out and clean it? you will kill all the beneficial bacteria thats in there. and most likely send your tank into a cycle.

I change my filter socks when doing weekly water changes and then again midweek. When I'm lazy about it I notice higher nitrate levels.

I took my sump out to clean it as my phosphates are constantly elevated and I cannot for the life of me, figure out why.

I also wanted to rearrange all of my equipment and try to get better function out of my skimmer. I didn't replace but a couple of gallons of the water in the display tank, so all of the beneficial bacteria in the tank, remains as is. The total volume of water changed was approx. 20 gals. on a 65 gal tank with a 15 gal sump.

well i might have you beat on lazy...lol i change my filter sock when i hear water tricking in the sump, it says the sock is over flowing, because its all clogged with debris.




i wouldn't cut the lights back, not sure if 8 hours of light is enough for your corals

do you have a ro/ di water filter? someone told me without di you will have phosphates in most cases,

try Brightwell Aquatics MicroBacter7 and the Brightwell Reef bio fuel they will lower your phosphates and nitrates if you have nitrates. in 5 days i see my nuisance algae disappearing. from what i read the bio fuel feeds the tank with bacteria that eats the nitrates and phosphates. than that bacteria gets scooped up by the skimmer to be removed from the tank. it works on the vodka method theory. i think i got that right. if not anyone please correct me . any way it works im a believer after 5 days of use.

I change it out every week. If you can't keep up with regular and frequent maintenance you shouldn't use a sock. I think most people don't use a sock.

8 hours is plenty of light

my tank is a 58gal and 2x150 mh and there only on for 7 hours and i have heard people go as low as 5 hours 12 hours for mh is a lot i would personally not go more than 10 hours


also i change my socks every week anything it will start to decay quick and foul your water not that you cant change them every month.

I do 2 water changes a week for a total of 40%

my sock before the skimmer needed to be changed every 2 -3 days. with skimmer it seems to be less, time will tell. after seeing what the sock pulls out i dont think i will ever go without it. i know alot do. but this is my first sump with one and i can see how well they work. i do wait till it says change me though which i know a routine would be better. but how im doing it seems to work for me at this time.
i have 4 socks and plan to buy two more so i can throw a few in the washer at once .when i had 2 i was putting one in the sump washing the other that was a pain

I just hate changing it. Its so messy and I only have 2 socks, so there's that too.

I'm trying to do 1 big water change per week. 30 gals or so each time, but I can barely get to it every 7 days. Its more like every 9 or so days.

I did leave my lights off for two days and noticed that my sand looks much brighter. I hadn't noticed any major algae before, but the difference is pretty significant. My nems moved a little. My small one moved higher and my giant sebae moved over a little.

I'm only running lights for between 6-8 hours now to see if my corals and sebae brighten up a bit. Its been about 2 weeks now of the shorter light cycle and I haven't really noticed a difference.

I have lights on 8 hrs/day 150 MH 9hrs w/ actinics. Any more and I have algae issues.
I change it out as necessary about once a week or when it stays filled up. I rarely had to change it when I only fed frozen, now that I feed flake also, it needs to be changed more frequently.

megan, i know what you mean about the 2 socks that was a major pain.

rickg, thats interesting i would have thought it would be the opposite way around for the feeding flake and frozen clogging the sock. i mainly feed frozen but have been trying to go the flake route. figuring its easier on the water and cleaning issues. hum. maybe i need to rethink the flake feeding