# Sock instead of pad, bioballs, and sponge in Wet/Dry filter?



## gman87 (Dec 24, 2004)

I was in my LFS today and was talking to the owner and he suggested using a filter sock in my wet/dry to replace the blue floss pad, bio-balls, and sponge that are currently on my 125 gallon. Anyone else have comments on if this is a good idea or not? It is a pretty heavily stocked, established tank with Tangs and I'm worried about a drastic switch but he was pretty sold on it. He is a salt guy BTW.
I do a 35 gallon change every week or two on average and change the floss then also, clean the sponge every couple to few months.


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## Heyguy74 (Aug 11, 2005)

The sock will act a mechanical filteration, but not much biological. Losing the bioballs will casue problems if they are not replaced with another biological media. If anything you could remove the floss if your are using the sock. There is a difference between salt setups and freshwtaer setups. In saltwater if you are using live rock thats your biological filteration. So you dont need bioballs in the sump. If you removed the bioballs (or whatever biological media you are using) in a freshwater setup, you will lose most of your nitrifying bacteria.


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

Why change? Is there a problem with the current setup? The filter socks will work if kept clean, and 
even as bio, but they will clog quickly. If starting from scratch, it would be something to consider, but I 
don't see the logic in switching midstream. I'd be interested in hearing what he thought you'd gain by 
making the switch now. I've used blue pad and bioballs for years and am very happy with how it works 
for me. I know some have used filter socks successfully too. But, that's a decision best made at the 
beginning. The more I think about it, the more I'm scratching my head. If this doesn't go well, you'll 
end up with dead fish. Why would he tell you to switch now, and did he give you a plan for pulling it off?


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## gman87 (Dec 24, 2004)

I asked about the bioballs and bacteria and his reply was that the bacteria (tanks been stable for a couple of years) are in the sand and holey rock. I know that in salt that is right but I just have silica sand which I would think is too fine to harbor bacteria, or at least the good ones.

His main reason for switching was to reduce maintenance cost by eliminateing the filter pad and eliminate the nitrate production in the wet/dry.

I went in because of a lighting problem with an Icecap ballast (went bad) and he was explaining how everything was going to T5s now and I brought up a salt wet/dry that came with my 125 and that it didn't have a place for bioballs. That is where the socks came up. He wasn't trying to push product or anything but I did want to ask some folks here that have more freshwater experience.


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## Rick_Lindsey (Aug 26, 2002)

gman87 said:


> His main reason for switching was to reduce maintenance cost by eliminateing the filter pad and eliminate the nitrate production in the wet/dry.


Unless you're doing something different to get rid of organic detritus, the "nitrate production in the wet/dry" will not change a bit. Stuff decomposes into ammonia -> nitrite -> nitrate. Unless your wet/dry is collecting decomposing stuff that would somehow get magickally removed with a filter sock, your nitrate won't change.

-Rick (the armchair aquarist)


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## gman87 (Dec 24, 2004)

He suggested rotating the dirty sock for a cleaned one every week.


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

He's speaking from a salt water perspective. Wet/dry's in freshwater tanks do NOT cause nitrate 
problems. It's common to not use biomedia in salt tanks, particularly reef tanks, but they also use 
protein skimmers to remove organics. You can't take do that in a freshwater tank. And that goes with 
what Rick_Lindsey pointed out. In a salt tank, they remove the organics with protein skimmers so 
they're not broken down into nitrates. Removing biomedia alone will NOT affect nitrates if you still have 
the same organic load.

There's nothing to gain for you by doing this in your freshwater tank.


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## gman87 (Dec 24, 2004)

Thanks, that is the conformation I needed. I had red flags going up and knew you guys (and gals) would steer me straight. If it ain't broke...............


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