Filter sock types

About 6 months ago I bought some filter socks from a LFS - cannot remember where. There were 2 in a pack. It was a flimsy kinda thin 'nylon' type fabric. They were brilliant and easy to clean, and I do remember very cheap. So I had to get some new ones and I have been to several of my usual haunts and could not find the same make or the same type that I had. I bought - out of desperation - 3 new ones - Seachem THE BAG it's called. Well, they are NOT what they are made out to be. I have used one for 2 weeks and it has already split and the weave is really too fine - it blocks and has to be cleaned twice a day - which is tiresome to say the least. The worst part is that I paid R 148.00 EACH !!!!!!!!!!! thinking that they would be the best - well Seachem makes good stuff does it not?????

My question is - who uses what as filter socks, what works the best and what is well priced for what it is???
THE BAG by Seachem is not worth the money imo !! And besides it come with a silly little re-usable cable tie thingy that will only fit around like a 18-20mm outlet pipe - if you lucky

 

Hi... I by no means know the seachem range very well. You don't even get it in Bloem?!? But from what I have read THE BAG is for their media range. Like Purigen and Matrix. Again I'm not sure at all about this but that might be the problem. Its designed to be very very fine.

In any case I myself use un dyed felt from a fabric shop. A half meter cost R100 and if you have someone with a sewing machine you can get 6 110mm x 50cm filter bags. I use them in my own tank with magical results. Going almost a year now. They go for 2 weeks before I have to change them out with a clean set. And I just wash them several times in hot tap water and let dry. Ps I use 3 at a time and I have 12 in circulation. But they do work wonders and very cheap also.

 

Deff think they sold you the wrong product. This is from Seachem's site. Seachem. The Bag

 

I bought some of those pool gobbler bags for R41.50 at Mica (think I later saw Checkers selling them for cheaper), have still yet to test them. They come 5 in a packet and are about 40cm long.
They look like they can be great though, they are very stretchable and very fine.

 

You can buy filter socks for about R50 for a packet of 3. Seachem The Bag is definitely not made for this purpose. If you struggle to get some let me know.

 

+1

 

Seachem's "The Bag" is not for this purpose, which is why it did not work. It is mainly for their Purigen. (If you have used Seachem's cheimcal filtration media, then you will understand that you need an extremely fine knitted mesh)

For alternate options the pool gobbler sock works well.
If you are using it on the intake of a filter, then a sock in my opinion is not the right solution. A better option would be to have a very coarse sponge. You may need to just buy a block from LPS and customize it yourself.

Rgds

 

company called eaton make industrial filters and use a filter bag, you can spec the micron
would try get hold of them and see rate this is best option

 

RIGHT - pity I cannot take R 444.00 worth of bags back to Jungle Aquatics!!! 2 already used and one packet opened waiting to be used !!! DAMN.-
I now see it IS not the right thing
@a3aan and @Zoom - thank you for the info - should have checked the website myself I suppose!!!
I am using the 'filter socks" at the end of my overflow into my sump. Gonna go look for pool gobbler bags now. Would panty-hose work I wonder??
@AquaS - do you have a name on those bags that you got?

 

Unfortunately not, but you should be able to find it at a fish shop that caters for marine tanks.

 

Thanks @AquaS