Do fleece rollers and filter socks reduce biodiversity?

[Coach v]

I use filter socks occasionally, usually when I clean the glass or blow rocks off. I will leave them on for 12-24 hours. I have been noticing a large number of amphipods in the socks (I try to shake them out into refugium).

This got me wondering about what other lower food chain organisms I am removing with mechanical filtration.

Do fleece rollers and/or filter socks reduce biodiversity? Is this a issue in reef tanks?

 

[blaxsun]

Yes, to some extent - but I think the pros outweigh any cons.

 

[Biokabe]

I use filter socks occasionally, usually when I clean the glass or blow rocks off. I will leave them on for 12-24 hours. I have been noticing a large number of amphipods in the socks (I try to shake them out into refugium).

This got me wondering about what other lower food chain organisms I am removing with mechanical filtration.

Do fleece rollers and/or filter socks reduce biodiversity? Is this a issue in reef tanks?

Not to the extent that it has a major impact.

Smaller critters will be able to pass through a filter sock. Larger critters have other ways to get around the filtration. And most of them live in your rocks or on other surfaces anyhow; the number that go down your drain and get filtered out by a sock are a very small percentage of total life in your tank.

 

[ectoaesthetics]

Yup. I don’t run filter socks or rollers. I do suck the junk out of my sump. I think BRS has a lot of very helpful advice but they definitely have people too focused on socks/mats as well as vacuuming their sand (which I truly believe is a terrible idea). I have seen way too many people have major issues with sand vacuuming.

But yes without a doubt it removes biodiversity. If you are someone who adds phyto to increase pods there is no logic in running mats. If you like a crystal clean tank and don’t care about pods go for it! Also I don’t get struggling to add nutrients to the tank and adding bottles of nitrate and phosphate while running mats. I just can’t quite wrap my mind around it.

 

[metalle]

If you line 100% of the species greater than 200 micron and asked it to march to the filter yes. You would likely remove that species if they all followed and were greater than 201 micron, ( the smaller ones if any came by would get a temporary pass). Can you reduce the species? Yes. Would they all March out faster than they can reproduce? No.
Then there would be a reduction however to what extent is uncertain.
Does not have to do with the media shape, although the bag may mechanically trap more as it clogs.