I just took the filter sock out now. I also added an elbow with a tee at the water level to lessen the noise. Both seem to be working great. I don't think the microbubbles will bother me much. Until recently I was still using the diffuser plate from my wet/dry with a piece of floss on top. The water fell about 1 foot into the sump. The corals didn't seem to mind the bubbles all these years.