Sorry for the confusion, I did not mean the return to the tank but the input to the sump. If you have one of the commercial sumps with the hose attached to a housing, there is usually a plate of some sort to defuse the water. For my tanks with this arrangement, I have cut out a hole large enough to fit a filter sock without the sock collar passing through (you can buy drill bits for this or make it look ugly and cut out the easier shape of a square - it won't be seen). If you are concerned about cutting the defuser, then you might look for the plastic peg board that can be found with some extensive looking at some home DIY stores (like Lowes or Home Depot - not sure which but I found some at one) OR you can get a piece egg crate - easiest method - and cut it to fit then snap out your hole (I found that at the DIY stores as well sold as suspended ceiling light covers. Finding it for a different application might yield a better price though).
In a sump without the hooded cover, there are two different brackets that you can buy (the one from
Drs Foster and Smith is different from the
only other one I have seen) at most other fish supply stores, to hold the sock and the drain hose slides into either holder. I use both styles of holders. If there is a concern about splashing, the style from Drs. Foster and Smith is safer as the input tube goes well into the sock. If splashing is not a concern, the other style is easier to change out because the input tube does not have to be removed to do the change and there is less risk of the hose popping out of the holder since it remains undisturbed during filter changes (yes, these comments are from experienced minor catastrophes
)
I use a 4" sock (and the only size I have seen that has a bracket) on all but the 140 (that one has an 8" using the method one above). Be sure you buy at least one (I keep a total of three per tank) extra sock if you buy the bracket (usually, but not always - comes with a sock but Amazon link does not include a sock at all). The polyweld hold up better but the
200 micron felt seems to get dirtier. Don't waste your money on poly socks that are only sewn, they come apart quickly, the felt ones aren't welded but are bound stitched and have not separated.
The socks clean with a lot of rinsing. Soaking them inside out between water changes is helpful. I use clorox in a little washing machine bucket that works well but just an old salt bucket and soaking works. The reason I recommend three socks per tank is pure laziness. My socks soak for a week, the following week I soak them in some declor while I am changing water and put them up to dry when the next batch has been collected. You can manage with two if money is tight but with the cost of shipping, I would recommend the spending the extra on the front end.