Are any of the automatic felt rollers worth a crap?

[Adam]

So, anyone that knows me knows my distain for filter socks. With a healthy thriving reef, with a fuge or ATS, good cuc critters in the sump and display, I really don't think they're needed. My problem is I have none of those yet. This is about the only time I think socks or mechanical filtration is needed other than the times you want to polish the water. A new system that is maturing has no mode of export. The water will yellow and nutrients will build up.

There's 11 fish in the display and 3 in the 60 frag tank. There's no lights over the display yet. I do have the frag lit but that's just to give the Bristletooth tangs I have in there something to do. The tentative plan is to have the canopy and lights over the display around mid July.

My sump has two 7" sock holders and it can really only accept something like the Klir drop in's. But I've not heard too many good reviews for them.

Cleaning socks sucks, period. The only method that does a decent job is to clean them right when you take them out by blasting as much crap out of them as you can. In slop sink with the sprayer setting or outside with a pressure washer. If you let the crud dry out it is much, much, harder to remove. Then after collecting 6 to 8 in that state, soaking them in hot water with sodium perchlorate. Once the bubbling stops rinse them in the washing machine and wash them with bleach, then rinse them again.

I gots no time for all that. So if you're using a felt roller system please post your thoughts, good and bad. Thanks!

 

[bg2311]

Been very happy with our Trigger rollermat on our platinum 34 but it's built into our sump, not a drop-in.

 

[Adam]

This is the chamber size, Hanna checker for scale.

And a shot from the side. 300w Eheim in there.


Don't see how I could fit much in there.

 

[sharis100]

Clarisea SK5000 two of them would work. You can drop them in any open spot they would fit in your sump and use external pumps to feed them internally in the sump connected with soft vinyl- learned this from Ecotech and Reefdudes. Something equivalent to like an S1 or S2 vectra. You can elevate the Clarisea to the proper level for working on a setup like for a protein skimmer if they cannot hang on the sides of the sump.
Think there are some look alikes to Clarisea from D & D as well. Deltec makes one and Bubble Magus and Aquamaxx also has a 6 inch one that is way cheaper than Clarisea. If you are not looking for long term use, go with the Lower cost options. I also have used the Klir - which was fine for a smaller system. But it is a PITA to clean and reload the roller material- you have to pull the whole thing out and clean it and reload. The other types- once you get it loaded you can reload by temporarily stapling and cutting the new roll into machine. Also, less stick of the filter fleece with the other units compared to Klir and you can just manually pull on the fleece to clear any snags as opposed to the Klir which you have to pull out. At least in my experiences.
To clarify- do not put them in the filter sock area- put them anywhere else open in the sump.

 

[Adam]

To clarify- do not put them in the filter sock area- put them anywhere else open in the sump.

That really sucks. Looks like I'll keep doing my homework and research some of the options you mentioned.

Not a ton of room here...

 

[ichthyoid]

I went with the AquaMaxx, based on both the ratings & especially the fact that it would fit into my sump opening.

Fwiw,
Looking at your sump, I might consider having a roller holder/mount custom made to fit over/on top of, the existing sock opening(s). Maybe even use 2 of them, given your system volume. I would have the mounts made with a rectangular enclosure to sit the rollers within so as to retain any splatter, and rest securely over those sock openings. There are after market rolls available, also. The filter material is not technically a ‘felt’. It is a spunbonded (polypropylene) nonwoven material, which we worked with during my manufacturing R&D days.

There are other ways to agglomerate & export the suspended particulates & substances in the water, using bio polymers. One such I have purchased is from Tropic Marin called Reef Actif. It is a bio stimulant for beneficial bacteria which consume and/or bind excess nutrients/particulates. Once agglomerated, the macro particles are then consumed by corals/sponges, etc. and/or exported via a skimmer. Reviews indicate it leaves aquarium water crystal clear, when used as directed -

Reef-Actif | Produktinformationen

www.tropic-marin.com

Here’s the AquaMaxx, bought from Marine Depot -

 

[Dmitri]

Ya socks are a pain but it’s probably best filtration you can have. I change mine every two days and they go from white to solid brown every time I change. Got a washer just for socks.
Roller mat is good but couldn’t figure out cheap way to set it up compare to these socks.

 

[Adam]

I don't have the drop needed to flow into a unit. I'm already going to put another pump in for the ATS and maybe one more for a uv. I don't want another. I don't want to buy another washer either. But I hate socks.

 

[Cook]

Have you tried the nylon socks? They don’t trap as much as felt but are far easier to clean.

 

[Adam]

Have you tried the nylon socks? They don’t trap as much as felt but are far easier to clean.

I have used them in the past. Yes they are very easy to clean but at this stage of the tank I need to catch more to keep the water from getting too nasty. With the current fish bioload, 3 of the fish produce more waste than most peoples entire systems, there needs to be a solid filter plan. I let the socks overflow for a week and what built up in the bottom of the sump was pretty nasty. We're not talking normal detritus here, it was the same brown you see in the skimmate but covering the entire bottom front section of the sump. And that was with only four fish in the display, there's twelve now.

Once I get the ATS back from Dmitri it will catch a lot of this stuff on the bottom of it and it's easier to suck out.

Ya socks are a pain but it’s probably best filtration you can have. I change mine every two days and they go from white to solid brown every time I change. Got a washer just for socks.
Roller mat is good but couldn’t figure out cheap way to set it up compare to these socks.

Without a drop in solution like the Klir there isn't much I can do. I have two DCP-15000's for the returns and they're running at about 80%. With piping and head loss that should still be around 2000 gallons an hour or over 7500lph. Once I get to around 95% on both pumps I hit the limit of the 1-1/2" main siphon drain line, with the gate valve wide open water pours out the trickle drain. Theoretically that's about 3500gph but I don't know if that is limited by the short drop from the overflow to the sump, I suspect it is. So, I'd bet it's still in the 3000gph range.

I'm not spending a grand or more for something that isn't going to be in use long term, 2nd washing machine included. The Aquamaxx @ichthyoid mentioned looks like it would be the only thing remotely feasible and available at this time. But a pair of them would require a good bit of design work to get operational and I'm not going to add another pump to make them work. I'll try and find a use AF-1 to tinker with but in the mean time I guess I'm stuck with these damn socks.

 

[Jaycen B.]

How about a couple of these...

High Flow Filter Media Cup 7 inch - Sea Foam White - Media Cup

Filter Media Cup - 7 inch - Flexible High Flow in Sea Foam White Our 7" High-Flow Filter Media Cup will replace all those filter socks you have hanging around. Made out of a BPA free Polypropylene, this 7" Filter Media Cup is a solid one-piece design, that holds any filter media. The opaque...

www.marinedepot.com

I gave up on the socks and went with this stuffed with filter floss. When it gets dirty I chuck the old and replace with new.
Might work for you only being temporary.

 

[wantsummora acropora]

I have a Clarisea and I love it. Does a great job for my 150g reef. It is 5"wide. I've attached a pic.