Klir DI-4

[mphammer]

Thanks to a great deal from @FutureInterest, I am working on getting this set up and dialed in. Good to meet you man!
The reviews are all over the place so I am really curious to see what kind of performance it yields. I figured others may be curious about these fleece rollers so I will share my experience here.



This model drops directly into a standard 4" sock holder. I have 3 in my sump, so I had to plug up the 2 other holes. Klir sells $15 "Flow-Diverting Caps" I just ripped up some old filter socks and laid some plastic inside the rim.









And last shot all set up..

 

[mphammer]

First few days have been interesting with this roller. I can't tell if it is working too well, or what happened, but my skimmer has quit producing any skimmate whatsoever. I thought maybe after a day or two it would come back around but still nothing on day 4-5

 

[jman930]

Following this! I haven’t done any research on “rollers” so forgive the ignorance but where do you get replacement rolls? Are they proprietary and must get them from manufacture or generic in size? What do you do with the old roll? Toss it or clean it for reuse?

 

[mphammer]

Following this! I haven’t done any research on “rollers” so forgive the ignorance but where do you get replacement rolls? Are they proprietary and must get them from manufacture or generic in size? What do you do with the old roll? Toss it or clean it for reuse?

Rolls are proprietary but not overly expensive, or at least they don't seem to be on first impression. Time will tell regarding usage. They are about $14 a piece shipped, most big online retailers have them. Claims vary for how long they last. Once the roll is used up, you trash it and pop a new one in. If I can get 3-4 weeks out of a roll, it would be worth it. If the roll last a week, I probably will not keep it in my setup

 

[jman930]

Rolls are proprietary but not overly expensive, or at least they don't seem to be on first impression. Time will tell regarding usage. They are about $14 a piece shipped, most big online retailers have them. Claims vary for how long they last. Once the roll is used up, you trash it and pop a new one in. If I can get 3-4 weeks out of a roll, it would be worth it. If the roll last a week, I probably will not keep it in my setup

I agree! Definitely keep us posted! I would have to get the 7” sock version myself.

 

[mphammer]

Still no skimmate, 8 days in. Water is clear, but I wonder what is being left in the water column if my skimmer is not producing anything? Could it be that the roller is removing the majority of the debris, to the point that there is no head in the skimmer to lift the microscopic junk out? I do not know enough of the science behind how skimmers work to know if that is a possibility. Anyone?

 

[kullas]

Just curious have you noticed a difference in your phosphate and nitrates? I'm guessing it is possible for it to be removing enough out of the water column to render the protein skimmer ineffective.

 

[jman930]

Might need to retune the skimmer?

 

[mphammer]

Just curious have you noticed a difference in your phosphate and nitrates? I'm guessing it is possible for it to be removing enough out of the water column to render the protein skimmer ineffective.

Nitrates have remained at the same level, relatively low. Phosphate- I have been working on lowering over the past couple weks as I was around .15-.16. I implemented a gfo reactor just a couple days before the fleece roller.
Today my phosphate is around .08-.09. So one of them is working lolol

I am concerned though because I know there are small particles that are passing through the roller, but now the skimmer has no head to lift those particles- so those small particles are staying in the water. Or at least that is how I am thinking about it?

 

[mphammer]

Might need to retune the skimmer?

Man I have tried everything, I just can't get it going now. It wasn;t even finicky before I added the roller and gfo, worked great wet or dry pull

 

[Adam]

Man I have tried everything, I just can't get it going now. It wasn't even finicky before I added the roller and gfo, worked great wet or dry pull

How soon after adding the DI-4 did the skimmer quit, was it immediate or did it take some time?
When was the last time you cleaned the skimmer, I mean thoroughly? The pump, impeller, airline, venturi and the full body.

 

[mphammer]

How soon after adding the DI-4 did the skimmer quit, was it immediate or did it take some time?
When was the last time you cleaned the skimmer, I mean thoroughly? The pump, impeller, airline, venturi and the full body.

It was just about immediate. I think I dropped the DI-4 in, emptied my skimmer cup, and that was the last time I saw any skimmate
I have never cleaned the skimmer, granted it and the entire setup are relatively new (2-3 months). I will check that though, the skimmer is kind of burried in pumps and reactors so I dont ever see the skimmer pump

 

[mphammer]

Thanks @Adam - cleaned skimmer top to bottom, found a little seashell in the impeller- working great now
Thanks @aestheticlibra - skimmer humming now

So now that the skimmer is working and not taking away from my thoughts on the DI-4... the filter is working great. I am 2 weeks in and it looks like I have gone through maybe an 1/8th of the filter roll. I am running a very light bioload right now as I am getting ready to tear-down, but I am still very happy with the lifespan of the filter roll so far
Phosphate are also coming down, which I believe is a function of this DI-4 as I have stopped running GFO and still reducing phosphates

 

[jman930]

So @mphammer with replacing 3 socks with 1 Klir-4 you’re having no issues still? Thinking of replacing my 7” sock with one. Did you have to get the motor replaced? I’ve read reviews that the motor upgrade was needed to be flawless.

 

[jman930]

Well it’s on the way. Hope my experience is like yours!

 

[mphammer]

So @mphammer with replacing 3 socks with 1 Klir-4 you’re having no issues still? Thinking of replacing my 7” sock with one. Did you have to get the motor replaced? I’ve read reviews that the motor upgrade was needed to be flawless.

Sorry for the late response. The 90 gallon tank that my DI-4 was operating in has been taken down in preparation for the 210.
For the 3-4 weeks that it was operating, I had almost no issues. The only caveat to that is the placement of the water level sensor. When you set your filter up, make sure the sensor is not facing your drain from your display into the sump. If there is any splashing or really any turbulence at all, the sensor may pick that up and run through your filter. So aim the sensor away from any type of moving water.
Yours should come with the upgraded motor. From what I have read, the under powered motors (3 RPM) were on the early units, and once the problem was identified they switched over to the 11 rpm unit.
I hope the 7" works well for you man!