Just wanted to put in my two cents on the reef filter unit recently debuted by Rocky Mountain Fish Filter.
The filter these folks designed is essentially a high grade clear plastic filter cup, with the bottom cut out, into which a cylinder of plastic rings with little ridges is inserted. The ridges are small enough that a 200 micron filtration grade is achieved. There’s a small gap between the clear filter tube and this cylinder of rings, into which water flows - and the flow is dead silent, which is notable. Water then passes through the ridges of the rings and falls down the central shaft created by the rings, and enters the sump. The debris is all locked out, wedged between the clear filter tube walls and the outside of the rings.
To clean the filter, every few days you pop it out, pull the cylinder of rings, rinse it in the sink or under the hose, give it a light scrub if needed, and re-insert. It takes 2 minutes. Literally.
I’ve been running this in lieu of socks for a week now, and there’s a 0.00% chance I ever touch another filter sock. I’m relieved these debuted before I absorbed the cost of buying a roller mat. Nothing against them. Roller mats may still technically be less maintenance, but I hated the thought of buying fleece rolls and fidgeting with the mechanisms every time I needed to replace rolls.
Anyway, the reef grade filter from Rocky Mountain Fish Filter is $99. And for only having to mess with it for a couple of minutes at a time, a couple times a week, I’d say that price is spot on. It’s quite innovative, and I’m surprised nobody has ever come up with this before. Highly recommend.
The filter these folks designed is essentially a high grade clear plastic filter cup, with the bottom cut out, into which a cylinder of plastic rings with little ridges is inserted. The ridges are small enough that a 200 micron filtration grade is achieved. There’s a small gap between the clear filter tube and this cylinder of rings, into which water flows - and the flow is dead silent, which is notable. Water then passes through the ridges of the rings and falls down the central shaft created by the rings, and enters the sump. The debris is all locked out, wedged between the clear filter tube walls and the outside of the rings.
To clean the filter, every few days you pop it out, pull the cylinder of rings, rinse it in the sink or under the hose, give it a light scrub if needed, and re-insert. It takes 2 minutes. Literally.
I’ve been running this in lieu of socks for a week now, and there’s a 0.00% chance I ever touch another filter sock. I’m relieved these debuted before I absorbed the cost of buying a roller mat. Nothing against them. Roller mats may still technically be less maintenance, but I hated the thought of buying fleece rolls and fidgeting with the mechanisms every time I needed to replace rolls.
Anyway, the reef grade filter from Rocky Mountain Fish Filter is $99. And for only having to mess with it for a couple of minutes at a time, a couple times a week, I’d say that price is spot on. It’s quite innovative, and I’m surprised nobody has ever come up with this before. Highly recommend.