Are fleece rollers worth it?

slingfox · 2026-07-29T23:53:31-0400

I have a Reefmet 1200. Works fantastic. If you have a fleece roller and are stripping out too much stuff then the fix is simple: run the fleece roller less. Any piece of equipment can be using correctly or wrongly. A fleece roller is just another very useful tool for the reefing hobby.

Marc G-L · 2026-07-30T00:02:04-0400

caddnima said:
Yes. For me it is worth it.
I made a DIY fleece roller using the reefer mat 1200 (6 in). And instead of a schedule motor run, I am using a water level inside the chamber to turn on and off the motor. I installed Oct 2025, finished the roll June 2026. So I believe it is worth it.

Yay for DIY'ers

caddnima · 2026-07-30T00:10:19-0400

Marc G-L said:
Yay for DIY'ers

Thanks. Just in case you cannot sleep at night.

https://sites.google.com/site/caddnima/myreeftank/diy-fleece-roller?authuser=0

AlexandraDreadlocksPanda · 2026-07-30T04:52:05-0400

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
I try to have particulates for filter feeders. How small of particles do these remove? Phytoplankton?

Depends on the individual brands as to what micron they filter down to… I believe with the x-filter you have a choice of 4 different micron size rolls for it… *In theory* the Red Sea ReefMat should allow phytoplankton through as it’s a 200micron fleece…

whalewhalewhale · 2026-07-30T05:04:45-0400

Coming from using filter floss and socks, fleece rollers are one of the best purchases I've made. My floss had a tendency to get dirty every 48-72 hours, which meant I had to constantly pull out rotting balls of floss as a never ending routine. Same goes with my short stint with filter socks. Very annoying pulling those out and washing them every week. The fleece roller is just set and forget, and I have the sensor raised high so I let the fleece get as much use as possible before it advances. Now it's just a slightly messy routine every 2 months that takes about 5 minutes to complete.

strich · 2026-07-30T07:19:51-0400

whalewhalewhale said:
Coming from using filter floss and socks, fleece rollers are one of the best purchases I've made. My floss had a tendency to get dirty every 48-72 hours, which meant I had to constantly pull out rotting balls of floss as a never ending routine. Same goes with my short stint with filter socks. Very annoying pulling those out and washing them every week. The fleece roller is just set and forget, and I have the sensor raised high so I let the fleece get as much use as possible before it advances. Now it's just a slightly messy routine every 2 months that takes about 5 minutes to complete.

I suppose I wish for one of you roller converts to try turning it off for a month and seeing if you can get away with no mechanical filtration at all. Can you survive off just carbon dosing (vinegar/vodka) and skimmer? If yes, do you find the free floating debris too much a personal insult?

Flame2hawk · 2026-07-30T08:54:53-0400

Have had an on again off again relationship with my Reefmat 1200. When it’s operating as its suppose to, it seems to work really well. However I’m on my 3rd motor drive and sensor. Although the customer service is very impersonal, they have ultimately relented and supplied the replacements at no cost. The 3rd set seems to be working as intended so time will tell but wiling to be patient because the less maintenance time would be and is now becoming a game changer.Especially as I’m using it on a heavily stocked FOWLR.

As others have mentioned I am not a fan of the subscription model but knew that going in so it is what it is.

If you get one, would also be ware of the fleece installation. If the fleece does not line up perfectly, it exposes a row or two of the drain holes thus allowing water to flow out without bring filtered. This can easily happen if you are rushing through the change and the fleece curls up ever so slightly leaving drainage holes exposed. This renders the machine ineffective as the concept is to allow the fleece to be covered with gunk so that water backs up and the sensor advances the roll.

A great feature is that you have everything on the app which alerts you when stuff is happening or not working properly.

For me, it’s starting to pay off but the jury is still out…..