Filter fleece options

[blaxsun]

I bought my tank used so I don't have a comb in there. I didn't know there was supposed to be one even! I put the fleece where that comb "hole" is in the baffle.

You definitly raise the level of the sump water by doing what I do. But just how it's designed, water will flow over the baffle there just fine if the fleece is clogged. It raises the sump level by about an inch vs having no comb at all.

I suspected that might be the case! The comb is also there in case you use that chamber as a refugium. The part can be ordered from Red Sea or most Red Sea dealers if you ever want to replace it.

I use that chamber for bio blocks and bio balls, and it really helps to keep nitrate levels in-check. I also place some of the tiny hex bio balls directly under the socks in the recessed portion (in your setup, under the media baskets).

 

[KPH]

I get the white filter pads from Petco. Imagitarium brand or whatever. I just cut a portion that fits directly over where the filter socks/media cups go and change it every 4-7 days depending on how dirty it gets. Works really well for me. It’s pretty rigid stuff so i never worry about it folding under the water pressure and into the cups i use.

 

[Phistergosh]

Do you have chaeto sucking up NO3 and PO4 as well?

I took it out after I started getting dinos. My phosphates bottomed out and that's why I have been dosing them.

I have a low fish load (currently 2 smaller damsles and 2 smaller clowns). I have a lot of corals. I dont have much algaer besides film algae. I religiously do 10 percent water changes every week.

 

[Reef.]

I have a red sea reefer 250 and found that the filter socks were expensive and I don't want to wash anymore. I would rather use media cups. The V3 sump has a baffle in the chamber immediately after the filter socks. The baffle has a 6 inch by 1.5 inch hole in it and I have been placing fleece from Walmart on it and it's working great to filter/polish the water.

Im running out of fleece. The fleece gets dirty pretty quick as well. I change it daily. I'm starting to have second thoughts about using the Walmart fleece because I've heard stories about them having flame retardant and other chemicals.

Anyone know of any other options out there?

I thought about buying a roll for one of the automatic filter floss contraptions and just cut strips of that. One company has a 50 micron 7 inch roll on BRS. Do you think this is something that would work? Or is that stuff too thin to be useful? Fleece is pretty thick.

Thanks in advance.

I do this is a nano.
Mine is the Clarisea roll, you just need a method to weigh it down as it can float.

The Clarisea claims to go down to around 25 microns so it doesn’t start at 25, they don’t state what micron it starts out at, my guess it it’s much higher than 25, nearer 50/100. As it gets dirty the micron size reduces.

No reason not to use filter floss, plenty of marine safe options out there as long as you rinse them.
My reasons for using the roll are because even the marine safe floss say to rinse them, they are full of loose fibres too and remove a lot of salt when replacing, with it being a nano that salt can soon affect the salinity.

 

[Phistergosh]

I do this is a nano.
Mine is the Clarisea roll, you just need a method to weigh it down as it can float.

The Clarisea claims to go down to around 25 microns so it doesn’t start at 25, they don’t state what micron it starts out at, my guess it it’s much higher than 25, nearer 50/100. As it gets dirty the micron size reduces.

No reason not to use filter floss, plenty of marine safe options out there as long as you rinse them.
My reasons for using the roll are because even the marine safe floss say to rinse them, they are full of loose fibres too and remove a lot of salt when replacing, with it being a nano that salt can soon affect the salinity.

How often do you have to change it out? Or are you using the roller device and not cutting off the roll like I want to do

 

[Reef.]

How often do you have to change it out? Or are you using the roller device and not cutting off the roll like I want to do

I just use the roll, as it’s in a nano, lasts 2-3 days but I don’t use an ato, if you did there would be an issue with salinity dropping as the fleece got dirtier, slowing down the flow. Saying that I tend to change it every 1-2 days anyway.

 

[Cjeippert]

Back to your original question. I recommend spending like $8 on a huge bag of poly-fil from Amazon or hobby lobby. The red sea reefers have those media cups you can buy. All you need to do is pull some of the poly and lightly fill up like 1/2 or 3/4 the media cups. No more sliding those socks in and out. Just pull it out and toss in a bucket then dump in garbage. Perfect for the red sea reefers. If you don’t like it you are only out $8. The issue with pads are most are directional and you need to cut circles or roll it up sideways. Try out everything and you will find what you like best. If you need to change floss daily, then maybe use less floss and let the gunk build up more. Sounds like your system would benefit from a bit more nutrients ( nitrate and phosphate) anyways.