Reefmat 1200 - auto advance

[Mafoo]

Hi All

First time posting but have been in the hobby on and off for about 20 years.

Have set up a Cade 1500 with a Red Sea Reef Mat 1500.

My question is:

1) How high does the water level need to be to trigger the auto advance? Does it have to touch the sensor? It’s been plugged in for almost 48 hours now and I’ve manually advanced once and the fleece was filthy. Over the past 18 hours it’s filled up again but it is not advancing the fleece. It’s now probably 1from the sensor.

2) What have you set your “Mat advance length to”?

The only advancing it’s done is the 0.4cm every 6 hours to test the unit as it hasn’t moved.

It is a brand new setup but I would have thought there should be some movement, not much, but maybe I’m wrong

Thank you for your help

Matt

 

[SPR1968]

I can’t answer the specific question, but I can bump the thread to see if we can get you some help

 

[Mafoo]

I can’t answer the specific question, but I can bump the thread to see if we can get you some help

Thank you, much appreciated

 

[benmed]

You can test it by pouring extra water into canister where the effluent from the tank waits before it passes through the filter paper. This will temporarily raise the water level and should trigger the mat. Make sure you installed the optical eye correctly. It’s not hard to install upside down. I love my rollermat!

 

[DubReef]

 

[benmed]

I feel like they should send me a check.

 

[Mafoo]

Thanks everyone for the reply.

I ended up taking the sensor off and testing it by putting the inner most sensors in some water, and it moves all ok.

So I’m guessing the water is just too clean at the moment for it to be moving at any great pace. Which isn’t surprising.

Thanks again for all your replies

 

[Floyd-]

When I put a new roll on my tank it doesnt move much the first day (maybe 8-12") My norm is about 30" a day on my tank. Its about 1 year setup.

 

[ScubaFish802]

The mat advances when the sensor physically touches salt water as stated in the reefmat manual. It is just a conductivity sensor:
“The water level sensor is a conductivity (salinity) meter, designed to easily and reliably detect if the titanium probes are in seawater or air. This system will not detect fresh or brackish water.”

For you other question, most people I have talked to have their auto advance set to the lowest possible setting. Some users are playing around with using the Apex to shut the reefmat off for periods throughout the day so that the floss is forced to soak longer. The floss is very effective at preventing nutrients from building up since it pulls them out of the water so quickly.

 

[GAMGAM]

Hi All

First time posting but have been in the hobby on and off for about 20 years.

Have set up a Cade 1500 with a Red Sea Reef Mat 1500.

My question is:

1) How high does the water level need to be to trigger the auto advance? Does it have to touch the sensor? It’s been plugged in for almost 48 hours now and I’ve manually advanced once and the fleece was filthy. Over the past 18 hours it’s filled up again but it is not advancing the fleece. It’s now probably 1from the sensor.

2) What have you set your “Mat advance length to”?

The only advancing it’s done is the 0.4cm every 6 hours to test the unit as it hasn’t moved.

It is a brand new setup but I would have thought there should be some movement, not much, but maybe I’m wrong

Thank you for your help

Matt

I second taking the optical sensor out and flipping it around. There is a pic in the manual that shows how to orient it correctly.

i found the shortest advance length works best to maintain the return section level. With the stock advance length a lot more water could flow through immediately after advancing vs more being held up with the plugged up filter.

 

[ScubaFish802]

Another thing that can help save roll is keeping the media box underneath the filter roller where the water exits clean. If you keep carbon, etc in the compartment it can get clogged up over time and will cause the roll to prematurely advance since the water is not escaping

 

[jmatt]

If I could pick up where this conversation left off...

My 1200 doesn't seem to advance much on it's own. It's been going for maybe two weeks and the most I've ever seen it move was a quarter turn (like 3 inches) on the takeup roll. I have to manually advance it every day or it fills with water that just pours over the top.

I think the sensor is oriented correctly and I'm not using the lower media basket. Two steady red lights on the motor, the trouble light is dark.

It's communicating with the app since it has a log of daily spooling. Everything appears to be correct in the app, I can even see when I manually advance it in the log.

Am I simply being too impatient? When it gets full, the water in the return chamber drops and one of the pumps starts sucking air. I know I can alleviate that with a top off, but that's what makes me get up and advance the things six or so inches manually.

 

[GAMGAM]

How much a day is it using

 

[jmatt]

How much a day is it using

the 24th/25th is when I added my sand to the tank.

 

[GAMGAM]

And you said it doesn’t work on its own at all. You have to manually advance it every time.

make sure the sensor is clean. Make sure you have the orientation correct on the app as to which side the motor is on. Try to see what happens if you rotate the sensor and see if it works.

you should probably make your own post if these steps don’t work

 

[jmatt]

And you said it doesn’t work on its own at all. You have to manually advance it every time.

make sure the sensor is clean. Make sure you have the orientation correct on the app as to which side the motor is on. Try to see what happens if you rotate the sensor and see if it works.

you should probably make your own post if these steps don’t work

No, it does function. Sometimes I'll hear it whir and it will take up a few inches. But that's it. And sometimes I'll mark the top of the take-up roll with a marker, come back 8 hours later and it hasn't budged.

I'm not gonna touch it for a full 24 hours and see what happens.

 

[GAMGAM]

Does it commonly overflow out of the overflow holes in the reef mat. If it’s doing that there could be something wrong. How’s your flow down to the sump. If it’s not enough for the reefmat it won’t need to roll very often.

 

[Struggle]

I’m having issues with the auto advance as well.

 

[brandon0921]

Also having this issue. I have to manually advance the roll about every 45 mins or water will overflow the sides of the roller. Sensor is clean and oriented correctly. Yet to hear back from Red Sea.

 

[jmatt]

I'm back and forth. I've heard it advance on its own several times. But there's also been times when the water is up at the sensor for an extended period of time and it does nothing. But my tank is new so there's not a lot to be skimmed out at this point.