Roller Filter vs Filter Floss - which is better for a Red Sea Reefer 250?

[Sordfish]

I read that a lot of people think a roller filter is preferable over filter socks, since socks are a pain to wash. But I have not seen anyone compare them to filter floss. I am in the process of setting up a Red Sea Reefer 250 and currently have two cups in place of filter socks. I was told to put floss in those cups and replace the floss every 4-5 days. No washing involved. Sounds pretty easy and also affordable given how inexpensive floss is. However, I am curious whether adding a roller filter will make things even easier (and maybe improve filtration performance over floss?)

So my question is: based on your experience should I bite the bullet and get a roller filter? Or should I save my money for other projects/corals? Given that adding a roller filter would involve modifications to the sump and a big dent in my budget, your opinions would be welcome.

 

[pecan2phat]

Depends on your tolerance for maintenance (floss changing) and if your the type of person that has a 6th sense that x needs to be done on y day.
With a roller fleece, you can go for months without worrying or thinking about whether the floss was changed out and opening the stand door to see if it's overflowing the filter compartment. Some tanks cannot go more than 2 days without floss, pads or sponges clogging.

 

[SPR1968]

I’ve got a roller and filter socks in different tanks, rollers are much easier and less maintenance

Ive got an X Filter 1.7 in my big tang which are excellent, and I’m currently designing how to fit one in my second tank instead of filter socks. The X Filter is better than the Clarisea in my view, I’ve had both, if you can get one. It’s easier to install, but they both do the job

Reefolution -Go Shopping

Heres where you can buy Innovitech Digital Roll Filter and media rolls. X Filter

www.reefolution.co.uk

 

[Sordfish]

Thanks. Nicely articulated. Based on my high tech planted tank history, which involves daily dosing and weekly trimming - if you don't get your hands wet daily you are doing it wrong, a planted tank veteran once told me - I can maintain regular schedules a few months and then life takes over and things fall apart. So it looks like roller filters for me.

In your experience, is there any difference in the filtration quality? Also how easy is it to change the rollers?

Depends on your tolerance for maintenance (floss changing) and if your the type of person that has a 6th sense that x needs to be done on y day.
With a roller fleece, you can go for months without worrying or thinking about whether the floss was changed out and opening the stand door to see if it's overflowing the filter compartment. Some tanks cannot go more than 2 days without floss, pads or sponges clogging.

 

[Sordfish]

I’ve got a roller and filter socks in different tanks, rollers are much easier and less maintenance

Ive got an X Filter 1.7 in my big tang which are excellent, and I’m currently designing how to fit one in my second tank instead of filter socks. The X Filter is better than the Clarisea in my view, I’ve had both, if you can get one. It’s easier to install, but they both do the job

Reefolution -Go Shopping

Heres where you can buy Innovitech Digital Roll Filter and media rolls. X Filter

www.reefolution.co.uk

Thanks for the reply. I have never heard of an X Filter. I'll research it. Where are they located? Are they - and their replacement rollers - widely available? Also, is there anything else, besides ease of installation, that makes X Filters better.

 

[pecan2phat]

I can only comment on the Klir brand roller filters which are not a great product in terms of filtering.
I think they pushed this to market without any short term testing. There is a design flaw that allows the water to seep out the sides of the stretched out fleece which negates the 50 micron filtering material. So in a nutshell, the "filtration" quality is worse than when I had 100 micron felt socks. But if this was a functioning roller filter, then the filtration quality should be excellent with none of the every other day to weekly maintenance.

 

[pecan2phat]

To change the fleece roll on the Klir units, the whole unit needs to come out and partially disassembled. The process might be easier on other roller units that are not a "drop in" type unit.

 

[Sordfish]

I can only comment on the Klir brand roller filters which are not a great product in terms of filtering.
I think they pushed this to market without any short term testing. There is a design flaw that allows the water to seep out the sides of the stretched out fleece which negates the 50 micron filtering material. So in a nutshell, the "filtration" quality is worse than when I had 100 micron felt socks. But if this was a functioning roller filter, then the filtration quality should be excellent with none of the every other day to weekly maintenance.

Thanks for this. Klir was one of he two I was looking at - Clarisea being the other. I researched the X-Filter, mentioned by SPR1968 above, and it seems to be only available through one dealer in the UK (can’t find a website for the company) and is out of stock at this time. Based on your input, it looks like I’ll be going with the Clarisea SK3000.