Roti-Clean Filter thoughts and comments

[CaseyWagner]

I've have my Roti-Clean filter from Reef Nutrition for a couple of weeks now and I'm pretty happy with it so far.
It looks like they've taken a HOB and made some structural modifications to it, using 3D printed parts and moving the pump so that it's down in the water instead of up in the chamber. I'm not a fan of printed parts in a commercial product (that's for prototyping), but it works.
It's making the daily maintenance simple. Brush the bucket, rinse the filter, remove some rotifers and throw in new water.
It's easier to see if the water is too nutrient rich because the water will foam, not just bubble, below the waterfall from the filter. A larger volume water change will fix that.

Buying direct from Reef Nutrition:
The price of $62 USD is reasonable.
For Canadians, it gets a little crazy, with the shipping being $120 because RN uses FedEx overnight. That brings the total to $280 Canadian. So that's a bit extreme.

You can special order one from your local reef shop though. When I inquired about getting RG Complete with the store, their distributor actually asked if I needed the Roti-Clean to go with it. Ordered through the store the filter was a much more reasonable $127. Still not as cheap as the US, but Canada always pays a lot more than the conversion rate.

Additionally, for Canadians, if you're looking for RG Complete: I got 32 oz bottles for $78 each through the local store via special order. They said that price is expected to go up, so if you're starting rotifer cultures soon and need a phyto supply, best get it now. It's good in the fridge for six months.

I've got the Vossen Larval Trap coming shortly, ordered direct from Vossen Aquatics, so looking forward to seeing that.

Still have to find a decent little microscope for counting rotifers.

 

[Peace River]

I have found the roti-clean to work well if you keep up with the maintenance. It is a simple design but it works. The mesh is an important part of the process and, as you mentioned, makes maintenance much easier.

 

[CaseyWagner]

...And it broke.
My concerns about them using 3D printed parts in a commercial product turned out to be valid.
The connector that holds the pump in place has the layers parallel to the stress generated by the weight of the pump.
It's a tiny pump attached to the connector, but it's filament based printing, not resin, so the layers are more prone to delaminate if not done right.
And that's what happened.

When I went to do today's water change I discovered no flow and the pump on the bottom of the bucket. The connector sheared off and part of it is still in the pump.

Sigh.

 

[Peace River]

I'm sorry that you are having to deal with that. You can reach out to @Reef Nutrition to see if they can help. When I worked with one of the prototypes I had a similar situation and was able to fix it with superglue (and it worked for a long time afterwards). It is out of service at the moment, but it should still be fully functional.

 

[Reef Nutrition]

...And it broke.
My concerns about them using 3D printed parts in a commercial product turned out to be valid.
The connector that holds the pump in place has the layers parallel to the stress generated by the weight of the pump.
It's a tiny pump attached to the connector, but it's filament based printing, not resin, so the layers are more prone to delaminate if not done right.
And that's what happened.

When I went to do today's water change I discovered no flow and the pump on the bottom of the bucket. The connector sheared off and part of it is still in the pump.

Sigh.

Hi there,

It sounds like whoever sold that to you had one of the older models. We've since had the manufacturer fix the 3D printed part so that this no longer happens. Would you mind if I started a private message with you so that we can see about getting you a replacement?

Best,
Chad

 

[CaseyWagner]

Thanks Chad,
I think my DMs are open, so go ahead
Other than that issue, it's a great design. Glad to hear it's been corrected.

 

[CaseyWagner]

I just received a replacement today of the up-to-date version, and the part at issue is now an injection molded piece. Yay!

There's also a flow adjuster at the top that is functional if you want to tweak how much your rotifers are getting jostled around. (My older version's adjuster was fixed in place)

Great customer service from Chad at Reef Nutrition / Reed Mariculture.

 

[Peace River]

That great! That sounds like my experience with Chad and @Reef Nutrition for many years (even longer if you count in rotifer years!).

 

[Reef Nutrition]

I just received a replacement today of the up-to-date version, and the part at issue is now an injection molded piece. Yay!

There's also a flow adjuster at the top that is functional if you want to tweak how much your rotifers are getting jostled around. (My older version's adjuster was fixed in place)

Great customer service from Chad at Reef Nutrition / Reed Mariculture.

Yay!

Glad you got the replacement. Hope things work out this time.

Best,
Chad