How I almost got out of the hobby and the DIY filter that saved me

[platax88]

Hi all! You may have seen my 330 gallon FS thread that I posted one frustrated morning brought on by a frustrating filter sock washing experience lol. Well I decided that I couldn't quit after over 20 years in the hobby. I evaluated the problem and realized that the only part of my system that I had not automated to some extent was dealing with filter socks - there was nothing in the market made for such a big tank and what was available was way too EXPENSIVE. So being a tinkerer at heart, I took this as an opportunity to come up with a solution. I built a DIY automated roller fleece filter which evolved to a full modular system that scales in width and height to fit in sumps, mounts in various configurations and handles high flowrates. It's been running for 2 months in my system with absolutely no maintenance! What do you guys think? Here are some pics:

Here you can see clearly how the used material looks in comparison to new material advanced by the motor:

 

[Panui22]

Wow that's pretty awesome

 

[bendeng]

I'm having a hard time grasping how this works. Very cool tho, any video of it in action?

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[jlynn428]

You need to copyright that


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[platax88]

I'm having a hard time grasping how this works. Very cool tho, any video of it in action?

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No video, but I'm working on it. How it works is simple:

1. Water goes in the trays by overflow or pump
2. As the water passes through the fleece, it starts to clog with crap and the water level starts to rise.
3. The float switch rises which activates the motor, advancing new fleece and letting the water flow freely again.

Let me know if you have any other questions

 

[Tubeworms]

Brilliant! Any plans to go to market?

 

[platax88]

Brilliant! Any plans to go to market?

Yes, but I can't discuss that on the forum

 

[twitchy]

Great idea and implementation, especially using the float sensors vs timer
Does the spool of old material smell?

 

[platax88]

Great idea and implementation, especially using the float sensors vs timer
Does the spool of old material smell?

No smell whatsoever after 2 months in my system. The material does not hold moisture after it is pulled from the water so maybe that's the key!

 

[twitchy]

No smell whatsoever after 2 months in my system. The material does not hold moisture after it is pulled from the water so maybe that's the key!

That's awesome, just ditched my sump setup primarily because of having to deal with filter socks... Product is very interesting, good job

 

[bobbravo2]

Not to rain on your parade, but this looks identical to the commercially produced Thieling roller mat. I'd love to have a DIY version, that being said!

 

[platax88]

Not to rain on your parade, but this looks identical to the commercially produced Thieling roller mat. I'd love to have a DIY version, that being said!

Thanks Bob, but it is completely different in application and addresses the shortcomings that I found in rollermat. Sure, it uses the roller concept which is a long used method of filtration for various industries, most notibly oil filtration, which is now part of the public domain. I considered rollermat for my problem and it would not work for various reasons:

1. It only allows for 600gph... I would have needed at least 3 units for my application on a 400 gallon system.

2. It is a complete housed unit with set input and output which required me to replumb.

3. It is bulky and I did not have the clearance.... Specially for multiple units.

And with these shortcomings, it is still outrageously priced at $400

As you can see from the pictures, I aim to treat this more as a sump retrofit which adapts to the space available, has an open factor for supplying water and also allows for high flow rates. I am currently running ~1800gph and it can easily handle more!

 

[bobbravo2]

Thanks Bob, but it is completely different in application and addresses the shortcomings that I found in rollermat. Sure, it uses the roller concept which is a long used method of filtration for various industries, most notibly oil filtration, which is now part of the public domain. I considered rollermat for my problem and it would not work for various reasons:



1. It only allows for 600gph... I would have needed at least 3 units for my application on a 400 gallon system.



2. It is a complete housed unit with set input and output which required me to replumb.



3. It is bulky and I did not have the clearance.... Specially for multiple units.



And with these shortcomings, it is still outrageously priced at $400



As you can see from the pictures, I aim to treat this more as a sump retrofit which adapts to the space available, has an open factor for supplying water and also allows for high flow rates. I am currently running ~1800gph and it can easily handle more!

Love it. I also wasn't a fan of a $400 box that required replumbing.

 

[Rilelen]

This is amazing.

 

[mlivvy]

Any issues with the fleece filter storing or holding nutrients?

 

[RedStangGA]

Very cool, and awesome to see something like this from someone local!

 

[hoover86]

Cool idea. If that's what was getting you out of the hobby though I dunno about you LMAO