Review of the DD Clarisea Gen 2 automatic Fleece Filter
Roller Mat filter systems provide robust mechanical filtration for extended periods of time are getting popular these days.
I tried the SK-3000 initially & finally settled for the larger SK-5000 version.
Disclosure : My unit was provided by Reef Depot as acknowledgement/recognition for the feature in the recent AI Hydra Signature Series.
SK-3000 has 145mm x 205mm foot print. Handles up to 3000 l/hr
SK-5000 has 145mm x 255mm foot print. Comes with a slightly wider fleece roller. Rated for 5000 l/hr
For those who are not familiar with such products, its essentially uses a disposable roller made of ‘fleece’ material placed around the structure.
As tank water passes through the filter fleece during use, it starts to clog up with detritus, causing the internal water level to rise. The high water level triggers a float switch and the integrated motor winds the fleece material by a couple of millimeters to introduce new filter fleece material.
Flow Rates
One point to note on flow rates. These filter systems can handle a lot of flow.
Most of us may use return pumps that may have higher flow numbers. But note that the real flow rate is very much reduced after factoring head loss due to piping & head height.
My tank is a 5ft 850L system running on Ecotech Vectra m1.
First Impressions & features
Assembly was relatively easy. Watch the online video to complement the printed instructions
Good build quality. Acrylic pieces came with protective film. Dampen with some water to peel the protection sheet off.
I’m impressed with the small foot print as it could fit the small compartment in my sump. No need to cut out panels of the sump to fit this in.
It has an adjustable arm that allows you to re position the roller to various positions. This nice design idea is an enabler to for it to be installed in my system.
A front flap can be rotated open if you want to bypass the filter (eg. During feeding or adding pods or rotifers)
Float switch :
Fleece material.
Filters up to 20 micron particles. So this will outperform any filter sock of filter wool to keep the water crystal clear
Typical filter socks are 200-300 micron. Filter wool will probably let larger particles through.
One tip to prevent the take up reel from slipping during the initial set up is to fold the fleece back.
Apply a short length of masking tape around the corrugated sleeve
Then wind forward a little bit
Plumbing
Inlet attaches to a 1” pipe. Its quite easy to retrofit for existing tank systems.
Depending on your downpipe, the easiest option is to get a pipe reducer. Then fit a plastic hose or silicon hose.
A non kink food grade silicon hose is best as the smooth internal surface will ensure minimum resistance. Available at Madpetz or ReefmarketSG.
Water enters the unit through this strainer. To optimize usage of the roller fleece, I found its best to raise the unit as high out of the water as possible with just the strainer submerged. The unit comes with adjustable hangers to adjust the height. In my case, i put some basket/egg crates under the unit.
Control
The unit has a small control unit that connects to the motor & float switch.
There are a couple of buttons on it.
Advance the motor to wind the fleece
Alarm. This is triggered when the float switch is activated for more than a couple of minutes – an indication that the fleece is not advancing
Usage
Its been running in my tank for the past week.
The fleece is 25m long & should typically last about 1-2 months depending on flow rate & water conditions.
Once nice thing is that it does not smell bad. I read its a special low odor fleece material where there outer layer dries up & locks in the smell.
Overall, I see 2 key advantages of having such a system :
No more changing filter wool/socks every few days. Good for going on trips/holidays and for busy reefers
Cleaner water with the 20 micron filter fleece. And filtered dirt is moved out of the water quickly instead of sitting in the filter wool/socks for days
Another piece of equipment to make reefing easier