Reef Diapers - Why the Waste?

[Raul-7]

I love innovation and competition; but not when it comes at the price of conservation and encourages waste.

Anyone else feel the same way? Is cleaning filter socks THAT annoying? Just some bleach and warm water - they come out looking like new.


My only hope is that they make them bio-degradable.

 

[gbroadbridge]

I love innovation and competition; but not when it comes at the price of conservation and encourages waste.

Anyone else feel the same way? Is cleaning filter socks THAT annoying? Just some bleach and warm water - they come out looking like new.


My only hope is that they make bio-degradable.

If you're that concerned about conservation, you probably wouldn't be running a reef tank.
The carbon footprint is huge when you consider the ingredients.

 

[DenverSaltyFarm]

When you have kids And you go through thousands of diapers, filter socks won’t bother you anymore.

 

[Raul-7]

When you have kids And you go through thousands of diapers, filter socks won’t bother you anymore.

If you're that concerned about conservation, you probably wouldn't be running a reef tank.
The carbon footprint is huge when you consider the ingredients.

But 2 wrongs don't make a right; if everyone had this line of thinking then they would have not developed Ocean Cleanup, biodegradable paper, plates, cups, straws, etc.

Just because reefs have a huge footprint, doesn't mean we shouldn't try to conserve where we can.

 

[Jmp998]

You need to do a detailed analysis on the amount of energy and pollution generated by manufacturing and then repeatedly washing your reusable filter socks (lots of water which has been through a treatment plant plus beach which you end up dumping in a waterway plus electricity if you are using a washing machine plus wear on your washing machine which will thereby require replacement sooner and end up in a landfill) vs. the energy consumed and pollution by manufacturing the reef diapers which are more or less a thin paper like material. Only then can you legitimately ask this question. It is not clear to me which ultimately is 'worse' for the environment, and it likely depends on whether you prioritize conservation of energy and water vs minimizing landfill waste.

I would agree though that a biodegradable option would be nice, assuming it did not require more energy/material waste/etc to manufacture.

For comparison, see this link for a summary of a classic research paper describing a life cycle energy analysis on reusable vs. disposable cups:

https://sustainability.tufts.edu/wp-content/uploads/Comparativelifecyclecosts.pdf

 

[MoshJosh]

This may sound crazy but I don't trust my washing machine. It gets a lot of detergent dumped into it and the detergent receptacles seem to be caked with residue. . . I worry that some would get into my tanks. . . I hand washed socks for a while. . . they did not get very clean and it was a PITA. . .

Running two cycles (one to clean out the washer and one for the socks) seems a bit much for 3 socks a week. I guess I could buy like a ton of socks and only do a load every couple months. . . IDK.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

I think most reefers are OK with recurring costs. I've had the same 10 filter socks for 4+ years and running them through the washer machine seems so much better economically than being put on a monthly payment plan.

Filter rollers never made sense to me for the simple fact that you can't clean and reuse the rolls.

 

[Raul-7]

ProfiDrum USA

ProfiDrum USA: Create a better aquatic environment with a dependable filter that’s made for you.

www.profidrumusa.com

A company needs to make these but smaller and reef-safe. Honestly, the best solution - IMO. Only wastes water.

I took never believed in the rollers; always seemed like a waste and inefficient. Socks seem like the best option for now.

 

[gbroadbridge]

I think most reefers are OK with recurring costs. I've had the same 10 filter socks for 4+ years and running them through the washer machine seems so much better economically than being put on a monthly payment plan.

Filter rollers never made sense to me for the simple fact that you can't clean and reuse the rolls.

Filter rollers make sense to me simply because I don't have to clean and reuse the rolls,
similar to not having to worry about not being able to clean and reuse toilet paper.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

I look at my high electricity and water cost here in CA, I'm good with using filter rollers. Also something about dumping some rancid socks in the washer.

You want to talk about waste look at old reef & freshwater sump setups, back in the wet/dry days I was burning through poly pads and a good bit of that stuff wasn't/isn't the most biodegradeable thing in the world.

 

[DJF]

I have been using reef diapers for the last maybe yr and used to clean/bleach countless socks. Personally- they clog too fast but I am not looking back. Figuring in all the cost and time- yup I’ll throw away the equivalent of a couple paper towels every couple days. I can argue that it is less of a carbon footprint than continually washing socks with a diminishing return.

 

[ErikVR]

I'm all for conservation. My house is net positive. It produces more electricity than it uses (and that includes the tanks and charging my car). We grow a lot of our own food in the yard.

We have such a low footprint that I don't sweat the little things. So disposable filter media isn't on my list of improvements. Cleaning socks is messy, takes time and energy and I would need to buy a whole bunch if I don't want to waste a whole washing machine cycle (water and energy) on washing 3 socks at a time. I'll happily throw away some filter floss twice a week.

These reef diapers seem excessive though. Large and made from polyester. That's just unnecessary.

 

[bakbay]

This is a touchy subject and unfortunately there isn’t an immediate, clear answer. I can adapt and co-exist: we have the following vehicles at home: EV, hybrid, regular, and gas guzzler. I wish that the ROI is there though : go solar power and charge your vehicle, run all appliances, and be self-sustaining. However, getting there (e.g solar) will be very expensive and the ROI is around 10 years. Most people move in 7-8 years on average so it’s hard to justify.

I’m not on a reef diaper subscription plan — I used to hose socks (not wash) and it was a PITA. I’ve been using filter floss for the last 2 years and working out great, for me. It’s cheap, fast, and effective.

 

[ErikVR]

However, getting there (e.g solar) will be very expensive and the ROI is around 10 years.

That's because electricity is dirt cheap in the US.
Last winter, our electricity rate was €0.81 ($0.85) per kWh. It's currently at 0.74.

We use 8100 kWh per year. Including heating/cooling and EV charging.
Add energy taxes and we would pay €8000 a year for energy.

The solar + battery install that covers that usage (and an additional 2000 kWh) was €21500.
So a little over 2.5 years to pay for itself. And energy prices and energy tax are always increasing.

 

[buruskeee]

That's because electricity is dirt cheap in the US.
Last winter, our electricity rate was €0.81 ($0.85) per kWh. It's currently at 0.74.

We use 8100 kWh per year. Including heating/cooling and EV charging.
Add energy taxes and we would pay €8000 a year for energy.

The solar + battery install that covers that usage (and an additional 2000 kWh) was €21500.
So a little over 2.5 years to pay for itself. And energy prices and energy tax are always increasing.

in The populated USA it’s expensive. Most of California is an average of $0.35/kWh with peaks in San Diego of $0.85/kWh. Solar with battery is a 6 year ROI right now in most of CA and houses are worth more when you sell when you own solar (never lease).

As for filter rollers, they are highly effective and exporting - too effective sometimes. I have to turn off my skimmer because I’m already close to bottoming out with just the roller and refugium.

A $15 purchase every 3 months isn’t much of an expense at all for me. 1 less thing to do on a weekly basis.

 

[ErikVR]

in The populated USA it’s expensive. Most of California is an average of $0.35/kWh with peaks in San Diego of $0.85/kWh. Solar with battery is a 6 year ROI right now in most of CA and houses are worth more when you sell when you own solar (never lease).

As for filter rollers, they are highly effective and exporting - too effective sometimes. I have to turn off my skimmer because I’m already close to bottoming out with just the roller and refugium.

A $15 purchase every 3 months isn’t much of an expense at all for me. 1 less thing to do on a weekly basis.

'Good' to read we're not the only ones getting screwed with these rates
A few years ago I heard from my old crypto mining buddies that they were paying 5 cents per kWh near Columbus.

 

[Jedi1199]

I went with socks for 2 reasons.

First, I only have 1 in my sump which makes changing them very easy.

Second, I bought enough of them to last me a month or so. I change them every 5 or 6 days.
I use the dirty socks to keep my bucket of rock seeded. I swish them around in there a few time and wring them out. then hang them over the edge to dry. When they are dry, usually the next day, I toss them in a pail till I have enough to run them through the washer. Hot water, no detergents or bleach. Thery never come out pristine white, but they work for what they are intended to do which is all that matters to me, and I do not introduce foreign chemicals to my system.

I run a self clean on my washer once a month anyway, which is just about the time frame when I wash my filter socks.

 

[gbroadbridge]

'Good' to read we're not the only ones getting screwed with these rates
A few years ago I heard from my old crypto mining buddies that they were paying 5 cents per kWh near Columbus.

It's the US $8.50 per gallon of gasoline that would hurt.

 

[ErikVR]

It's the US $8.50 per gallon of gasoline that would hurt.

Cheap! We're currently at exactly $10.00

 

[piranhaman00]

I brought this up before and got a warning from the mods haha. Reef diaper is a sponsor!

As others mentioned, running a reef tank is not good for the environment. I do not like one time use items though so I still think these are wasteful.

I work in a sterile food pathogen research facility. The amount of waste we generate is staggering. Single time use is basically everything and some items are hard poly-*** plastics that will never break down.

Unfortunately it’s probably too late anyway.