A month with Tempests.
Around 6 weeks ago Evolution Aqua gave us a call and asked us to trial a new filter that was due to be launched in the Spring of 2021.
I first saw these around 2 years ago up at the ponds at Evolution Aqua. They have 3 large testing ponds for any new product they bring out, and they are full of fish which they have had for 20 years, the only ones they have lost is due to old age!
So, a month ago, just before Christmas 2 packages arrived with the new Tempests in. So we immediately installed them on the 4000 gallon Quarantine pond which we built a year ago. This pond was used to test a 30” bead only from the bottom drain. That was it. We had 2 return lines from the bead. On the other side we installed one of our block skimmers, but it was only returning via an Air Source Heat pump, no other filtration.
When Evolution Aqua brought out the new Kplus media which is a better form of K1 media, they brought a sinking version out and we thought we would test in a 3-tier shower unit and run from the skimmer line. So, we put around 14,000L of water per hour over the shower and left it. With the bead being so efficient the water has always been pretty perfect. When we started the pond, it took a while for us to get the correct flow through the filter, we did have to tweak a few times before it all of a sudden just went perfect, and we are talking a matter of days. That’s the good thing with a Varipump because we didn’t have to use valves to restrict flow, we could just use the control panel on the Varipump.
So, we got it right, the water sparkled, there were very few fines in the pond, it was crystal.
I don’t want to say that my shower didn’t work but I really saw no results from using it. The pond was the same, the clarity was the same. I thought at first the Koi were a little more active but when looking in all my other ponds which did not have a shower, they were the same. The flow rate in the new pond is high, we are probably turning 15,000L per hour via the 30” Micro Bead and at the time 10,000L just returning from the skimmer. The idea for the future was to Quarantine large Koi in there because for a short period of time the fast flow would give the new Koi strength and in turn could even finish the QT process early. Then when we had moved the big Koi to the new owners, we would add some Tosai in the system and grow them over the summer months, the temps in the room will get to 28C no problem. Fast flow…a lot of food… Grow like crazy!!
However, when the pandemic hit last year, we didn’t have the regular shipments we usually have, we could not get to go to Japan in the Spring to get our usual selection. So the Tosai we did have in, which were around 2000 pieces sold out in 6 weeks. So, we had no Koi to put in this pond for growing. I hope that is different this year!
So, the shower came off and the Tempests added to the skimmer line. We used 2 units and put between 5000L and 6000L per hour, we did do this on a valve because we wanted to keep the return in the pond from the skimmer so we just cut the line as you can see on the videos.
We have done a few different tests on the units but from day one they have took a lot of debris out of the pond, debris you could not see in the water. As you can see on the videos. The pond was clear, very clear so even now we wonder where it comes from. Some is food from the skimmer, some is algae, and some is fish waste… I don’t care what it is, as long as it’s taken out which it clearly is.
The longest we left the units was 8 days and we made sure we cleaned the bead the day we started the 8 day wait. The results were incredible! Where is it coming from? The good thing with the Tempest is they take out tiny fines, you can see that! I think a lot is fines we just cannot see in the pond, but this is dragging it all out.
The units also did not block in any instance. We can easily see if there are any restrictions because the wattage on the Varipump control panel would go up to tell us that the pump is using more energy to push water through, which it didn’t.
We then cleaned the unit every other day, so each one on alternate days. We still saw the waste come out.
When I first got the units, I struggled a little bit in my mind to find the true application.
With an optimum flow rate of 5000L, bigger ponds wouldn’t really be able to add them. However, with a bypass you could. Check if you really need to though.
Our ‘Go to’ system is a Nexus on the bottom drain, and a K1 Micro bead on the skimmer line. This system is excellent. We wouldn’t recommend anything else when we do quotes and installs. They are tried and tested.
We like to slowly take water through the Nexus on the bottom drain and 90% of the time use a skimmer to pull a lot of water through a bead, giving us a great flow around the pond but the K1 in the Nexus having better retention. We will not change our mind on recommending this system.
We did quite a few ponds last year which were up to around 2500 gallons. Some added a bead and some just either ran into the Nexus or they just let the water circulate around the pond from the skimmer. They will benefit a lot from a Tempest.
They can be used for stand-alone filtration, BUT… on a small pond, small growing system or a quarantine tank. They can easily be taken off the main pond and used for any tank and you have mature filter media ready. This is a good use of the Tempest. Run it on the pond all year but if you need to separate a Koi for treatment you have an instant filter.
On a smaller pond you could use them as a pre filter to something else, I don’t think it would need that but many are saying that is what they will do.
They can be used with ANY filter as long as there is water pumping through the Tempest, they are pressurised so they can go up, down…left or right. The water can be returned underwater or above water like ours are.
If you have an underperforming filter now, something that’s really old and you cannot change it easily, the Tempest will do a job. Not everyone who keeps fish has the state-of-the-art systems, many just a garden pond. As long as you can pump through them, you can instal.
The Units come with 2 valves already on, so it’s a question of connecting to the valves with rigid or flexi pipe. The waste is 1” flexi which can go anywhere.
The units only use 5.5 Gallons per clean which is a great water saver. Even if you have to clean them twice its very little waste.
The Tempest units can also be joined together. So, if you do have a larger pond and need a larger flow rate, this can be done by linking 2 together, giving twice the flow.
With a lot of Evolution Aqua products released over the years I have always been dubious to see if they work, I am pretty old school when it comes to filtration. When we built our main show pond, Evolution Aqua asked me to use one of the new style beads, I said I would, but I also made the pipework and the area where the bead sat large enough for a different filter as I was convinced it would not work. When I added just a 30” K1 Micro bead to our 4000 QT pond I made sure the decking where it sat was the right height to put a Nexus 320 when the Bead ‘Didn’t work” however the Bead on the main show pond, and the bead on the new QT pond have stayed and are staying… this is now the same for the 2 Tempests I have running on the 4000 Gallon QT pond, they are not going anywhere. I am VERY happy with how they have performed, the waste they have trapped is amazing. They could benefit a lot of ponds! I see this being an excellent new product.
When they are released for full sale which should the first week of February 2021, we will add some into the main shop. One to run after a Nexus which will tell us even more about the application.
We would like to thank everyone who has been commenting and showing interest on the Youtube videos. We have done a few things you have said, and I am sure when people get these, they will do their own way of cleaning etc. Thank you to everyone that also saw the benefits of the units and pre-ordered. I can’t wait to see the feedback; I know it will be good.
If you would like to Pre Order then please click this link and you will be one of the first to have them!