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Thread: Adding Filter Wool to Nexus 220
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19-05-2018, 08:51 PM #1
Adding Filter Wool to Nexus 220
Only had the Nexus up and running continuously for just under 4 Weeks and assumed it would take some time before it fully matures and keeps the pond crystal clear.
Well so far it hasn't and I can't see the bottom drain anymore. Not sure if this is normal, I sincerely hope not.
Having read loads about the nexus struggling with fines, and a few threads on here experimenting with jap mat in the outlets etc, I decided I'll try something with filter wool.
If anyone has tried something similar and found it blocked the nexus please let me know, I test fitted it and everything looked ok and it captured a lot of dirt in just 10 minutes so I guess there's some risk of blocking, but as I'm placing this in the centre of the Eazy (where you put the cleaning pipe), it doesn't interfere with the operation of the overflow so the risk should be tiny.
This took less than 5 minutes to make, using some plastic mesh to make a cylindrical basket cable tied together and filled with filter wool. It simply slots down the centre of the Eazy so all water has to go through it before entering the outer chamber.
Any thoughts?
Apologies if this is nothing new, but I couldn't find anything similar on here so thought I'd post it.
Attachment 23669Attachment 23670
Going to fit it in the morning and see what it looks like after 12 hours, and more importantly, what the pond water looks like.
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19-05-2018, 09:54 PM #2
Ive put a cetus sive b4 my nexus so hoping that sorts it!! Good idea if it works
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19-05-2018, 10:44 PM #3
I’d be very surprised if it’s the filter affecting your clarity.
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freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
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19-05-2018, 10:46 PM #4
I think quite a few Nexus owners have tried/are using filter wool in the outlet section but not as your trying (in the central Easy section).
Keep a check on it in case of an overflow would be my thought (if it’s gravity fed).
What size pond and pump (speed) are you running the Nexus on/at?
Rob.
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freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
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19-05-2018, 11:21 PM #5
Thanks and yes I will keep an eye out for overflow.
As the wool is positioned after the mechanical filtration but before the biological stage, the theory is that it shouldn't catch anything but the tiniest of fines, and if it does block there won't be any risks of starving the pump because the Nexus overflow will still operate as designed.
Pump is rated for 10,000 lph, so I guess 8000 lph is more realistic. Pond is only 7000 litres in its current form.
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20-05-2018, 09:01 AM #6
Have you checked the UV?
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20-05-2018, 10:32 AM #7
UV (55w) is ok but admittedly its not been on all the time.
Turned it off for a couple of days after adding Pure Pond Bomb (didn't want to kill the bacteria until they'd found places to settle), turned it off for a couple more days after adding Fluke-Solve, then only had it on timer for 6 hours a day for a few days. UV has been on full time for the last 3 days.
So yes, with all that going on and the fact the K1 micro was floating well above the water level until just a few days ago (as its new), its fair to say I've not given the Nexus a good chance to do its job. Fact remains that its not currently trapping all the fines so we'll see how the filter wool looks tonight. (Put it in at 10am).
Attachment 23675Attachment 23674Last edited by RS2OOO; 20-05-2018 at 11:08 AM.
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20-05-2018, 11:39 AM #8
The fines won’t stop you seeing the bottom, if the fines are concerning you then consider fitting a Draco. With the sun spot at the moment you need your uv on 24/7, let the pond settle for a few days after treatments will also help.
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20-05-2018, 12:18 PM #9
forget the filter wool and put a slab of japmat in your exit stood up,clean weekly by dipping it in the part round outside of central eazy,as it gets dirty it holds more crud,andi
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20-05-2018, 01:12 PM #10
Sounds a good idea Rs,when i had my nexus i made a contraption to compress the k1 in the dirty bit so it trapped more muck worked ok.
John
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20-05-2018, 01:49 PM #11
i once saw someone had got one of those floor scrubbers,looks like a japmat ring and they put this on top of k1 in eazy,dont know if it worked but looked good,andi
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20-05-2018, 02:11 PM #12
like these,andi https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5-x-Floor...-/390956575566
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20-05-2018, 07:17 PM #13
After leaving it for 8 hours here are the results.
The water level in the outer chamber had dropped by 2 to 3 inches and the level in the inner chamber had risen slightly but not enough to go through the bypass overflow.
The filter wool was far from clogged but it had caught a lot of algae. The pond water itself doesn't look green so this surprised me.
Attachment 23681Attachment 23680
Too early to say at this stage if there will be any real long term benefit of using the filter wool, but I've cleaned it out and put it back in for the night and will monitor it throughout tomorrow.
The pond water clarity doesn't look noticeably different just yet.
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20-05-2018, 07:50 PM #14
Algae, put your UV on and monitor for a few days.
Did you PP the K1, it looks new and will be buoyant, PP removes the manufacturing residue and helps it mature much quicker and will sit lower in the inner ring.
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freddyboy Thanked / Liked this Post
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20-05-2018, 07:57 PM #15
Although UV hasn't been on every single day over the last couple of weeks, it has been on 24/7 for the last 4 days. Pond is under direct sunshine from late morning to sunset.
Looks likely I have underestimated how much algea gets produced over a short time.
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20-05-2018, 08:03 PM #16
When I had my pond built, 4300 gallons I was advised that a Evo55 would be enough, I fitted two of them, ended up removing one of the 55’s and fitting a 110 so having a 55 and a 110 in the system,
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21-05-2018, 08:15 PM #17
Results after 24 hours....
Filter wool has collected about double the amount of debris as per the pictures from 8 hours use yesterday.
Pond water clarity is marginally improved, but certainly no wow factor.Can't assume that is because of the filter wool, it could just be the UV catching up after 4 days of solid sunshine from dawn to dusk.
To conclude:
Longer term testing (say, 2 Weeks with filter wool, then 2 weeks without to see if water deteriorates again) is required to determine whether the filter wool is of any real benefit.
The one definite positive over the popular method of using jap mat in the outlet is that due to the filter wool positioning being post mechanical but pre-biological filtration, there is no (obvious) impact to the Nexus' normal operation, and no risk of starving the pump if it blocks.
I'll report back when results are more conclusive.
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21-05-2018, 09:29 PM #18
But keep the UV on, basically the UV kills the algae causing it to stick to other dead algae so it then becomes big enough to get caught in the filter.
What you need to know about UV filters for ponds
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05-06-2018, 02:40 PM #19
Hi, any update on your situation?
I also have a 220, my pond is a similar size (a little smaller) and only been running for 3 months now. I can hardly see the bottom of the pond at times. I've tried fitting jap matting on the outlet of the Nexus 220 (gravity) fed, and just purchased some filter wool so your basket idea looks good. I'm not OCD but the water clarity is really doing my head in!
My UV is an EA 30W but it's been on all the time so I'm not sure it's related to that.
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05-06-2018, 03:25 PM #20
Adding Filter Wool to Nexus 220
One thing I want to add is when I owned my 220 I contacted EA about my fines issue and the sheer amount that was seemingly passing through the central and moving bed sections.
You can see it at the bottom of the outlet section in the below picture:
EA were adamant I was running my pump too fast for the size of my pond. What I’m saying is that a Nexus should be run to the letter of the instructions, I.e. the total time it takes for the total volume of the pond to pass through the filter, therefore we have found a turnover rate of 2-3 hours to be best (Page 4 of Instructions).
If you running it faster than that, it probably won’t be helping.
Rob.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ProLast edited by RJW2012; 05-06-2018 at 03:28 PM.
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LeeM Thanked / Liked this Post
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