Choosing pond filters - The Nexus 220 and Nexus 320 models

As a Koi hobbyist pond filters are one of the most important pieces of equipment you will buy. But with so many options out there getting the right equipment can be a confusing task.

In this latest blog we address the key question of "Which pond filter should I choose, and why?"

What our customers say

Let’s start with customer opinion. After all, as well as going on our own experience it is vital to listen to what our customers have to say too.

A recent survey of our members of the Elite Show Koi & Ponds Facebook page has revealed that out of 73 members, just under 50% (36) are using an Evolution Aqua Nexus 300 / 200 series or Eazypod pond filter.

Quote from a recent Elite Koi customer that purchased a Nexus 220:

"Wow. Loving my new Nexus 220 supplied by Elite Koi. Two weeks from pea soup to crystal clear water. Thanks again "

 

This customer feedback is no surprise to us as we personally use five Nexus, consisting of four 300 / 200 series and one Eazypod across six of our seven commercial systems. 

As our business continues to grow we also have plans in place to add the Nexus Automatic system to all of our 300 / 200 series Nexus pond filters.

Why choose Nexus / Eazypod?

There are a number of reasons why we recommend models from across the Nexus 220 and 320 range:

1. Ease of use helps create a good husbandry routine

All Nexus 220 / 330 models and Eazypod use an air pump for cleaning the mechanical section of the filter.

On Nexus, this is called the Eazy and is the centre part of the filter which captures solid waste being delivered directly from the pond. The Eazypod is an Eazy and this compact filter, capable of filtering ponds of 2,200 gallons or 10,000 litres, performs both mechanical and biological functions.

Cleaning of the Eazy is performed by simply turning your pump off, closing a valve (if required) placing a bung in the centre of the filter and turning the air pump on. We always let the air run for approximately 10 minutes before opening a valve to dump the waste water.

At Elite Koi we repeat this process once more, leaving the filter clean and ready to return to filtering your pond water. You don't even get your hands wet and our routine is timed perfectly to have a coffee watching the Koi whilst the filter cleans itself!

2. Value for money - affordable big high-performance filters

Nexus is a tried and tested filter system. Having said that, Evolution Aqua have kept the Nexus up to date with simple improvements to the media used over the years. Upgrades can be purchased for any model to bring your filter up to date without having to renew the full filter system. 

Two major upgrades that have occurred are the introduction of an Eazy that uses K1 Micro which improves the filters ability to catch ‘fines’ or small fine particles of waste that are visible to the naked eye. The second major upgrade is the use of K+, a plastic media with a greater protected surface area. This media can also be used to upgrade all Nexus and Eazypod filters. 

The cost of a Nexus is very competitive against drum filters and in most cases a ‘decent’ drum combi filter will cost a great deal more than that of a Nexus when based on the volume of a pond needing to be effectively filtered. As an additional benefit, more media can always be added to the outer chamber of a Nexus to increase biological filtration.

3. No electrical or mechanical components to fail

The recent Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated to us all just how fragile and unreliable our supply chains have become. We experienced this first-hand when one of our drum combi filters float switches failed during the start of the first lock down. This untimely failure led to the filter shutting down for around 14 hours whilst we were not at the shop. Due to the manufacturer furloughing staff we were unable to get a float switch for the drum for a further 10 days.

Fortunately, when we source any drum we ensure it has a bypass which allows biological filtering to continue, and this was resumed 14 hours after the float switch had failed. Not ideal, but based on this experience we have made the decision to move back to using a new Nexus 220/320 on our next new system at Elite Koi.

There is literally nothing electrical or mechanical to fail on the Nexus range. This does of course not include the Nexus Auto kit, but I see virtually nothing that could go wrong with this system that would make the Nexus stop filtering your pond water.

4. Longevity of the filter and trust in Nexus

The Nexus has been around for many years now and has due to its ease of use and great reputation has been used on many ponds since its launch.

One big plus is the fact that the design (since the very early 200/300 series) has not changed. This alone gives us comfort in the knowledge that the Nexus will be around for a very long time to come.

As upgrades to new models have been made to the filters over the years, the same upgrades are also compatible with the older models produced by Evolution Aqua. This enables the filter to be kept up to date.

The Nexus is so good that not many upgrades have been made to date, except for the filters ability to use K1 Micro in the Eazy, and upgrades to the K+ media used in the brand new 220 / 320 Plus models.

As users of Evolution Aqua filters we can be assured of great follow up service from the manufacturer. This coupled with no mechanical or electrical components to fail make the Nexus an excellent choice for a robust, very good filter for all levels of pond keepers.

5. Nexus Automatic System upgrade

The Nexus and Eazypod Automatic System is an amazing fully automatic addition that can be set to ensure your pond filter maintenance routine never slips. The one thing Koi love is stability and routine, and the health of your fish can be greatly improved by keeping a good filter maintenance routine.

The Nexus Automatic System can be installed on Nexus 220 and 320 filters manufactured after 2006, whether on gravity-fed or pump-fed installations. The kit includes a control box which connects up to an automated waste valve, air pump control box and an automatic inlet slide plate (for gravity fed models only).

Once installed and connected to your pond pump and mains power the system will carry out cleaning cycles at timed intervals or when pressing the manual clean button. The Nexus Automatic System will control the cleaning cycle fully automatically.

Cleaning is done on a timer, which is factory set to clean once every three days, however, this is easily adjustable to fit in with your pond requirements. The Nexus Automatic System will run a cleaning cycle which lasts approximately 10 minutes.

Nexus just get better and better, regardless of the model or age of the filter

As the media matures it is colonised by good bacteria and a bio film builds up which gets thicker and thicker with time. This will make the media ‘stickier’ which allows it to capture more of the fines running through any pond, regardless of type of mechanical filtration. The introduction of the Micro K1 into the Eazy has made a massive improvement to water clarity, even in relatively new ponds. No non Evolution Aqua upgrades are required for a crystal clear pond.

 

Need some advice?

 If your pond could benefit from a new filter or you’d like more information about the Nexus 220 and 300 models why not get in touch. We’ll be happy to talk you through the various pond filter options available to you to best meet your needs.