EA Tempest koi pond filter MEGA TEST

[@The5thPLtd]

Great video... Love your thoroughness... We have decided to go for an Evolution Aqua 220+ as we will have a relatively small pond, heavily stocked with some big established fish... Your comment in a previous video gave us some reassurance when you mentioned your belief that it is not the size that is important... After last week's successful transfer from Eastleigh in Hampshire (near Southampton) to Shepperton (near Heathrow), we've done all our water checks every two days and they are all close to zero... Now named, Roger (further name explanation available on request lol) and Desmond and Tutu (she's a bit bigger and boarder than him although they are twins), they are all looking very relaxed in the holding tank with a Blagdon 5 in 1 on pond filter So tomorrow is the big day, we've decided to transport (all yet to be named properly) "Big Man" (approx 21") and "Big Man's Little Mate" (they always stick together... approx 14") and also "Big Man's Big Mate" (approx 21"+) As before we will be using double, heavy duty Koi Bags... As per last time we will run an air hose from the air pump to inflate the inner bag. This time we will not blow the bag up fully as due to their size we have purchased an oxygen bottle (with pipe and mask... using only the pipe... about a tenner on Ebay) to enrich the air in the bags as much as possible. This is then sealed off with a rubber band on the inner bag (bag doubled over) and then a cable tie to seal the outer bag. The clear double bag is then placed on a large black bin liner and again sealed with a cable tie. The bin liner etc is then placed in a large heavy duty cardboard box sealed with parcel tape to ensure no bending of the Koi when lifting and/or transporting. We have an Aquael £40 floating pond heater in the holding pond and after over 1 hour in a warm car we allow 30 minutes for acclimatisation... And finally the "Eastleigh Three" will be released in to their new Shepperton Temporary Pond! Please wish us all the luck on the world for what will still be a highly stressful time, not only for the fish but also for us! Love Maria, Abby and "The Gang" PS Our 900mm Stainless Steel Waterfall Blade has arrived (also from Ebay, about £140)...wow what a monster with 2 rear inlets... beautifully fabricated out of thick guage sheet metal PPS... Hope the above might be useful for any of your subscribers needing to transport their Koi... merely our learnings and experiences to date

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi Maria, good luck but I'm sure you don't need it, you got this 👍👍👍 I'm frightened to ask but Roger?

[@The5thPLtd]

@@DazzleKoi "Dodgy Roger" (aka Roger The Dodger)... he's got a 'dangle wart' over his left eye and a lump on his tail (I should have been in sales!) ... intially we were only going to have "Big Man" and his two mates...then worrying the fate of the other three we decided to give them all a nice new home... in the week we have had Roger, Desmond and Tutu in the holding pond we've already become emotionally attached... in fact me and Roger are inseparable... CONUNDRUM... let nature take its course or try to remove the cosmetic imperfections and possible longer term health issues but risk losing him prematurely due to surgery... not a decision for now... just loving a new friend! xXx PS Loving the fish emojis... any more?

[@DazzleKoi]

haha, when you said you and roger where inseparable it made me mindful of many years ago when my nephew got up in the night and took his new pet goldfish to bed. That didn't end well. I can only get access to more emojis when we hit more member milestone unfortunately.

[@yanbbrox]

I can't make my mind up if it's a good result for the tempest or a bad result for the pod, they are basically the same filter but one is upside down, would a second pod do the same? Blanket weed is a pain, you could put any filter in front of blanket weed and it would do a good job

[@pierrekruger4938]

Great honest review. Very simple, but affective. I would not have been interested in getting one at all. Seeing your videos on it changed my mind. I really think they can let you keep it as I am sure you changed lots off minds.

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi mate and thank you for your comments, much appreciated. If not I'm going to have to save up for one 😁

[@everythingbutkoi6898]

Great video, I was debating one of these, you made my mind up for me, one in the post!

[@DazzleKoi]

Thanks Mel, sorry for the delay, did you manage to get one?

[@adamcoleman3935]

Hi Daz, great vid mate full of info, I think the Tempest needs a air stone inside to agitate the K+ just like what Wrighty has done with his new filter. Now his filter took some muck out in his clean up's and that's after a RDF.

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi Adam, thanks for that. Personally I think the amount of air they have going in is right. If you put more air in this it will just push through the media and push the waste above it where it will just go back to the pond. I've watched it closely and it is just enough to clear the media from the bottom and suck the waste out as it goes. This media isn't semi buoyant yet either so it will change again once that happens.

[@keithcowburn4715]

The tempest seems to be like marmite...you either love it or hate it...so hats off to you for putting your head on the block and putting it to the test. I really do hope you are allowed to keep it for the summer or permanently as we will only know its true value from this testing when it warms up and you can follow your regular feeding regime....presumably with growth food as you have done previously. These freezing cold temps are not good for us or the test. It would be interesting to know how much of its efficiency is down to the K+ and how much more efficient the pod would be with K+. Not suggesting you replace your K1 with K+ in your pod but it would be worth knowing. Same with replacing K1 micro in the nexus eazy with K+....how much more efficient would the nexus be at removing the fines. Look forward to further updates.

[@DazzleKoi]

Thanks Keith. Yes I do hope I cant put it to the test in summer with heavy feeding. That will be the true test. I'm not sure really with the different medias. According to EA the K+ is developed as an improved bio media and it is actually larger than Micro so in theory the micro should give better solids performance. It suggests they wanted to optimise the bio side of the tempest which is something I haven't actually talked about yet.

[@anthonywatkins2783]

That was a fantastic test and very brave of you, the Tempest is showing it’s worth, look forward to the test continuation and further results 👍

[@DazzleKoi]

Thanks for that Anthony. Yes I hope I can hang on to it long enough to throw some heavy feeding at it now 🍻

[@003Darren]

Hi Daz, I am constructing a new block 1400 Gallon pond this summer and 3 skips ...and still digging! I am almost there! I am planning to use an easy pod with 3inch bottom drain. My plan also is to put in a skimmer line and use a tempest filter with a separate pump to return the water back into the pond at about 5000 Lt flow rate. Would it be possible to use a single 100000 Varipump for both jobs? If this is possible perhaps a 20,000 Varipump may be an option? To save on costs I would however prefer to use just one pump! Many thanks Darren

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi mate, sounds like a good plan 👍 You really want about 5500 through the Pod and 5000 through the tempest so after head loss a 10,000 pump would probably only flow on average about 7500 litres. As such I would definitely go for the 20,000 to make sure you are in the right range 🍻🍻

[@dom4955]

Hi Daz, recently found your videos and watched loads now super helpful. One thing I can’t find anywhere online but hoping you can help. Can a tempest be installed outside, open to the elements including in direct sun? Thanks

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi Dom, yes you can definitely put one outside. You will find that the clear tube becomes very green and you wont be able to see through it but it will still function just as well as one inside. If you can just put a little cover over it that would help

[@garydrablow853]

Very good, honest feedback. Agree with all your points and will definitely be adding one of these filters on one of my returns 👍

[@DazzleKoi]

Thanks Gary, from what I've seen of it so far you wont be disappointed 👍👍

[@mykoiobsession]

This may be a simplistic point of view but to me the Tempest is simply a tube half filled with K+ media that is static during operation and only becomes fluidized during flushing. Different shape but same basic principle as the Eazy Pod. If the K1 in the Eazy Pod was replaced with K+ media wouldn't you get the same results... water flowing through static K+ and debris removed during the fluidized flushing process. Don't know for sure of course because I don't have access to K+ here in Canada yet and therefore am unable to test my theory on my Eazy Pods but I'm guessing the results would be pretty much the same without the need to spend £250 on a Tempest, modify plumbing, etc. K+ media would certainly cost less. Just wondering.

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi mate, in theory thats pretty fair to say. I guess it just comes down to how efficiently this works compared to the Pod. Maybe running a Tempest after a Pod full of K+ is a good test

[@mykoiobsession]

Would certainly be interesting to see the results of a K+ equipped Eazy Pod followed by Tempest. The Tempest would of course be a plus for someone running a filter other than an Eazy Pod.

[@jimwoollard8329]

That's a very interesting point. I was thinking that while Daz was cleaning the easy pod. My problem with one of these is that my pond is pumped and doesn't have a bottom drain. That will change when I build a new pond but you have to live with what you have until you can afford to do otherwise.

[@markbrady7462]

Hi Darren what a great video. Really honest overview of a new product.Great experiment who knows were it could have gone. The Tempest has really got some great minds thinking again. A useful easy to install piece of kit that time will prove its effectiveness. Certainly cannot wait to try.👍

[@DazzleKoi]

Thanks Mark, yeah its certainly causing debate 😁 I can't knock it from my experience so far though.

[@richd-koi]

Thanks for the update mate. Seems like your quite happy with it. Iv just bought a k1 bead to add to my second line as needed a pressurised unit to replace an awful sponge pressure filter so it was out of the tempest or k1 bead for me. The tempest looked quite good on that clean 👍

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi mate, yes I am quite impressed with it. I think it would be hard to remove it now knowing that what it takes out would then be left in my pond.

[@markcaplan]

Great video. Thinking of adding it to my pump fed box filter until I upgrade to a gravity fed system. Do you think it’s worth it?

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi Mark, it will work before the box filter, yes mate 👍👍👍

[@scottcannings2746]

Cheers Daz, I will go for the tempest but drum will be a year or two away lol, I'm using Chloromine T, for the bad bacteria, works a treat when pins temp rises. The Joy's.

[@DazzleKoi]

Sounds good mate. Forecast for another week of low temps before it warms up again. Just in time for the beer gardens opening 🍻🍻

[@jimwoollard8329]

Very good video. I'm really quite interested in one of these. The thing that makes it interesting is that it's pressurised and I would need that. What I'm thinking about is using one on my heating setup. At the moment I run two filter system, each with their own pumps. It's not ideal but until I can afford to build a new pond I have to make do with the best I can. One pump runs my main filter system and one runs through a pressure filter and then into the heater(ASHP). The pressure filter is an old Blagdon 6000 and it's a real pain to clean. I'm thinking it might be a good investment to buy one of these and replace the pressure filter. I don't know if that will work but it would make the cleaning so much easier. The other issue I have is I don't have a filter shed and my filters are out in the elements. I have them insulated and protected from the weather but a shed would be better. I've been watching Tim's videos and he has the Tempests set up on a skimmer line so the water isnt being pre cleaned before going into them. However that doesn't carry the same kind of muck that feeding from the bottom would. I've been working on the idea of a pressure sieve. I don't know how feasible that is going to be. I have a feeling that it may clog up too easily but I'm not sure. It a project for the summer.

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi Jim, I think it is ideal for the configuration you suggest. It will do a better job than the pressure filter in my opinion and will definitely be easier to clean. Its similar to the Pod in that its actually quite satisfying to clean it and I find myself doing it when I know its not really necessary, that might just be me though 😁

[@trevlon24]

Hi Daz, Really liking your videos. I was a Koi Keeper around 30 years ago unfortunately I now only have a small pond with Goldfish. Would like to get a Tempest filter but notice on all documentation, and videos that it shows the outlet as free-flow back to pond or shower system. Could I connect this direct to the bottom of a small open drum (around 18 inches high and diameter with open top) which has a lip outlet to waterfall before returning by gravity back to pond. Appreciate your thoughts. Thanks

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi mate, if I understand correct, no you cant unfortunately. The Tempest needs to be pump fed in the same way a bead or pressure filter is. It would need to go after your pump and before the open drum.

[@trevlon24]

Sorry Daz, I wasn't clear.The Tempest would be pump fed first, then afterwards the exit water from the Tempest would go to the bottom of the small open drum and overflow to the low waterfall and pond.Do you think that would work.Thanks.

[@DazzleKoi]

Ah right, sorry mate, I understand, yes that would work fine. The water coming out of the tempest is still basically the same as the water going in, pumped under pressure. so you can run a line from the tempest outlet to anywhere you want just the same as if the tempest wasn't there 👍👍

[@trevlon24]

@@DazzleKoi Thanks again. Now to work out my 0.145 fps.Take care and keep up the excellent and VERY informative videos. Best wishes.

[@DazzleKoi]

No problem mate, and thanks very much. Let me know how you get on 🍻🍻

[@Tillygoat60]

Very interesting results daz, might add one to my system when I do the pipe work.

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi rex, it does seem a useful addition from what I've seen so far 👍

[@baitking1]

Another great video love the idea Can I ask are the jump Gards glass or Perspex an were did you get the stainless supports thanks

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi mate, and thank you 🍻 The jump guards are glass and they are a product called optiwhite which is a low iron composition. It has high transmission as the iron is what makes normal glass have that green tint to it. I used it on the window to. Its a bit more expensive but worth it in my opinion. I just used a local glass processor to make them, any near you will do it. Mine are 8mm and I didn't bother getting them toughened as I didn't feel it was necessary but also I may want to cut then down in the future if I sit my shower on the side of the pond. The posts just came from ebay, I think they where around 11 or £12 each, maybe a bit more but not much.

[@baitking1]

@@DazzleKoi hi Daz thanks for the reply an info. I can see the new tempest coming into its Owen if like me you only have a limited amount of space an can’t have an ezzy pod or nexus type filters.I have 2 oase filterclear 16000 pressure filters piped inline upto my shower. The tempest would be a good fit between the filters an shower as an extra particle/bio/water polisher just don’t like the price it may come down in price in time we will see.

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi mate, yes it would be an ideal replacement for the pressure filters but as you say not cheap. Its essentially a small bead filter but with simplified maintenance.

[@baitking1]

@@DazzleKoi I was thinking of putting it after the 2 pressure filters then to the shower at say 9-10.000ltr ph .

[@DazzleKoi]

You could do that but the flow is a bit high for the tempest. I was thinking it could replace the pressure filters as its nice and easy to clean but you would have the same problem of flow. If your system works now and you're happy you might as well stick with what you have mate. As you say, they might come down in price in the future.

[@53WRX]

I've read a lot of hate for this filter online which confuses me. My plan is to use them on my 400 gallon fish tanks (x3) as additional mechanical filtration. They seem perfect for that ? Particularly as I can wall mount them as I don't have room for huge drums or nexus filters.

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi mate, the only ones I've seen slagging the tempest off are those who have never actually owned one but just have a dislike for EA for whatever reason. Other than the leaking drain valves, which EA seem to replace quickly, I don't think I've heard anyone who owns one say bad things about them. I've had mine running nearly a year now and its still as good as the day I fitted it, I haven't changed my opinion on it. I dont think I've ever seen a second hand one for sale either which suggests people who buy them are happy.

[@johnhancock1968]

As informative as ever, great review Daz

[@DazzleKoi]

Thanks John 🍻🍻

[@jasonm2969]

Another good video Daz 👏 From your all your videos you seem a genuine guy so this review looks honest and factual so i'm looking forward to the follow up vids, I always think dealers reviewing products have somethink to gain even if that's not the case so it's good to hear coming from a hobbyist. Can these be run in series for even greater polishing? Or horizontally.

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi Jason, thanks a lot, yes they can be run in series, I know in the swimming pool industry they use banks of them. Not horizontally though unfortunately.

[@brettfisher1280]

Another great vid cheers Daz, was debating on whether to get a tempest or not, but after just watching this I definitely think my pond would benefit having one, thanks for the info and will be purchasing one shortly 👍🏻

[@DazzleKoi]

Thanks Brett, I'm confident you wont be disappointed from my time with it so far 👍👍

[@carollycett1329]

Great update on the Tempest 6mths trail for another update on its use

[@DazzleKoi]

Thanks Carol, hopefully they let me keep it that long. They might want it back when they see what I did to it 😁

[@jaketunstal8477]

I’m currently building my koi pond I couldn’t afford the 4” spin drifter bottom drain I’ve just bought the standard 4” bottom drain for £25 will this still be sufficient without the air being pumped in it ? As the cheaper one I’ve bought does not have an air line on it ?

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi Jake, the air is used to aerate the pond but its also used to push the waste to the drain. You will need to make sure that you have sufficient water movement and circulation to move the waste and keep it from settling on the bottom before it reaches the drain. You can buy air discs that you can fit to the top of a none aerated drain to get the same effect

[@jaketunstal8477]

Thanks for the reply ... will I be able to fit this after construction of the pond as my drain is already set in concrete lol 😂

[@DazzleKoi]

Yes mate, you can but you are going to have to use sinking air line to keep it down on the bottom and its going to be visible.

[@jaketunstal8477]

I was humming and arhhhing weather to bite the bullet and pay £260 for the spin drifter but I just couldn’t afford it ... I hope I don’t end up with a green koi pond I’m planing on making a 3 wheelie bin filter system 😂 ... if I uploaded a video of my pond plan drawing do you think you could have a look at it and see if you could advise me if I’m doing it right or not the pond should be about 12000 litres when finished I really don’t want to mess it up as I’m new to all this but I have been doing my research

[@DazzleKoi]

Yes Jake of course. If you want to email it you can to [e-mail] Spindrifter should be about £140 , is that a typo? Or does that include other things?

[@Matsuba81]

Looking forward to this buddy , hope your well !!

[@DazzleKoi]

Good mate, thank you. And yourself? I hope it didn't disappoint

[@Matsuba81]

@@DazzleKoi No mate it was very helpful especially the pod clean , very pleasing to see the top 100mm clean after 4 days worth of not cleaning the pod . I'm looking to buy 2 for my grow on running one each off their own retro drain running at 5000lph each on 1000 gallons. I think at the price they are a bargain and do what it says on the box , great test buddy keep safe!

[@DazzleKoi]

Thanks mate, you to 🍻👍🍻 Let me know how you get on , that sounds like a great setup you're putting together.

[@alanminshall1824]

Excellent review, it looks a really good piece of kit. It certainly took out the blanket weed. What treatment did you use for the blanket weed in these cold conditions?

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi Alan, I used cloverleaf blanket answer. It recommends above 10 but intimates it may work lower but less effectively. To be honest I don't think its done a massive amount yet. Stuff is coming through but I'm not convinced its just the normal bits and bobs yet.

[@scottcannings2746]

Hi, good test, I'm looking at getting one very soon, ie in the next two weeks to run on my skimmer line, I have a 6000litre per hour pump running to a separate small filter, it's a nightmare cleaning this little filter and I think any sponge filter can hold and contain nasty beasts, I have had bad bacterial infections on so.e fish and lost some great fish, I've updated and got a microscope also I have a big mutiny filter which I clean every week twice in summer works well, I'm also running two baki showers independently from my built in bottom drain, via a retro drain on it's on u.v. water clarity superb and am also getting rid of blanket weed, I reckon this would be superb on my set up, then I'm going to drum filter in two years and will add this.

[@scottcannings2746]

Multi bay lol, oh the wine, no good when typing lol

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi Scott, it sounds like you have a great set up. As you say, the next step is probably to swap the multibay for a drum and moving bed. Multibays work well but need a lot of work and can be a source of bacteria. Yes I agree, I think the Tempest on your skimmer line will be a great improvement and getting rid of the filter you have now with sponges is a good idea. I still can't fault the tempest. Still love it 🍻🍻👍👍🍻🍻

[@mattsonhobbies6966]

Great test daz, honest and genuine great upload enjoyed the watch 👍

[@DazzleKoi]

Thanks very much mate, I appreciate that 🍻🍻👍👍🍻🍻

[@mattsonhobbies6966]

@@DazzleKoi I'm enjoying them I'm debatin to get a shower or 2 tempest so hopefully the reviews you and Tim get will help

[@Tom_Prendiville]

Hello Darren matey 👋🏼. It has been a struggle but i managed until now to watch the video and of course comment, the reason for waiting was to gage the questions and responses. I knew there would be a percentage of "make your own" people which usually means they don't like the price but almost always means they will build something that is half assed and spend too much time and money when they could have just bought the tempest and moved on with their lives. My biggest bugbear with people who suggest such things is they haven't taken in to account the years of trial and error testing and perfecting the product but each to their own i suppose. Anyone who has ever had a static k1 chamber as their 1st mechanical stage will know that the tempest is a sure thing but they won't know exactly how good it is because the k+ media is a new product that filters down to 1 micron (which you have proven with the green water removal). My biggest concern with it is/was the media agitation upon discharge and until the media is in a semi buoyant state (mature) we won't know how effective it is on the cleaning cycle so im hopeful that you are able to retain this unit for long enough to test this further. Now where is the best place for this on my system 🤔......currently i have a profidrum and a stainless steel momotaro bakki shower with BHM and a moving bed of k1 and helx-13 both are returned under water as i prefer the minimalist look. Some head scratching and thought required to see if there is a possibility of having one (or two in sync). Just so you know I'm not disappointed in you 🤣, you are fair and have gone out of your way to test this product so the "make your own" community will hopefully understand that this video isn't about you trying to side with a manufacturer and is indeed just you providing the facts that you have uncovered. If anyone has some testing ideas for you to try then they should speak up while you are able to do them. I agree with you that it would be better to insulate (hide) it so the discolouration isn't on show. Spring is nearly upon us my friend 👍🏼

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi Tom, thank you very much indeed for your kind words. Your system sounds like an absolute dream, I cant believe you are looking to add to it, but I like your approach. I do agree about the media and it seems to be taking a long time to become semi buoyant compared to other forms of K1 in my experience but it may be related to the temperature I guess. I did a second flush on it the following day and it was really clean afterwards so given what I threw at it cleaning it twice is not the end of the world. My thinking is that if I have one and it only takes out 1 bit of muck, that's one bit of muck that would still be in my pond had I not got it. As you say , it will be good to hang on to it long enough to put it through a period of higher temps and heavy feeding. When I think about talking it off and returning it I'm really not happy at all so that is a good barometer of my opinion of it so far. Spring really cant come soon enough. Its warming up here next week so hopefully that's the start of it 🍻🍻

[@Tom_Prendiville]

@@DazzleKoi The main reason for wanting one is to be able to have a running/mature emergency filter for a pop up quarantine/hospital tank if its required. I am not heated anymore out of choice but that may change in the future as the bouncing temps of spring can be quite annoying.

[@DazzleKoi]

Ys I think it would be great for that, very flexible. I'm the same in that I'm not heated now but I have in the past and I haven't missed it to much until this morning when the pond is frozen over. I think I'm going to add a little electric inline heater and just used it to keep everything at maybe 3 or 4 degrees minimum.

[@marekskoipond9083]

Good video, it odviously works, but I do feel it has some design flaws, so much so I'm building one to go after my drum and before my shower, and for less than half the cost of the tempest, I was shocked after watching " wrighty's " and " northern koi keepers " channel how much crap gets past the drum, I suspect as the media matures performance will improve as well. I'm plaqued with those pesky bugs as well, especially in the summer, I tell myself it's a sign of good water quality that allows them to breed so fast. Love the finish to your pond walls.

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi mate, don't be too hard on the drum filter based on one pass, you need to remember that mechanical filters don't take out everything in one go, none do. In a day a filter gets 24 goes at it and diminishing returns means it will more than likely remove it during one of them. You cant really judge a mechanical filter on one pass through.

[@marekskoipond9083]

@@DazzleKoi I'm more concerned about the amount of rubbish going over my shower, I can only think my ceramic media must be blocked in the two top tiers, having said that, maybe that's why my nitrates are so low, seeing that nitrates are consumed by anaerobic bacteria which are probably trapped in the blocked media?

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi mate, it could be I guess. If you have a BHM copy type media it shouldn't really get blocked. Do you have a good strong flow going over it? To low flow can cause the media to block up. As you say though, nitrates are the big one and if they are being taken care of that's a good result.

[@rich81090]

I guess there is a grid to stop the k1 leaving the filter, i presume any large muck would also get stuck at this grid.

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi Richard, yes the K1 is contained by grids. I think from memory the holes are around 10mm square. I've never had anything stuck in mine apart from a tiny bit of weed but I haven't needed to clean it out.

[@dazwhite303]

It appears to me, as you mentioned that the inside of the tube will end up completely coated therefore impossible to see through. Can't help thinking it's a smaller version of an easypod, not sure the media gets adutated as good as an easypod when cleaning.

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi Daz, great name 😁 Yeah I don't think you are far off with the statement that its a smaller Pod. Also a small bead filter is a good comparison. Time will tell whether it gets green inside or not, I'll report back periodically if they let me hold on to it 👍👍🍻🍻

[@kentmurphy3585]

As always great video. I think it’s a great idea and for the money don’t tell my wife. 😂 A part of the hobby I enjoy is tinkering with my filters and whatever else I can think of that day.

[@DazzleKoi]

Thanks Kent, much appreciated 👍

[@LauMagroTheFrenchKOInection]

Without being fully mature, the media gets agitated quite nicely already. That's a + I guess. From your set up, it can only be beneficial. For my set up, it will need to go before the shower which will be equally beneficial. Great video, I was really waiting for that one. You took a risk there.. don't know how you delt without cleaning the Easypod for 4 days. I am like you, a bit OCD on the cleaning side ☺️ loved the video. Keep well.

[@DazzleKoi]

Thanks you Lau, yes it was stressful , even watching the video back just had me in cold sweats 😁😁

[@LauMagroTheFrenchKOInection]

@@DazzleKoi yep, I get that. 😂

[@davidrevitt7145]

Filter looks good,but what about a prefilter for pod,to save knocking the biological filter side of it back, Or get a drum.i have to say I love my nexus,keeps it very clear,

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi David, the Pod is an all inone filter so it does both mechanical and biological the same as a nexus just smaller. It can handle mechanical well and up to 100g of food a day so well within what I'm feeding at the moment. I don't need the tempest on this system really. I am adding a shower in the spring though to handle nitrate as I believe nitrate to be very important in terms of koi growth.

[@davidrevitt7145]

@@DazzleKoi shower will be good,I had a pod on a 1500 gallon pond,struggled with parameters, it did well untill I had to keep cleaning everyday,thanks

[@GrahamTaylor123]

Well I think that’s quite a stern test and it’s performed quite well. Unfortunately. I can’t see how it would fit on my system with the pond in the ground and pump fed.

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi Graham, its not for everyone, there will be a lot who don't need it or cant fit it in. It does seem a nice option though for anyone who can.

[@stewarttodd2930]

You can’t beat a drum filter with k+ media 👍 keep up the good work

[@DazzleKoi]

Cheers Stewart 🍻🍻🍻

[@deadflesh8949]

Could two Tempest filters being fed by a pump work as the only filtering system?

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi mate, I would think not to be honest. The Tempest is first and foremost a mechanical polishing type filter and secondly it has a bit of biological function. I don't think you will have enough biological capacity, even with two of them, to cope with a full fish load on there own. Maybe with a separate moving bed filter it would work. Or on a very small pond with only a few fish.

[@deadflesh8949]

@@DazzleKoi Thank you!

[@mikefogo9912]

I've got a 6 bay filter and looking at putting a bead on it,but my waters is now 4c,what would you buy a bead or a heater,I can only afford 1 item?

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi Mike, are replacing the multi bay filter with the bead or adding it as extra?

[@mikefogo9912]

Extra

[@mikefogo9912]

Extra

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi Mike, I would go for the bead filter. You will get excellent benefit from it all year round. I think that's the way to go 👍

[@martynward3536]

Greet video Daz, very impressed with what I have seen of these from you and also Tims reviews. Do you think it would be ok in front of my DIY shower?

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi Martyn, I think it would do a great job between pump and showery but keep in mind the flow rate is limited to 7500 litre max and optimum is 5000. Thats exactly how mine will be when I finish the showier.

[@martynward3536]

@@DazzleKoi I am running 5000 litre pump at mo off skimmer line

[@martynward3536]

doing some pond alterations in the spring and considering easypod or nexus 220 on battom drain

[@DazzleKoi]

Tempest would work great at that flow rate then, before the shower 👍 Remind me what volume your pond will be after the alterations?

[@martynward3536]

@@DazzleKoi aim is to get between 1500 and 2000 Gal Daz

[@jameswithers3066]

Hi could I ask where you got you fish jump guard from? And how much? Thanks in advance.

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi James, the glass came from a local glass processor. Just have a look on Yell or similar for one local to you. they are all over the place and any of them will do it for you. 8 or 10mm and I used optiwhite as its clear rather than having a green tinge to it like normal float glass. Its a bit more expensive but you can hardly see it. The posts came from ebay, something like these www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stairs-Spigot-Glass-Balustrade-Railing-Balcony-Glass-Pool-Clamp-Stainless-Steel/164674609461?hash=item26575f2135:g:leYAAOSwdhNf4a6n 👍👍

[@jameswithers3066]

@@DazzleKoi thanks for that. Much appreciated.

[@DazzleKoi]

No problem mate 🍻🍻

[@danielheesom1357]

Do you think you could run this as a stand alone filter on a 5000litre pond ?

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi Daniel, no it doesn't have the biological capacity to cope with a 5000 litre pond with koi on its own. With regular flushing it cope handle the mechanical filtration but it would need to be accompanied by a dedicated biological filter on that size pond. Its more of an add on filter to polish the water of fines than a true stand alone although it could handle a small quarantine or hospital tank 👍

[@mark5tytshort770]

Hi what is your view on heating pond, good video

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi mate, I honestly cant afford to heat now. I have in the past though. I think if you can afford to keep the pond at say 6 or 7 degrees minimum over winter then its a worthwhile thing to do but it isn't vital.

[@markevans8948]

Great video

[@DazzleKoi]

Cheers Mark 🍻🍻

[@thepeoplespond]

Nice unbiased review Daz 👍 Tempted to get one as you can never over filter Think I would put it after my sieve and before the nexus on my pond 🤔

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi mate, thanks a lot. Thats a LOT of filtration but as you say, you cant have too much 🍻🍻👍👍

[@thepeoplespond]

@@DazzleKoi future proofing haha 😂

[@richardbrunton2068]

I think an addition of air stone to agitate media a bit more would really help with the cleaning cycle. Cheers daz👍

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi Richard, its something worth trying but I've seen home made versions with more air in and they seem to just push all the muck up past the media which then ends up going back to the pond. This gentle agitation seems about right to me. Apart from the last one its always clean after a single flush. I guess I could try it

[@richardbrunton2068]

@@DazzleKoi fair comment, cheers for reply👍

[@DazzleKoi]

I forgot to add, I don't think the media is semi buoyant yet either. It may change again once its reached that stage. I'll keep you up to date 👍👍

[@richardbrunton2068]

@@DazzleKoi cheers daz👍

[@martinoffer4474]

Do you think it would benefit from having an air line in it?

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi Martin, not in my opinion, no. The cleaning works by gently releasing the debris from the media at the bottom and sucking it down and out to waste. If you blow air in it will push the debris up through the media to the clean/pond side of the media (above) and eventually back to the pond. The patented, clever part is the cleaning mechanism, if it worked better with air I would expect they would have just used air instead of developing the valve system that it has.

[@martinoffer4474]

@@DazzleKoi did you pp the media before using it with the media. Are you videoing an update on the tempest soon?

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi Martin, I do have a little update coming very soon but I need to wait until summer feeding for a proper final test really. I'll definitely do that though. No mate, I didn't PP the media. K+ has enzymes and things added during manufacture which encourage bacteria formation and I don't know if PP will negatively impact that. I'll be honest though, I've never PP'd anything before as I cant see any reason to do so 👍👍

[@JMacFlyFishing]

Brilliant video again Daz, thank you. I would love to see how it would handle a dose of clay. Just a thought. I'm going to pre order one right now 😎👍🏼

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi mate, I don't use clay so I'm not sure. Is it big enough that the filter takes it out?

[@JMacFlyFishing]

@@DazzleKoi it would clump up against the media. I will have to wait till I get mine to test it with clay 😎👍🏼

[@DazzleKoi]

Nice one, have you heard anything solid about when they are coming out yet?

[@JMacFlyFishing]

@@DazzleKoi Not sure, everywhere is showing Feb/March on the pre order. Has Tim not given you any inside info 😉👍🏼 take care

[@DazzleKoi]

Not to me but I did see a facebook post today where he said 'hoping end of this month'.

[@weeredone5517]

I see you can time travel ..... Get the tempest on the 28January and your doing the tests on 4 January

[@DazzleKoi]

oops, good spot, it should have read 4th February.

[@alexw9177]

I remember hearing you were told to do your worst when testing this. You definitely did that. Great demonstrating , I think it’s just tipped the balance for me. Thanks

[@DazzleKoi]

Cheers Alex, yeah I'm very impressed with it so far. Looking forward to feeding heavy and seeing how it copes with that but nothing to suggest it wont handle it fine 👍

[@barrykoikeepercooper8052]

Hi Daz I don't dispute its doing what it says on the tin I just don't think the price can justify what a couple of pieces of filter floss in your baki shower would remove the same amount of waste?

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi Barry, I guess it just comes down to what its worth to you at the end of the day. Don't forget you have the bio side of it to, I haven't really mentioned that yet as I'm not feeding a lot. I watched a video of someone trying to make one and he spent just over £100 on material. He also spent a day putting it together. Now I'm self employed and have work booked until near Christmas and my daily charge rate is £150 which isn't a huge amount these days. So if I give up one of my days with my grandchild or other family at the weekend to build this I could have spent that day working for a client so a day is a genuine £150 to me. That coupled with the materials means it would cost me as much to build my own copy and its debatable whether it works as well, it certainly doesn't have a 2 year warranty. So in that sense the price is fair in my opinion. That just leaves the point that you make. Is the benefit it offers worth £250? I guess that's going to be down to individuals really. For me, I left filter floss and cleaning muck by hand behind a long time ago. I'm probably lazy but that's where I'm at. Others enjoy that side of the hobby and have the time to play about so for them its probably not going to be worth it. I cant really speak for individuals but from what I've seen so far I can say that it does what it says on the tin and does it very well.

[@barrykoikeepercooper8052]

Very fair reply Daz

[@peterfinkill8098]

@@DazzleKoi Hi Daz. You didn't touch on that in the video. The Tempest id easy to replicate and very easy and cheap to put together. I take the point that for you you would need to add in the cost of the time that it would take out of your business (although you must get some 'you time' at weekends?). However that is your circumstances and you obviously don't get any pleasure building something like this. There are a great many people who do have the time and do like to build these type of things ('Wrighty' springs to mind). These people can save quite a lot of money, and perhaps get a better filter (you haven't tested the home made version) in the bargain. An example of this would be a bakki shower. You obviously can pay a lot of money for a big stainless steel bakki shower. However there are a number of koi keepers out there using plastic boxes full of media coz they cannot afford to buy one. Some of those get good results. There are also a lot of people build their own Drum filters from scratch. At the end of the day it just depends whether you have the time, inclination, and money to build pond stuff yourself or not.

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi Peter, I did say I would include this on a previous comment but I decided it wasn't right for me to talk about home made ones given I have not made one and have no experience of how/if they work. You're right I do keep weekends clear but I do that to spend time with my new grandson or my family or doing things I enjoy. If I'm going to give up a day of this I could work for one of my clients and get paid £150 so either way up a day of my time is £150 to me. People often underestimate or don't even consider their time as having a value but it absolutely does, regardless of your circumstances. I had to make the decision that this is a tempest review and I would review the tempest. If anyone wants to send me a homemade version, as long as it doesn't infringe the copyright, I'll put it through the exact same test and review it exactly the same. Until then I don't feel I can or should recommend them, instead I have to stick to reviewing what I have experience of. I totally agree about people building their own, I'm in the middle of a series of videos building a bakki shower. I'm not anti DIY. I hope that makes sense and clears up why I haven't included DIY options mate 👍

[@davidrand1984]

Your giving it a good test I'll give you that

[@DazzleKoi]

Thanks David 🍻🍻

[@andrewmason2879]

Hi mate, excellent reviewing on the Tempest. I Hope you asked your wife before you pinched her tights 😂 I am impressed with it, it’s not a bad little filter. It’s surprising what muck it catches. Thinking of buying one myself when I get my pond built, and putting it on the skimmer. Roll on spring so we can Get rid of this snow ❄️ and the cold weather. What is happening with the shower build, not heard anything for a while 👍

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi Andrew and thank you 🍻 Its fine, they where my own tights 😁😁 Yes I havent though about skimmer lines but it could be a good option. Shower is not far off now. I'm going to get the media video up next weekend and the construction one right after 👍

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi David, I've only got 7 fish in under 1000 gallons so its fine at the moment. the Pod processes 100g of food a day and I've got nowhere near that yet. I do intend adding a shower filter in the spring though for the future. Also the Tempest has a biological function as well, around 40g a day by my calculation.

[@madmikesworld5713]

Well it looks like it’s a winner.

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi Michael, so far so good mate, I've been quietly surprised with it. Would be hard to take it out now.

[@madmikesworld5713]

@@DazzleKoi I think the beauty of it is how simple it is. I’m sure some of the replies I’ve read think if it doesn’t cost thousands then it cannot work or I’ve spent thousands and I feel silly. Yes it can be bigger, yes it could have an air agitator but then up goes the price and I’m not sure it needs it.

[@DazzleKoi]

I agree so far. I only have a small pond at the moment and I'm not feeding a lot so there are still question marks but I do like what I've seen so far. The flexibility to move it to a quarantine or hospital tank is a great bonus to.

[@modestoelias2757]

Can the tempest handle being installed at my bottom drain as a pre filter , I am looking for a pre filter before the pump , great vid daz

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi there, it needs to be pumped really so you push through it rather than try to pull. If you can find a way to do it then it could make a good prefilter but it would need regular flushing coming straight from the bottom drain.

[@modestoelias2757]

@@DazzleKoi could you give me a recommendation of what pre filter I can use I only have a small foot print about 15”x20”x38”high ,

[@DazzleKoi]

Do you have enough room for a sieve. I think if you can fit a sieve in that would be a good option.

[@invisibleme4394]

The tempest is a mini - low end bead filter, great for quarantine or a small grow on. If budget allows, drum and bio without question. Fair play for flushing the easypod into it, I’ve seen this on a system which has been running for months, add air to mix the media up, it’ll be the same as the east pod clean.

[@THEKOIPOND]

You could make your own and have it how you what it they are simply to make

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi mate, I could, and I looked at it , but it was around £100 for materials and a day of my time is £150 (I'm self employed and that's what clients pay me for a days work) means it is no cheaper and as such I figured I'd be better off buying one as it comes with a warranty etc. Its certainly an option for some though, just not really for me.

[@THEKOIPOND]

Fair play mate but Good video as a koi dealer and work at home with 3 big ponds and a 4th pond just started to build I am as well going to make on with a full video run down and test video in the coming weeks THEKOIPOND

[@DazzleKoi]

Good stuff, I'll look out for it 👍👍👍

[@Davidj3]

with your size pond and your koi getting bigger I think your eazy pod is to small for your koi and pond.

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi David, the pod is rated at double my pond size and my stocking level is low so no problem there at the moment. The tempest also has biological filtration and I am going to add a shower in the spring, mainly for nitrate removal, but that will also bring a lot more bio capacity 👍

[@Davidj3]

Hi i have a eazy pod. I use it more as a secondary filter. When your fish get bigger forsure gona need more. you can run eazy pod on your skimmer, then add a bead going to a shower. With the tempest plummed in the line. Water will pop and should have no algea string.

[@DazzleKoi]

Cheers David, hopefully I can get some good growth on them this year. A bit of warm weather would be a good start 😁

[@northernkoikeeper512]

You didn't mention the option of making your own and the difference of agitation using air stones and the fact that you can clean the inside of a custom made Up-Filter. You are usually so balanced in your opinion and take everything into account. Seems a bit biased towards EA. Maybe because they let you borrow it? I'm very disappointed in you !

[@DazzleKoi]

I didn't mention making my own because I haven't made my own. I cant review something that doesn't exist mate. I'm reviewing a Tempest filter here. The design of this is also patented so it would be pretty stupid of me to go on public record advocating infringing that patent don't you think? You can clean the inside of this filter. I've also seen a version with air in and it just pushed all the muck up above the media and subsequently back to the pond. The tempest is designed to agitate gently and progressively so as not to do that. Apologies if you're not happy but I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't unfortunately.

[@northernkoikeeper512]

@@DazzleKoi I have no problem with the review of the Tempest at all. It tells it how it is. WHat I would like you to have done is to mention the fact that these could be self built. What I said was the OPTION of making your own. Not you making one or reviewing that option. Just for you to point out that there is an option for your subscribers to make their own. There isn't a copyright infringement as the devices differ in how they agitate the media. I would love for you to do a video on cleaning the inside of the Tempest! That is a tiny hole on top on the Tempest where the top can be removed. But it would be difficult to clean all the inside. Also in your review you said that you would just have to live with the tube getting dirty and green. The air to agitate the media is done when the filter is closed off from the pond. That's exactly the way the Easypod, that you know and love, works. You said that people have said the pipework configuration isn't suitable for their configuration. You said that " I don't know what the solution to that is." again you could have mentioned the DIY option. Which may have been helpful to your subscribers. This is definitely something where we will have to agree to differ! I still love your other videos and agree that you have a great knowledge in lots of areas of Koi keeping. I just don't agree with you on these points Take care.

[@DazzleKoi]

Hi again mate, certainly no hard feelings I hope, as you say we will have to agree to disagree on a few points. I am more than happy to video the cleaning of the tempest if it will be of benefit. It will have to be later in the year though if/when it becomes dirty because at this time of year there is nothing in there after a flush (or 2 flushes in the case of the test I did). I appreciate the pond is isolated when the air is on but once you push muck above the media how does it come back down? Once its above it will just go back to the pond when you put the filter back online. From watching the tempest it doesn't do that. It agitates gently from the bottom and as the muck is loosened it gets sucked straight out. As the media drops the distance the air penetrates the media increases but its progressive. If I or EA wanted to add more air it would be very easy to do but they have worked on this for years and come up with a better option in their opinion, and from what I've seen so far I agree. The eazy pod doesn't work like that. The eazy pod has air effectively on the inside of the media and it blows out through the media in to a completely separate chamber. Positive pressure from the air keeps the muck in the outer chamber until it is emptied to waste. The tempest doesn't work like that. For the tempest to be the same principle you would have to put air in the bottom and take the water and muck to waste out of the top. That isn't the case hence the more gentle and controlled agitation. As I say, I have nothing against anyone making their own, I'm making my own shower, I've made my own filters in the past. I just don't feel its appropriate for me to advocate it when I have no experience of it myself. Take it easy mate 🍻