The Filtreau Drum One Year On & Fin Inspection

The Filtreau Drum One Year On & Fin Inspection
In this video we take a look at the Filtreau drum filter after one year in operation, pro's & cons. Also I have two/three fish that have minor fin damage. Is this just from over aggressive feeding or the start of bacterial fin rot?

[@ianjacks2422]

I’ve kept fish for over 20years. Instead of looking in your pond looking for faults ,just enjoy the fish instead of taking them out for the slightest thing, as this causes the fish more stress. You will always get these problems this time of year with heavy feeding, as long as you don’t see any angry redness the fish will look after themselves.

[@UpNorthKoiPond]

Fair comment Ian, I was just a bit curious as I wasn't 100% certain that something else wasn't going on like fin rot👍

[@PhilGsKoiPond]

From the heart that review on the drum Si, will be very useful to owners/buyers of this model drum 👏🏻 As a few have already suggested I’d split the food to floating/sinking hopefully giving enough time for the dorsal fin to repair itself.. great watch mate. 😎👍🏻

[@UpNorthKoiPond]

Thanks Phil👍👍 I've moved the feeder to on top of the shower so the flow should push the food around the pond as it hits👌👌

[@TelfordKoiPond]

Great update Si👍. I’m always using my nt labs test kit to double check my Hanna test results and fortunately they always corolate👍. Glad that your drum is working well for you now , shame that it wasn’t right when you got it but made interesting watching for us😊. Fish are looking good👍. Must admit I don’t worry about split fins too much as luckily mine have always healed without any intervention. If you feel it isn’t healing you could try fully sedating him, getting him out and completely drying the fins then applying the smallest drop of superglue to the very end. In your case I really wouldn’t do anything yet👍. I have the same feeder as you but wasn’t happy with how they threw themselves against the copings so I have a decking board which I put across the middle of the pond with blocks on each end to raise it up with the feeder in the middle of that….much better👍😊. Keep up the good work buddy👍🐟🈲😊

[@UpNorthKoiPond]

No I'm going to leave them for now and I've moved my feed off the wall and put it on top of the shower, so then as it hits the water the flow of the shower should push it around the pond. Hopefully this will stop it from happening and give them chance to heal👍👍

[@KoiCarpKyle2393]

That's a good review on your drum buddy I found that very interesting there a good bit of kit to be fair 👍😎🐟

[@koiinthepond]

I have had horrendous problems with ulcers on koi etc etc. I have done all the taking them out treating them putting them back and never had any results always lost them in the end. I was cleaning my nexus daily adding bio carb testing water all the time. Was driving me mad. So for the last month and a bit I have left them alone cleaned the filter 2 times a week fed them 2 times a day. I also took the feeder off because of them jumping all over each other. My water test have never been so good and the ulcers on the fish including mouth rot are healing or healed on there own. I am not even putting a net in the pond anymore. Like someone else has said on here we mess about to much instead of just sitting and enjoying them

[@Tom_Prendiville]

Simon the split fins is the very reason I use sinking and floating to split them up but another way around it is using a feeder that flings the food across the surface

[@UpNorthKoiPond]

Hi Tom, I'm going to try putting it on top of my shower for now as suggested by Martin further down. Should push food around the pond as it hits the surface.

[@Tom_Prendiville]

@@UpNorthKoiPond good idea 👍🏼 I'm not sure where your skimmer is but be aware you may loose food down it so a air stone on a timer could be an option 👍🏼

[@UpNorthKoiPond]

@@Tom_Prendiville The skimmer is on the other side of the pond and food never really gets past half way when the BD air is on as it pushes it back.

[@Tom_Prendiville]

@@UpNorthKoiPond awesome, give it a try and see what's what 👍🏼

[@karloffgrid]

The way you talk, you sound like you are from my neck of the woods or close by, definitely sounds like a Barnsley accent lol. Great review on the filter. I'm considering one when I build my pond next year

[@UpNorthKoiPond]

Thanks Karl, It has served me well so far👍 Chesterfield btw😉

[@karloffgrid]

@@UpNorthKoiPond ah I'm from Rotherham so not too far away

[@koikarma5363]

Great review of the drum Si the split dorsal will heal in time probably due to fighting for food I wouldn't worry about it.👍👍💯💯

[@UpNorthKoiPond]

Cheers Dave👍👍

[@BrizzleKoi]

Great video Simon...thinking about purchasing one of those drums for my pond. Think it would suit my 7000L pond...and also suit my wallet 😉

[@UpNorthKoiPond]

Mine has run flawless since I've had it. It does the job intended, doesn't break the bank and parts are easy to source should you need them

[@BrizzleKoi]

@UpNorthKoiPond 👌👌👌👌

[@BrizzleKoi]

@UpNorthKoiPond you on Instagram or fb...got some questions to fire at you before I commit to this drum

[@mikebass3721]

I have a Filtreau HF30 that has been running for 5 years on my 1000 gallon pond the only problems I have experienced is having to tighten the drive nut to 45 Newton’s every six months as it stops turning. It also clicked at the start but the dealer knew what to do by taking a slither of plastic of the waste Shute. My main pond over 2300 gallons uses a Filtreau Combi Next with combined bio chamber, I updated the mesh for hi flow and has been running for a year without any issues

[@UpNorthKoiPond]

Thanks Mike, luckily I haven't had any issues with it stopping turning but I will definitely check the drive nut torque. 👌

[@EVOlution-EVo19]

Did that on mine , it didn’t slip but tightened it up just to be on safe side , 5yrs with mine no troubles at all 👌🏻👍🏻

[@dorsetkoipond]

Nice update Simon great honest review Don’t worry about the one with split s they will sort selfs out mate Nice update Simon great honest review Don’t worry about the split s they will sort selfs out 👌👍👍㊗️🏯㊗️

[@UpNorthKoiPond]

Thanks Kev👌👌

[@robertnicholls9409]

Hi Si, that fin doesn't look that bad, my koi what I mentioned in text message to you was full of splits all along the length of the dorsal plus most of the height was gone and looked minced up, it's looking better more lively after the 10 day course of treatment, but it's still got some way to go, I also put it in my floating net and been able to feed it up as it looked like it wasn't getting much to eat. Rob.

[@UpNorthKoiPond]

yeah I don't think its fin rot, it hasn't got any worse so that's a bonus. If it doesn't start to heal soon I might hold it together with a little superglue to encourage it back together.

[@monk1100]

Hi Si, I really enjoyed watching this information video, as I have just bought the same drum filter from a local auction mate auctioneers Devon. Unfortunately my pond is sunken down and we are having a resin laid garden being put down as I write i have a garage next to the pond and want to install this and also a nexus early model bio filter i want to add with it, that I also won at the auctions, but confused in how it should all be set up with pumps ect. The garage floor is 200mm below pond level. What would your suggestion to me be please and other KZbinrs comments would be appreciated guys. Many thanks to all. My koi fish we have had for 10 yrs they spawn nearly every year, early May and the fry usually hatch on my birthday 3rd week of May. So great advice is very welcomed. We hardly are able to se our fish till they feed hence this set up. Your fish love you.

[@UpNorthKoiPond]

If you are wanting to run it in combination with the nexus, you will need to pump feed it due to the height of the nexus as the drum needs to be before it. So the drum will need to get set at the same running height of the nexus for it to work correctly, and as long as your pond is lower than the outlet of the nexus, you should be fine. Not really clued up on nexus's to be honest but it should work. Hope that helps a little 👍

[@monk1100]

@@UpNorthKoiPond ok brill so will put them on plinth frame first time setting up these big boys. I am a plumber gas fitter so have knowledge on pumping and gravity, just knowing order off set up for pond system is what I'm searching for, gate valves by passes tees and all that palaver lol

[@edlesboroughkoipondstevech3546]

Hi, interesting update on the drum, I'm undecided on buying a second-hand Aqua Forte entry level drum, it's a good price but being a glass half empty type i can foresee problems that will end up costing more than a new one!🤓

[@UpNorthKoiPond]

Only you can make that decision.😅 I can only share my experiences with mine so far👍👍

[@davidfieldman8723]

Love your channel mate by eck you don’t half make hard work of it mate just enjoy the fish

[@UpNorthKoiPond]

Thank you 🙂 I'm kind of OCD, if the fish are showing me something is not right, I like to find out exactly why they are doing what they are doing. It's difficult to describe or show everything on camera as it happens, but the more time you spend at the pond you would kind of get the jist of why I am like how I am. It's not something I just do on a whim but multiple things drive me to do what I do. I wish I could say everything was absolutely fantastico every video 😅😂

[@Djst-zv1sv]

Subbed mate 👍

[@UpNorthKoiPond]

Thanks 😬😁

[@Synysterjmz]

I’m looking at one of these Filtraeu drums. If they work and are reliable that’s good enough for me! Might even pick one up second hand if the majority of people don’t have issues with them. Why spunk £3k on something from Oase when these exist.

[@UpNorthKoiPond]

It is what it is at the end of the day, a budget drum filter. By no means are they the best build quality out there, but for what they cost, I've found it very good and so far without trouble👍

[@Synysterjmz]

@@UpNorthKoiPond for me, as long as it’s robust enough to do the job and I don’t wake up one morning to find my shed flooded and pond half empty, then it’s good enough! 😂

[@UpNorthKoiPond]

@Synysterjmz the key with most drums is to get the float switch set correctly. Takes a bit of tweaking with to begin with but once you've got the knack of where it needs to be then you should have no problems

[@markdunbar3164]

I bought two of the latest HF30 ten months ago, my pond is 50,000ltrs. I have used just one of them so far and it as worked fine. I live in Perth WA and have been trying to source replacement 40w uvc globes but the prices are very high here. I will be back home in Lancashire in september so would like to get two then. Do you know of any dealers that stock the globes and parts? Keep up the good work, from a fellow a plumber.

[@UpNorthKoiPond]

Hi Mark, I'm not sure of any dealers that hold them in stock but i think there are a few around that can get parts pretty much next day or so.

[@martintheobald4871]

I had the same problem with split fins because of the feeder next to the pond, I just moved the feeder so it sat on top of the shower & flow of the shower spreads the food round the pond & calms the feeding down & the split fins stopped, hope this helps, Martin

[@UpNorthKoiPond]

Thanks Martin, great idea that, I'm going to move it on top of the shower and see if they improve. Should certainly stop them feeding so hard

[@NS-zi4fb]

I have a small air stone at the margin near where I feed so it disperses the food across the surface. Seems to stop them climbing over each other plus it makes them work for it. I have a HF30, touch wood it’s given me no problems at all. A couple of mine had a few knocks and one had a split fin after spawning. Yours will soon sort them themselves out.

[@NS-zi4fb]

Should of added, I use a buffer tank with a float valve for my cleaning pump. It’s also untreated so it keeps the drum screen clear at all times.

[@EVOlution-EVo19]

Can you give me a link for the faster flow screen mesh you got on yours , and is it easy to swap over ?

[@UpNorthKoiPond]

KZbin doesn't allow me to place links but if you email me I can send you the place where i got mine from. its not difficult at all.

[@garethwatkins1897]

Love your Tancho mate really nice. I don’t know if you know the answer to this but I had a Tancho and it lost it’s spot so I effectively ended up with a white fish. I would really like to get another one but reluctant in case it happens again. Is it usual for that to happen or was I just unlucky? And is there anyway of preventing it happening?

[@UpNorthKoiPond]

Hi Gareth. It's actually quite common for Tancho's to lose their spot, especially when they are young or of low quality. I have heard of if a Tancho starts to lose it's spot, you can try putting it in different water to sort of send it into shock being in a different environment, and this can sometimes halt any changes going on. But it has to be caught early. All in all though you can pretty much bet that over time, if it's going to go then it's going to go.

[@garethwatkins1897]

Thanks mate, that’s really helpful

[@keepingitkoi]

Great lily drum mate and I'm really jealous of your tancho where was that one from?

[@UpNorthKoiPond]

Thanks Jamie. It was from my mate Rich A1 Koi Auctions via Koi Wholesale.

[@keepingitkoi]

@@UpNorthKoiPond nice 👍 that's a very smart tancho I bet it was way out of my budget 🤣

[@UpNorthKoiPond]

@@keepingitkoi 😬😅

[@keepingitkoi]

@@UpNorthKoiPond 🤣🤣

[@markscountrykoi]

Filters are cracking I love my filtreau combi with fish it’s split fin will heal itself nicely bud

[@UpNorthKoiPond]

Thanks Mark, certainly hasn't let me down yet touch wood. 👌