Ed from crystal clear aquatics takes apart a recently installed new gen oase filtoclear 31000 to discover some of the new improvements made to this historically hugely popular filter system!
Thank for this Ed. Installed a couple of these resently and they are deffinetiety an improvement. The uv alone makes a massive difference to me for maintenance. I'm glad to see that the foam removal isn't as bad as I feared.
Very interesting filter this is. I got the OnePond Claritec 10000 and this is a much better filter to clean I think. The idea to squeeze the sponges every now and then is much better than taking the whole system out to clean..thankyou.
Thanks for viewing and your comment! The filtoclear is a well established tried and tested pressurised filter and this latest generation has made some decent improvements! Best, Ed
Thank you Ed! Super helpful video. I’ve just purchased this 31000 to replace my 13 year old 5000, so I’m expecting great things. Your video will, no doubt, become my “owner’s guide”. God knows the one supplied by Oase is completely useless in all 22 languages 🤣
Brilliant video! I have just purchased this exact filter and was just wondering why you wouldn’t recommend this for a larger pond? My pond is quite big 😬
Thanks for watching and commenting Oliver! Pressurised filters such as this Oase filtoclear- although excellent in smaller ponds-have their limitations (chiefly the small proportions) and so have limited use in large ponds or ponds with high fish stock/koi ponds. Although technically good water clarity and quality may be achievable using such units in large ponds or koi ponds a larger pump fed gravity discharge, or bottom drain fed system would be better suited to larger ponds above approx 3000/5000 gallons 13600/22700 litres. Best, Ed
Hi Ed great vids great content 👍 how do you get on with using cement in and around the ponds? Do you seal it and how long does it take cure to be fish safe cheers
Great video Ed. We have a version 2 Filtoclear 30000. Was interested to see how the new version had improved. The locking ring still seems to look a bit fiddly to operate. How have you found finding replacement 60w UV bulbs. Thanks Paul.
Thanks Paul! I did make it look a little fiddly in the video-so used to pushing and holding the lid down hard whilst trying to secure the old clamp I was overcompensating! After a couple of goes it’s easy to fit and in general I’d say easier then the old design. 60w tubes are less commonly used currently, although I’m sure other manufacturers will follow suit. I’ve had no issues sourcing 60w tubes for other Oase uvc systems that use them (Bitron eco units) and have been renewing them in customer units with no issue for the last two or three years. They’re not cheap! I’d only recommend using either genuine Oase 60w or Philips branded 60w tubes and they sell for approx £48/£50. I’m sure cheaper branded tubes will be available, but I’ve always had a high rate of failure with non branded uvc tubes so always replace with genuine. If needs be a 55w tube could be fitted and would work perfectly well in a pinch! Overall I think this new design works well and is a better successor to the gen 2 units! Best, Ed
I may be a little late in my comment here. I've just added one of these to my pond, fired it up, pump works, water goes in and out of filter. I turned it off for about half an hour and then turned it back on. Water now sprays out of the hose and theeaded seal of both the inlet and outlet, though it didn't do on the first run. The clips and threads are as tight as possible. Any ideas on what I need to do to stop the leaks?
Hi there! Thanks for watching and commenting-is water leaking from the hose connection where it screws onto the filter, or from where the hose is attached to the hose connection? If the former it’ll be the o rings haven’t seated correctly. Switch the pump off unscrew the hose tails , remove the o ring and check for and kinks/debris on them then refit and screw back on. Be careful when screwing back on the hose tail as the O rings can move out of place quite easily. Tighten till you meet resistance then torque a little more. Don’t over tighten as this can push the o ring out of shape and case a leak. If water is leaking from the hose then remove the hose from the hose tail connection, add some ptfe tape to the hose tail, refit hose and tighten with a suitable hose clip/jubilee clip. Good luck and hope this helps. Best, Ed
HI there, thanks for watching and commenting- not sure I entirely understand your question, but I think you’re saying that water is leaking out of the discharge/cleaning outlet? If so this is normal- the blue rotary valve you turn to perform a back wash isn’t designed to be completely water proof. If it was then resistance in trying to rotate the valve would be such that it would make it physically very difficult to turn and cleaning much harder. This is why the cleaning discharge outlet come blanked off with a threaded end cap. This must be left in place all the time until a back wash is performed and then replaced again afterwards. Also make sure to return the blue rotary valve to the filter position (pointing towards the embossed fish emblem) after performing a backwash. Hope this answers your question! Best, Ed
Hi Ed. I have the older Filtoclear 20000. Do you know if the new style foams will fit ? I have noticed they appear to be quite a bit cheaper, also there are 3 grades of foam instead of 2.
HI there Nigel, good question! Im going to say a tentative ‘Yes’- the new foam shape from gen three will technically fit the older gen two models- however (although I’ve yet to require a set of replacement foams for the new gen three so don’t know this as fact) I suspect a set will only be replacement foam and not include the plastic plates that hold the foams into position and help aid pulling the cleaning lever for backwashing- the main reason why this new shape foams works with the gen three unit. I also suspect the these foams wont fit particularly snuggly in the gen two units, possibly compromising the filtering efficiency. My gut instinct tells me to stick with gen two foams for the gen two model. If I discover otherwise I’ll let you know however! Best, Ed
Hi Ed, great videos .. many thanks I have a question for you..I have a Oase Filto Clear 30000 with a AquaMax 17500 , my question is can alter the flow velocity coming from my filter/ pump configuration or can I vary the flow coming from my waterfall... currently the flow is just too strong for my pond ,many thanks..
Hi there, thanks for watching! Good question; simple answer is yes- you can adjust the flow from your pump by installing an inline valve and restrict the flow going to the filter. It’s important that flow rate is adjusted before the filter and not after if installing an inline valve- adding the restriction after would increase pressure in the filter which isn’t ideal. The above will allow you to calibrate the flow to the desired amount-however it will of course reduce water flow to your filtration also- probably not an issue depending on the size and volume of your pond but a better alternative and the approach I would recommend is to install a valved y piece (www.pond-planet.co.uk/pond-c1/construction-c51/pipework-fittings-c35/oase-y-piece-including-taps-p148/s352?Blisting%2Bads&cid=GBP&glCurrency=GBP&glCountry=GB&gclid=CjwKCAjwlJimBhAsEiwA1hrp5qtht44NRYaoJELwa3kW6_org63Yzpkeg3XFwSi3MydHObqf5ZrvERoCn8MQAvD_BwE) AFTER the filter but before your cascade and use this to create a bleed valve where you can divert some water directly to the pond bypassing the cascade and some down your cascade. This allows the best of both worlds; allowing you to maintain full water flow through your filtration system AND fine tuning your cascade to create the desired flow and sound. Hope that helps! Best, Ed
