The Evo3 Titanium from Genesis is an aquarium device unlike any we have ever seen before. At first glance we mistook the Evo3 for a lost Rube Goldberg device but after watching the Evo3 spin it’s filter roll the whole weekend of InterZoo we can tell you this is one robust device that really works.
We’ll do our best to explain it: the Evo3 is a box. Inside there is rolling cylindrical cage. The titanium cage is covered by a sheet of 5 micron filter paper which on one end is fed by a fresh spool of the stuff and on the other end, spent paper is collected on a waste spool. As water is fed into the box of the Evo3, water passes through the filter paper on the cylindrical cage. As the filter paper becomes clogged, the water level rises within the box and increasing the pressure of water through the filter material.
At some point the water level gets so high that it flows out of a secondary outlet pipe, feeding the external water wheel you see above. At some point the water wheel gets loaded up with water and it turns. When the water wheel turns, it also turns the waste spool collecting the spent paper, and doling out fresh clean paper on the cage from the replacement paper roll. The fresh paper on the cage allows water to flow through, the water level goes down and the whole cycle repeats itself when the paper starts becoming clogged again.
You still with us? For 99% of reefers, the Evo3 titanium is a novelty to be mused at for a distance and the 2000 Euro starting price will relegate this piece of equipment to the most affluent and large reef tanks. Pricing and suitability aside, the Evo3 Titanium is a seriously cool device which performs as advertised.
On the first day of InterZoo, Genesis had set up a display tank which was cloudy and running the Evo3 Titanium. We watched as the paper quickly did the job of cleaning this tank, replenishing it’s filter cage as needed and eventually producing a beautiful display with crystal clean water.
This automatic mechanical filter machine was originally developed for large ponds where a $2000-5000 high performance mechanical filter hardly adds to teh price of a $50,000-100,000 pond and over 200 of these devices have been sold over the last five years.
The Evo3 Titanium is the first saltwater version of the device where all of the stainless steel parts have been replaced by all titanium fittings down to the bearings, screws, bolts and the filter cage. Granted the Evo3 titanium is not for the average hobbyist but for aquarists that often change their mechanical filter socks on aquariums of 300 or more gallons, a smaller more consumer version of the Evo3 titanium can’t come soon enough. Many more angle shots after the break.
The Evo3 Titanium is currently the only size of the saltwater safe machine. It must be run inside of a sump and it can be fed by drain water or a separate water pump. The Evo3 Titanium cna handle flowrates up to 20,000 lph, over 5000 gallons per hour. The filter paper comes in three types of permeability and a 100 meter roll retails for 25 Euro.
Without a doubt, the Evo3 Titanium is one of the most unique and original marine aquarium products we spotted at InterZoo. No word on US or North American availability but it’s probably only a matter of time until some high pond or aquarium maintenance company sees the value of installing these on their maintenance accounts.
