This UV filter works, but there are some strange issues with it. Hopefully my review will help other customers avoid the hassles I went through with this item.
The inlet/outlet barbs on this filter are supposedly sized to fit 3/4 inch tubing; however, oddly, the barbs are significantly smaller than they should be, so tubing goes on, hangs loosely, and then falls off if you move the unit around much.
In my experience with other pond products with barbs, barbs are designed to hold tubing quite snugly, without requiring the use of clamps (this is especially important if you have to open up the unit every month or so to do the recommended cleanings of the interior light cover, where clamps would be a major pain). There are no threads or any other way of securing tubing to this UV filter.
The issue of how to attach tubing to the unit caused a great deal of confusion for me when I first got the product. I took it to several local pond supply stores to see if they could help me figure out if I was doing something wrong. The pond supply folks were as puzzled as I was about why the barbs did not fit standard 3/4 inch tubing. We tried other sized tubing, but nothing fit properly.
I emailed the customer support people at Danner Manufacturing (the company that makes these filters). Their staff were entirely unhelpful. Eventually, the best they could manage in response to my request for instructions on how to attach the unit to tubing (and ultimately to my Pondmaster pump/filter unit), was to send me a sketch showing a UV filter attached to a pump (but no instructions or diagrams on how this was actually accomplished). This sketch was supposed to demonstrate that it was theoretically possible to attach the UV filter to other equipment. When I followed up with several emails asking them for details on -howto attach the tubing, I received a message that they were researching what types of adapters were needed, but then a week went by with no further communication from them despite an additional query from me. At that point, in frustration, I gave up on receiving any kind of customer support.
As the algae was continuing to build up in my pond and I was increasingly concerned for my fish, I decided to just try running the UV filter with the tubing loosely attached just to see if that would somehow be good enough. Lo and behold, when the UV filter is running, even if loosely connected to the pump via 3/4 inch tubing, a certain amount of suction occurs, allowing the tubing to stay connected (as long as you don't bump the UV filter or the tubing).
What this means is that, if you have a person to help you (holding the pump and any other attached equipment while you hold the UV filter and it's tubing), you can lay all of your equipment into the pond carefully, being sure nothing gets disconnected in the process, and then turn on the pump and UV filter. If everything stays connected, when you turn on the UV filter and pump, everything should stay connected -as long as you don't have big, heavy fish that like to nudge the tubing or any significant currents where your equipment is located.
Personally, I find this to be a tedious process (which will have to be repeated each time I clean the UV light cover and/or my filter), and I don't appreciate that there were no instructions about any of this included with the product. I also did not find Danner Manufacturing to be at all helpful in resolving this issue.
However, once I figured it out... the UV filter does do its job wonderfully! The pond is free of algae after about a week of run-time. I just wish I had known how to solve the installation issues and hadn't wasted so much time trying to figure this out.
This is the 10 watt Supreme Pondmaster Submersible UV Clarifier, model 29101. When water is circulated through it, the water is exposed to ultraviolet light that is capable of killing both suspended algae and bacteria. I have used several of these units in both marine aquaria (outside the tank) and in my pond (in the water) and they have performed perfectly.
The unit contains a tubular UV bulb protected by a slightly larger quartz sleeve. Danner says that the design causes the water to flow through the unit in a circular manner but I have never cut one open to see how that might be accomplished.
Build quality is excellent and I have had no problems with leakage of water either into the interior quartz sleeve and UV tube or out onto the floor.
It is important to remember that the quartz sleeve will gradually become partially occluded by deposits on the outside surface. For best results, you should disassemble the clarifier periodically (monthly is about right) and remove and clean the sleeve. Disassembly is quick and easy but be careful with both the sleeve and the tube when you do it.
The clarifier works well but beware: Danner advertises that the 10-watt model will be adequate for ponds up to 1500 gallons. This is extremely optimistic. If you begin with a pond that is absolutely clean and algae free, the 10-watt model might keep it that way, if used in conjunction with a good filter. However, if you are installing the clarifier to deal with a pre-existing problem, you should probably not count on it working well for ponds over 500 gallons. My pond is 650 gallons and the 10-watt device is barely adequate. There is relatively little difference (about $30) in the cost of the 10-watt and 20-watt models and using more UV than you need doesn't harm anything and adds at most a few pennies to you electricity bill. If in doubt, go with the 20-watt model.
Also, the specification calls for a 700gph pump (1800gph for the 20-watt model). Do not think that you can improve performance by using a larger pump. You probably won't hurt the device but the water will pass through it too quickly for the UV to kill the nasties. A pump that is too small just reduces the speed with which the entire volume of the pond passes through the clarifier.
One last caution: DON'T LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE UV TUBE WHEN IT IS ILLUMINATED NO MATTER WHETHER IT IS INSIDE OR OUTSIDE OF THE QUARTZ SLEEVE. YOU CAN DAMAGE YOUR EYES IF YOU DO SO.
Buy Pondmaster 02910 Ultra Violet Light Pond Water Clarifier 10watt Now
This U V light system works amazingly well. Simple to hook up and use and very effective, cleaned up our pond water even faster than I expected. Our neighbors that have fish ponds are still cleaning their foam/mesh filters at least once a day and their ponds are still green. I'm cleaning my pad filter once every three to four days now and our pond is crystal clear. Very impressive that something this simple would work so well. I would highly recommend this pondmaster UV water filter to anyone.
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We had green soup and in about a week or two we have clear water. We are pleased with the product.
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The pond water was greenish brown with tons of algy growing within one week water was crystal clear and could see the Kio fish again.
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This has grey and brown paint on it. When I initially cleaned it (before use) in my sink, I noticed the paint coming off. I used a scrub brush and most all of the paint came off, turning the water in the sink cloudy. After several scrubbings and changing the water, it quit shedding paint. Didn't look as cool following the paint removal. It's been in my aquarium for several months now, and no paint issues tank and fish are fine. I's collected its own natural "patina" from algea, etc, and now looks fine (about the way it did with the paint). Has a hollow upper portion and my Dinosaur Bicher and Brown Loach Eels reside in there. My plecostomii like to hang out in the sheltered mouth area. It's a good decoration just be sure to get all the loose paint off prior to use. I'd recommend...with caution.
