TetraPond Clear Choice Biofilter PF-1 For Efficient Filtration

I’ve been using this same gravity filter for my 500 gallon pond since I put the pond in 30 years ago.This is the second Tetra gravity filter, 30 years of use is unheard of for the first one and it was still good !I leave my pump run 24/7 all year long and never had an issue in -10*f weather here in Pa.As long as your pond is deep enough, the top can freeze solid and it should never freeze in the filter as long as the pump runs and is taking water from the bottom of the pond.I have my pump in a plastic planting basket with lots of holes all over it and small pea size stones surrounding the entire pump and suction screen by several inches so it acts as my primary filter and doesn’t clog up easily, for a longer time between cleaning it.I saw some bad reviews that it overflows.The top is not supposed to be a water tight seal, the water would never drain out of it if it was, hence the name “gravity filter”Only hand tighten the fittings with seal rings.I also float a small mesh bag of barley on some clear fishing line and tie it to the filter outlet so it’s in the water flow.You can get 2 barley bags on Amazon that makes a huge difference for keeping algae from growing.One bag last me all year and I just replace it every spring.Let the barley float and it will eventually sink.

I have a 7,000 gal pond and every summer it turns green with excessive algae growth. I have tried multiple methods and nothing worked...very frustrating. Then I got this filter and was amazed. The pond was like green pea-soup when I installed this system. Within 24 hrs I noticed a big difference and after 3-4 days the pond was crystal clear !!!! I had the in-pond one before and got tired of having to lift it out of the pond to clean it. In any case it never really worked. This unit is out-of-the-pond and very easy to clean. The most important thing is to use the recommended pump size, which is 550 gph. This is essential as a bigger pump would cause it to overflow leak and the faster flow rate would not allow enough contact time through the UV filter and the bio-filter, which is necessary for it to function efficiently. Also, please note that I have a UV clarifier in line between the pump and the bio-filter. Do not place the UV clarifier after the bio-filter....it will not work like that.I have had my pond for over 6 yrs and this is the first Summer that I have a crystal clear pond. As I mentioned, I live in South Florida where the heat and excessive sun exposure is brutal on a pond and the algae thrive in those situations.

It works OK you just have to watch it when you put the lid on because if it doesn’t screw it on just right the water will slowly leak out it. The price is pretty average I guess.

The product is great and I didn't know until after buying it if you use a bard tee adapter you can buy two of them and link them together to create a larger filter. It comes with attachment to add a smaller water feature such as a fountain so that's great. I though the bio balls it came with were oversized for the filter but for the price it's not a bad filter for smaller sized pond and it's pretty easy to put together with out doing much work. Wish I would of had one of these years ago.

UPDATE: 4/29/2018 - Zero stars for customer service. It's been over 2 weeks since I contacted the company about their leaky product and I haven't heard a single word.UPDATE: 4/14/2018 - After sealing the exterior around the leaking filter outlet with silicone, (as noted below), I put this filter back into operation on my pond. I had no leaks for the past month+. Then the other day I changed the filter pads, restarted the pump, and it LEAKED! I could see the water seeping right out from under my silicone sealer. I noticed the area under the outlet had a small puddle so it had already been leaking prior to my filter change. I e-mailed the company with my complaints a few days ago, but have yet to receive a reply. I'll be sure to update this review with the outcome, but for now, this filter is a total waste of time, money, and is a source of aggravation. I would not recommend it to anyone.FROM MARCH 6, 2018: Just the other day I had written a more favorable review for this filter because, after using it for nearly a month, it was doing a good job of keeping the pond crystal clear and was beginning to grow a good foundation for bacteria on the bio media. I had assembled it according to the manufacturer's recommendation of HAND TIGHTENING the fittings. I had been very careful to keep the rubber washers centered as I tightened the fittings, and the washers were in the recommended order for assembly. I set up the filter on a perfectly level service, and had no issues with overflow. Then today, at one month and one day of running the filter, I found the pond level to be a bit low.... I discovered water leaking from around the outlet nozzle - not the hoses, as they are properly clamped - but the actual fitting, past the rubber washers.So, I carefully removed the bio media into buckets of pond water to try to retain it's benefits, then disconnected the filter, dumped it out, dried and inspected it. There were no cracks or broken seams, so I unscrewed the outlet fittings and carefully inspected them for damage. Nothing. I can only assume that the rubber washers were failing to do their job. I reassembled everything, and applied silicone around the outside of both nozzles. I am hoping this will fix the problem. I will be sure to update this review with my findings.

I had one of these for the last 12 years. Used it on my 600 GAL pond every summer. It finally gave in to sun rot and developed a hole. This new one didn’t have an inner seal around the screw top. As a result it took some extra engineering to get it to stop leaking. This was a lot of extra work. Once properly installed it works fine, my pond water is crystal clear. Pay attention to the instructions and do not use a pump that exceeds the PSI rate recommended, you will never get it to stop leaking. Most current sellers of pond equipment are pushing $400.00 high pressure filter units. This one was just over a $100.00 and works fine.