Aquascape 3500

[ZEROPILOT]

I recently purchased an Aquascape Ultraclean 3500 pressurized filter to replace my absolutely HORRIBLE Smartpond, "black" 2,000 gph UV filter.
This filter uses bio balls and no filter foam and has a back flush system that looks very easy to use.
(The back flush on my wanky Smartpond has never worked. It's stuck)
The Smartpond pads clog quickly. The pads are impossible to find. Though I had been using Jubao filters until they stopped making them. The Smartpond clips and Oring are problematic and the canister itself distorts over time and it will not sit flat. I had to make a cement block "house" to hold it upright.
All in all, the thing has been a big POS since the day I bought it at Lowes.
This filter will run to my waterfall that also has lava rock filtration.
My pond Is 1,740 gallons.
Does anyone else use this filter?
Any thoughts on it?
It'll be arriving in a few days and I have high hopes!

 

[Lisak1]

I hope you have good luck... Aquascape has taken a bit of a beating on this one. The reviews I've read say the lid has a tendency to pop off. So hopefully it will work for you. They do stand behind their product so I would never hesitate to buy from Aquascape.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I hope you have good luck... Aquascape has taken a bit of a beating on this one. The reviews I've read say the lid has a tendency to pop off. So hopefully it will work for you. They do stand behind their product so I would never hesitate to buy from Aquascape.

THE POND GUY also sells them and sells parts for them.
I bought the 3 500 gallon capacity and my pump is just 2,000 gph.
Hopefully it's going to stay together.
At any rate, it'll have a hard time being worse than my Smartpond unit.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

It's funny that the filter in the photo has a ball valve on the cleaning outlet.
Mine has no valve and it leaks badly from the CLEAN outlet even when the lever is fully in the FILTER position.
This is just not a good filter!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I found the "missing" ball valve still in the box...in my garage.
How I overlooked it, I have no idea.

 

[Lisak1]

I found the "missing" ball valve still in the box...in my garage.
How I overlooked it, I have no idea.

haha! I think there's a joke there... but I'll avoid making it. In my case the box would have already been in the trash, so you're ten steps ahead of me!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

It's a strange filter.
No sponges. Just bio ball type media that compact when the water starts flowing.
It's been less than a week and the water is starting to look pretty clear.
I'll be testing out that backflushing CLEAN feature soon.
So far, I like it