Seeking all the knowledge!

[c-birdsong]

Hi everyone~ Forums like this are what I love about the internet! There is soooooo much knowledge on just about every subject at my fingertips! So I inherited an empty koi pond when I bought this house 20 years ago, however we've populated it with just 3 feeder fish we had leftover from when my daughter's snake died. Those 3 fish must have been happy in that pond because now we have around 30 or so! I have some water hyacinth in there as well and the pond has a waterfall. My old Tetra pond uv filtration system is in need of repair as the UV light stopped working years ago, so I've taken it apart to clean & repair. The quartz sleeve became detached from the plastic mounting ring and water & mud got into where the light was, so that's one issue. The replacement light works so I know the unit wasn't damaged, but now it's a matter of fixing that quartz sleeve. I can't seem to find a replacement online, but it looks like I could easily reattach the quartz piece to the plastic ring with some silicone, as long as it forms a water tight seal. Am I correct in my assumption? Everything else looks like it should be in working condition so I hate to discard the entire thing if it can be fixed.

 

[Lisak1]

My advice - skip it. UV filtration has a limited application in pond care and many, myself included, aren't convinced it's the way to go.

Do you have pea-soup water? Floating single cell algae? If not, it's not doing a thing for you. If you do, let's talk about why and fix that problem!

Just one girl's opinion - there are folks who love the UV filter and maybe they will chime in!

How big is your pond?

 

[addy1]

Welcome to the forum!

I use a bog to filter and plants in the pond and in the bog to control green water, works great! Never used a uv filter.

 

[Chucker's 50]

I would be very weary of trying to use that "broken" uv light, as electricity and water don't play well together.
The risk of electrocution, to you, a family member and/or your fish is just to great.
I may be over stating the risk, but, is it really worth it just to save a few dollars ? ? ?

 

[j.w]

@c-birdsong
My pond is simple, no UV light.

 

[TheFishGuy]

Welcome to the forum! I am a mixed bag, my large pond doesn’t have a upflow wetland filter ( does have a bog, but there isn’t much water movement, so it isn’t really filtering ) and so I do use UV, however what I have found is that as long as the pond is balanced, I only turn it on directly after the main algae bloom, and a little after the water has cleared up it goes back in storage, and the pond seems to be able to keep itself nice and clear.

howver I did just build a pond with an up flow wetland filter, seems worth it, however it would be a bit hard to retrofit on a pre existing pond, so I would say unless you want to do a bit of a pond redo, just get a new UV light and stick to that if it has been working.

as far as repairing, not worth it, I had one in the past that broke, and it just kept electrocuting the water, so I spent a few more bucks on a new one and simply not having to worry about it has been amazing!

 

[GBBUDD]

An old uv housing is recommended to be retired . If im not mistaken uv light has to be in a blocked housing where only a pin hole amount of light can be seen. Im no expert on uvs by any means . I to am a firm believer in the bog . People can never believe how clear the water is expecialy when there's no standard mechanical filter involved.

 

[WaterGardener]

If your pond has been running that long, you shouldn't need the uv. We have one for our pond and used it for only the first year or so. Not sure we really needed it that much. Now it stays unplugged.

 

[JRS]

Welcome!

 

[Mmathis]

Hello and welcome!

 

[poconojoe]

I'm really surprised you can't get a replacement from Tetra. They have always done good for me over the years.

I used to have a pressure filter from them that had a UV and I had the same problem. I contacted Tetra and they sent me the crystal and seal for free.

Last year I built a bog filter and sold my two pressure filters. I no longer need them with the bog.

 

[HomerJay]

I've seen no difference in my pond with or without the light. Adding more plants is the only thing that has helped get rid of green water.