TetraPond UVC-9 GreenFree UV Clarifiers For Up To 1800 Gallons, 9-Watt
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900 miles per hour is the maximum speed. It should only be used in ponds with a capacity of 1800 gallons or less.
Why are you planning to submerge it? This piece will be installed- line following the pump and preceding your filter and/or water fall It makes no difference what size pump you use. Whatever pump size you use, water will flow through it; the question is, how big is your pond in gallons? This determines your water flow, which in turn determines which of these units you'll require.
Yes, everything you'll need to get started is included. My personal experience has been that it was brand new, works perfectly, and comes with a manufacturer's warranty of at least one year. After 6 to 8 months of consistent use, you should replace the light. I've had it for 8 years and have only had to replace it once.
Selected User Reviews For TetraPond UVC-9 GreenFree UV Clarifiers For Up To 1800 Gallons, 9-Watt
Before the quartz sleeve broke on one of these, I had it for years. I made the decision to replace it all. This is a more recent design (the previous one had clear inlet/outlet connections so you could see if the bulb was working). This "improved" version has a tiny, opaque (and strangely blue tinted) window that should theoretically show a working bulb. It's impossible to tell when a bulb will burn out (even the new one that came with it, which only lasted a few weeks). Actually, you can tell because your water turns a bright green color. To say the least, I'm not happy. I replaced the bub ($12), but I have no idea if the new one works because the stupid little window is worthless. It's not user error because I'm an electrician who can wire a house from the ground up and have installed or replaced every type of bulb imaginable (including a few on my old tetra unit over the last decade or so). I'd recommend getting a cheapo unit for half the price; it'll probably last longer, and if it doesn't, you can get two or three for the price of this "improved" junk.
For the past six years, I've been running a koi pond. now. Every year, I've gained knowledge. This year, I had the worst "Pea Soup" (the tiniest of Algae) I've ever had. Large koi aren't visible until they've reached the water's edge. I've previously used this Clarifier, but I submerged it by accident. NEVER DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT EVER AGAIN! The old unit had flooded and was no longer functional. I left it too long, and the pond water got a lot worse. So I went out and bought another one, but this time I'm going to keep it out of the pond. My pond is about the size of a football field. 1500 gals. It took about ten days for me to notice a significant improvement. It took another ten days (constant operation) to completely clear the water to the bottom (2-meter depth). 3 ft. I leave the lamp on for several hours in the morning and then again in the evening. It is not necessary to run the machine continuously once the water has completely cleared. This is the ONE and ONLY non-chemical method for clearing your water. It is also the most effective method. If the water in your pond turns green (pea soup), don't dump it out. With a sudden switch to new, fresh water, you will kill your fish. I have six large Koi and another twenty-five goldfish that have survived for over two months. The water is cloudy, green, and looks like pea soup. The key is to get enough oxygen! If you have enough of that, the fish will most likely survive; however, it is best not to leave the water in such a state. I would strongly recommend this product because it has a viewing window for lamp light, allowing you to see if it is lighting up inside at all times. Keep in mind that the Bulb will last for approximately 1 year. Unless you use a timer like I do, one season is enough. It's possible that I'll be sentenced to two years. We will see what comes of it. UPDATE; 7/16/21. So, in the spring of this year, I had to replace my Main filter. LAGUNA, a 7-year-old business that has performed admirably. Now, I have a Laguna of the same size, but with a built-in 32 watt UV lamp. As a result, I unplugged the Tetra and replaced it with the new 32-watt model. The pond was unable to clear. I re-cleaned the filter and waited a week, but I still can't see the bottom of the pond. After much deliberation, I decided to unplug the new U/V and return to the Tetra 9watt. So, after a week of continuous on, the pond was clear to the bottom (3 feet). My 500 GPH Pump is moving water TOO FAST past the 32 watt lamp, I believe. (Algae are able to survive). I'm using a much smaller pump to push water through Tetra, giving the algae plenty of time to die. Oh, it turns out I miscalculated the pond's capacity years ago; it's closer to 900 gallons. Oops. UPDATE; 7/23/21- I've had this 9-watt Tetra running nonstop for a while now. This has been going on for over a week. The water in the pond is crystal clear all the way to the bottom. (3ft). In addition, I set the timer on my main filter (500gpm pump) to run for 2 hours every 24 hours. The pond is still free of debris. Don't be afraid to experiment and try out new things. Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever.
Within a month of completing my new 500 gallon pond, it had turned pea green from algae. I tried Aqua One Pond Clarifier and Barley Straw Extract, but they didn't work for me. I added some plants, but it didn't make a difference. I bought the 9-watt Tetra Pond UV Clarifier after reading about them. The water was clear after four days, though it had a brown tint to it. After consulting with a local pond expert, he recommended that I remove half of the water and replace it with fresh water, which I did. It's almost unmistakable at this point. Because I used 250 gallons of tap water, I used a recommended liquid to remove chlorine and chloramines. The one piece of advice I received was to buy the 9 watt light instead of the 5 watt light because my pond is 500 gallons and about two feet deep. On their guidelines, Tetra suggests a 5 watt. According to reviewers, getting a higher watt is preferable to not getting one. It's also crucial to consider your pump's strength. My submersible pump has a flow rate of 1200 gallons per minute. If the water passes through the UV light too quickly, the UV light will not be able to effectively kill all of the algae. It's also ineffective if the water moves too slowly. I do have a flow restrictor, so I can reduce the 1200gph flow to a more manageable level. I'd say it travels at a speed of 600-700 miles per hour through UV light. 800gph. Because I don't have any algae, that appears to be a good rate of flow for me. I continue to use the Aqua One, but you must turn off the UV light for one day or the Aqua One's effectiveness will be reduced. My goldfish appear to be enjoying the clarity.
This clarifier worked great last season, but when I hooked it up again this year, the bulb wasn't working, so I replaced it with a new one, which also didn't work. When I called Tetra Pond customer service, I was greeted by the rudest representative I have ever encountered. Without going into detail, I requested to speak with someone who could communicate with someone who had no prior electrical experience, and he was only too happy to tell me to hang up and call back. Guess who I got this time! There were no offers of how I could get it fixed, and when I mentioned that it was under warranty for three years, he said I could pack it up and send it back at my expense, so there you have it. Take a chance; it might last you longer than a year, but don't expect Tetra Pond to assist you. I'll be looking for a new clarifier somewhere else.
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