AquA AnimaniA is your #1 local source for outdoor garden pond UV sterilizers/clarifiers. We have an array of UV Sterilizer/Clarifiers that help keep pond water crystal clear. We carry a full line of pond kits, pond supplies, pond accessories, pond products and pond equipment as well as a healthy selection of pond fish and pond plants!
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A pond UV is an ultraviolet light that radiates and kills a variety of cells that pass through it. These cells could include pond algae, bacteria, fungus and parasites.
The term, Pond UV filters are used pretty much interchangeably as pond UVs, UV light, pond UV lamp, etc.. They all refer to the ultraviolet radiation incurred from pond water passing by the UV bulb which provides the radiation to kill cells that pass by it.
So, what is the point of having a Pond UV? Many folks use a pond UV filter to kill algae cells. This is because they want to kill the green water in their pond and make the pond water clear again. You need to have the right size of pond UV in order to effectively achieve this.
Pond UV Products
There are different kinds of pond UV lights on the market. There are UV clarifiers and UV sterilizers. A UV clarifier kills well more than the majority of algae cells, bacteria and fungus but a a pond UV sterilizer will kill all that passes through it, providing the flow of water to the UV light is adequate.
The Pond UV Light Set Up
For those who wish to have a pond UV light set up in their pond, there’s a few things you need to know. First, you will need to have a pump that pumps water to the UV light. You can use the same pump as you do for your fish pond or water garden or you can install a separate pump for it.
When you look at a photo of a UV light, you will see two areas where water will pass by. One side is for the intake and the other is for the output. Inside the UV light is a UV bulb and a UV quartz sleeve which houses the bulb. Water flows pass the UV light from the intake to the output areas and then back into the pond. If the correct size for your pond, the UV light will kill all unwanted algae, bacteria, fungus, parasites, etc. in the water.
To set up the UV filtration system, you will need to have the correct size of pump for your pond and a have a pump pre-filter or pump sock installed. The pre-filter is meant to filter out any debris before it passes by the UV bulb. By installing a pre-filter, your UV bulb will last longer.
Next, you will have to determine the correct size of pump you need for your UV light. This is based on the amount of gallons your pond holds and the number and size of fish you have. It’s important to include the size and number of pond fish you have because most manufacturers of pond UV lights indicate on the front of the box for what size of pond their product is good for. You will have to read more information on the box or product description to indicate if the same UV light will be the right size for your size of pond with the quantity of fish you have. If you buy a UV light for a pond that has the same amount of gallons as you do but you have considerably more fish than what the UV filter indicates it is good for, then the UV won’t do an adequate job at killing the algae, bacteria, fungus and parasites in your pond. The UV bulbs will burn out early, too and if it’s warranted by the manufacturer for a given size of pond with a certain amount of fish load and you exceed that, it will be void of the warranty. So, be sure to have the right size of pond UV filter for your pond.
After you have your pre-filter, pump and pond UV light installed, you will next want to install your pond filter. This is so any dead algae killed by the UV light can be trapped by your pond filter before it goes back into your pond and settles to the bottom. This is really important to do as you want to eliminate as much debris from getting in your pond as this organic debris will only provide nutrition for more algae to grow – and this is exactly what you’re trying to eliminate in the first place.
That’s really about it when it comes to setting up your pond UV. Be careful what you read on the internet, though about pond UV lights or pond UV filters. There is so much inaccurate information spreading the net now with people stealing information from other people’s sites or from alleged informational articles written by people who know nothing about ponds but simply hire someone to write a keyword rich article for the search engines so their article will be placed higher in the search results. Time and time again this is inaccurate information that’s littered the internet about a variety of topics, not just pond products. We can guarantee that you’ll get accurate information here at AquA AnimaniA whether you’re shopping for pond UV lights, a variety of pond supplies, need to know quality pond maintenance information or want to know how to build a pond to begin with.
When shopping for your pond UV light, you will see in the product title and description how many gallons that UV light is for. You will also see the amount of fish load that UV light can handle. Be sure to buy accordingly to what your pond needs. As I mentioned earlier, if you have too many fish for that size of UV bulb, either you’ll have to get rid of some of your pond fish or get a larger UV light system.
Why You Need a Pond UV Light
If you have your pond designed correctly, you typically shouldn’t need to have a pond UV light. If you’re continually having problems with pond algae, you’re probably doing something wrong or don’t have the right size of pond filter. In jist, this is what you need to do although our pond algae control information on our site explains it in more detail.
Before purchasing a pond UV light, first determine if you’re doing something wrong. Are you adding fresh water to the pond on a regular basis? If so, this fresh water can be killing your beneficial bacteria which is responsible for a whole bunch of important things in your pond besides decomposing the organic matter that is feeding your algae and causing it to grow. You shouldn’t need to add fresh water regularly to your pond. If you are, you must have a leak or something somewhere. If so, do what you need to do in order to find out where a leak may be. If you’re not adding beneficial bacteria on a regular basis then you need to start adding it. This is a natural way to reduce the algae from growing in the first place and causing the water to turn green. There’s a lot of additional, very vital benefits that pond bacteria does. It’s included in our pond maintenance information.
If you have problems with fungus, parasites and bad types of bacteria in your pond, then you’ll want to get at the root of the cause of those before you install your pond UV light system. Are you introducing new fish to your pond that could be infected with parasites or fungus? Is your water quality poor? What about your pond filter? Is it large enough to do its job? These are things you want to look at. Also, are you fish constantly being stressed out by a predator, too small of an area to live or predatory or bully fish that have been added to your fish pond? If so, you might want to eliminate those. With anything, try to find the root of the problem. Pond fish should really live in harmony. They shouldn’t be stressed out. The filtration system should be more than adequate and the water quality should be good. Typically, it’s when these systems are not adequate or when infected fish are introduced to new ponds is where there are problems with fungus, parasites and bad types of bacteria in ponds.
Speaking of bacteria, it’s important to know that you must turn your pond UV light off for 3 days when you add your beneficial bacteria product I mentioned above. This is because the UV bulb will kill the bacteria that you’re adding to the pond. So, you’ll have to make sure that your plumbing system is set up so the UV light can be turned off for a few days without your aeration provided by a pond waterfall or pond fountain.
As one would suspect, a pond UV light requires electricity. This is so the UV bulb will turn on and do it’s job at killing the algae, bacteria, parasites and fungus that flow past it. Typically these units come with a 6′ power cord so you’ll have to take that into consideration before you install it.
Some pond skimmers include a UV light built in the unit. This can be a great feature as the skimmer brushes can act as a pre-filter while the water gets pumped to the UV light. Your water pump can also have an optional pre-filter that the pump sits in . This might work well to have the pre-filter inside the skimmer so the skimmer brushes can filter out the larger debris and the pre-filter for the pump can filter out some finer debris, depending on it’s size. The point is, you want filtered water to enter the pond UV light system and the have another filter installed after the UV light so the dead algae can be trapped and removed instead of it going back into the pond and causing more algae to grow which makes this all a vicious cycle.
Like mentioned above, check to see if you’re doing something wrong that can easily be corrected before installing a pond UV light. If you have everything the right size – like your pond filter, pump, etc. and are adding beneficial bacteria on a regular basis without adding fresh water that would be killing the bacteria, you shouldn’t need a pond UV sterilizer or UV clarifier. Some folks know that they have too many fish for their pond and opt to get a UV light anyway. That’s fine. We’re happy to sell you one, but – we’re also happy to help you with the right solution to ‘fix’ the problem so you wouldn’t need one in the first place.
As always, if you have any questions with choosing a pond UV light system or any other pond related question, we’re happy to help. We also have tons of answers to frequently asked pond questions, too.
Be sure to inquire, or visit our store in person, to see the complete pond UV sterilizers/clarifier selection we have available, in-stock. We can also special order unique items and other products from our vast network of national and international partners and suppliers.
