HydroSieve™ PF Compact Pond Sieve

Features

• Pre-filters out fish waste and other solids from the pond bottom drain

• Allows the main biological filtration to work much more efficiently

• Gravity fed with 4” inlet and 4” outlet for flow rates up to 4,700 gph (78 fpm)

• Placed before the pump to prevent solids from being churned up in the pump

• Connects to 4” PVC pipe with rubber couplers, or 3” PVC pipe with rubber reducers (see option below price)

• Small footprint of only 16 1/2”

• Filters down to 100 microns! Removes fish waste, algae, needles, fish eggs and other debris

• Easy to install, clean and maintain

The HydroSieve™ compact pond sieve is gaviity fed pre-filter that connects to the bottom drain in a dedicated koi pond.  By gravity fed, we mean that it is not pressurized, and is installed at the same level as the pond. As the water flows out the bottom drain, any sediment, fish waste or other debris will naturally flow along as well.  Without some kind of pre-filter in the pond setup, these solids will enter the pump, get ground up, and then sent to the filter as a ‘pea soup’ consistency.  Not only does this put extra load on your biological filter requiring more frequent cleaning, but it also reduces the filter’s ability to perform effective biological filtration.

How does it work?

The HydroSieve™ connects to the pond via a 3” or 4” PVC pipe connected to a bottom drain. The unit is placed next to the pond, at the same level as the pond surface such that gravity will naturally fill the sieve with water through the connected pipe. This is due to a law of physics that says that any two bodies of water that are connected together will naturally equalize their surface levels to be the same. After the unit is filled with water naturally via gravity, all that is left is to remove water from the sieve so that gravity will naturally pull more water in. This is done with a pump connected to the bottom of the sieve. As water is pumped out of the sieve, gravity naturally brings new water into the sieve, filtering out solids from the water as it does so.

When do you need a Pond Sieve?

A pond sieve is a kind of pre-filter that is usually only used in bottom-drained ponds. When is a bottom drain needed? Many koi enthusiasts building dedicated koi ponds choose to install bottom drains in their koi ponds for the utmost control over water clarity and cleanliness. These ponds typically have a different goal than a landscape pond or water garden pond - they are treated more like koi “pools” or koi “homes” meant to house a good number of expensive koi. This is in contrast to an ecosystem pond, where the goal is to create a natural-style pond that can survive as it’s own mini-ecosystem to support life in the pond. Ecosystem ponds can easily support koi and goldfish as well, but generally will have lower numbers of koi than a dedicated koi pond. Are you the type of person that might spend $1000 or more on a single koi? Then you’re also the type of person who is likely to install a full bottom drain system in your koi pond. Spending $50 per fish instead? Then an ecosystem pond is likely all you’ll need. To learn more about ecosystem ponds, you can have a read of our popular book ‘How to Build an Ecosystem Pond’.

Specifications

• Heavy duty 316 stainless steel debris basket and handle
• 316 Stainless Steel micro-screen
• Heavy Duty HDPE rotational molded housing.
• Heavy Duty HDPE rotational molded lid.
• Allows for up to 6" of water level fluctuation to prevent a situation where the pump is starved for water.
• Can also be used as a pre-filter in pond-less waterfall installs, or in landscape drains for water recycling
• 23½" tall x 16½ wide.