Tetra Pond In-Pond Skimmer, Skims Pond Debris Before It Sinks, BLACK 13.5 IN

Not quite sure what all the fuss was all about on the stickers and labels from the other reviewer. Sure there are informative and descriptive stickers all over this skimmer but they came right off with a little patience. I didn't rip them off. I took my time and they came off cleanly and in one piece. There was a very little adhesive residue left over but a paper towel with some lighter fluid made quick work of it. I teamed this skimmer up with a Tetra 1900 gph submersable pump. I have the skimmer set on top of an upside down bucket that I cut big holes in to make it a "cave" for the fish to swim through and hide in. The only "problem" I've had in the month it's been installed is that a few of my very young shubunkins have been sucked into it. These little guys were born last October, just before I shut the pump down for the winter. I knew they wouldn't survive the winter cold so I put them in an aquarium over the winter months. We've had a very warm spring and I started the pond pump up mid March when I noticed my water was over 65 degrees. I decided to take the 12 new fish and put them in the pond and give them more room (than the aquarium). I check each morning to see if there are any of the little buggers in there and normally there are one or two. I was trying to figure a way to lessen the chance of them getting sucked in. I thought of splitting the intake for my pump to include maybe a separate underwater prefilter to take some of the suction away but then yesterday morning I noticed when I push down on the weir (from the inside when the top is tipped up) that the water "flow" into the skimmer seemed to be less intense. Actually slowing the turbulance down enough that it seemed a little fish could work his own way out. I ended up putting a small rock onto the wier to weigh it down. That seems to be doing the trick. Time will tell...I will still check each morning and write an update. Anyway, for the money, this skimmer does a great job keeping the water surface much cleaner than it was without the skimmer. I used to have to overflow the pond when I would see any kind of clutter or debris on the surface I didn't like. This has been a great upgrade to my pond. It whisks away leaves, flower pedals, and any uneaten food to keep it from decaying and clouding the water. I've actually been opening it up later in the day and scooping out any food still floating in there and putting it back for a snack for my little buddies. If you want a skimmer to help keep your pond cleaner and clearer, don't hesitate buying this one. It's a real bargain. I hope I've helped balance the bad reviews on this thing. The stickers just need a little patience and this thing is plenty sturdy to do the job it's intended to do and do it well.

I only take my time to write reviews on things that either really disappoint or impress me. I'm very impressed with this skimmer, both quality and cost. I've had three ponds but have never installed a skimmer either because I'm lazy (at least with the initial install/deign) or cost was an issue. This skimmer is amazing and the only thing I regret about it is not having known about it for my other ponds. Within minutes of installation in a 2k gal pond there was a huge difference. So much so I had to clean it out after a few hours because all the funk it had collected - and I had been regularly netting out stuff before I installed the skimmer. Its been a night and day difference since I've had it in (waiting for a few weeks before writing the review). As time has gone on, I just check/clean it once a week and its still pulling stuff in. Installation was very easy. If you're retro installing you need to find the right spot, which could be a challenge (right depth in the water, accessible for cleanout, level, etc) but if you're planning your pond you could easily design it in. Worked easily with my pump. I have a 1500 gal/hr pump and I just removed the cage and installed the hose directly. Update Aug 2023: So it been a little over a year of having the skimmer, so it’s made it through all the seasons. I still love it but there have been things done to maintain it. First the foam that keeps the trap door floating became water logged and stopped keeping the door up. I just found some packaging foam and cut it to size and it’s working fine again. I also replaced the filter pad that came with it because it was getting tired. Neither issue is huge and it still the key piece of equipment keeping my pond clean.

I like this skimmer. It's very affordable, and I think it works great for a small pond (under 1,000 gallons). The weir functions well and keeps the surface of my pond clear of large debris and protein filminess. I do have some small comments. First, the filter floss (or sponge or whatever you call it) that comes with the product is not large enough to completely cover the hose outlets (25-30% of the outlets are still exposed). Additionally, the catch basket feels sturdy and seems to be made out of quality plastic, but it doesn't fit perfectly in the bottom over the floss (might be slightly bent from manufacturing process), so there is also a gap between the basket and the wall that debris can slip through and get into the hose that leads to the pump. Most large debris (like full-sized leaves) get caught and held, but smaller debris and pond snails get sucked right in to the pump. Placing more floss underneath the basket to cover the intake can stop things from being sucked into the hose, but it also lifts the basket up so that there is a gap between it and the wall the whole way around--rendering the basket kind of pointless. In my case, this is still preferable to having the whole thing clog with dead snails every few weeks. I think I will try adding some kind of plastic screening directly over the hose opening so that the floss and basket can still sit flat, but anything that gets past them will get stopped before entering the pump. Overall I am very pleased, especially considering how the price compares with some skimmers on the market. I was not expecting to be able to afford one of these at all, and am very happy that I not only have one, but it feels sturdy and well-built.

I like the design but the basket to catch large debris does not come out without dumping some stuff back into the filter. I took it out and added two additional media pads. The white pad in the middle comes with the filter and it is a quality media pad. The other two I made from material ordered on line. Together they work great. The last modification was a screen for the inlet. I have small fish and every few days one fish would be inside the filter. They won't last long in the filter so my solution was to cut a piece of gutter screen drill a few holes in the lid and then zip tie the screen to the lid. This works well and does not interfere with the lid opening when i clean. Yes bigger debris get stuck on the screen from time to time but I just scoop them off with my hand or a small net. If you have bigger than 4-5 inch fish this may not be a modification you need to make. I have 1000 gallon per hour Tetra pump running this which also feeds a return under the water and a small water fall. I think this filter and pump are the best additions I have made to my pond in many years. Good product with good results!

The skimmer is easy to install, it does the job. I like the feature that I can put it in the pond. It works great with my pump . The skimmer sucks water into the pond from the weir, it does into the pump ( which is the front part) and it does out to the top tube to the waterfall. What I DON'T like about the skimmer is that I have to go in there everyday to remove the tadpoles that decided to swim in there or get sucked in. I have to create a feature that won't allow them to be sucked in. If in the next 3 weeks, it doesn't work, I will probably not use it in the pond unless Tetra responds to my question about rectifying the situation. The proper directions were followed so it seems to be a system malfunction.

The TetraPond Skimmer is doing a fine job of removing the leaves and small debris floating in our 800 gallon backyard pond. The attached video shows the skimmer in action. It's made of plastic that seems rugged (not flimsy). The cleaning basket is easy to access (lift cover, remove basket tray). Be aware that fish may occasionally swim inside the skimmer and get trapped. When it happens we safely release them back into the pond when we clean out the basket each day. I recommend that you weigh down the skimmer with an additional heavy rock on top (along with gravel in the corner pockets). This will prevent the skimmer's intake from rising above the waterline and running your pump dry, which might shorten the pump's life. We experienced this issue after a few days use -- lesson learned. I installed the skimmer's water pump on a timer so that it runs for 90 minutes twice a day (early morning and mid-day). I'm using an Alpine Cyclone 3100 pond pump: Alpine PAL3100 3100GPH Cyclone Pump, 33' . The intake of the pump goes to the skimmer using the provided tubing hose. The pump's output has a 10 feet long hose that serves a small waterfall. Overall water flow is decent, but not excessive. Final thoughts: Works well, good value.

I cannot state this recommendation high enough - if you have a garden pond, a skimmer is a MUST. This skimmer can be set inside the pond instead of cutting and seaming a liner. The skimmer can be used with a very tiny internal submersible pump, though I recommend using the AquaTop Submersible Pond UV Sterilizer with Pump + Fountain Kit UVFK-13 which will also UV sterilize the filtered water. Though the pump can be used either in or out of the pond, for convenience and safety (dogs) we keep this pump at the bottom of the pond with the return jet being used in a waterfall to aerate the water. UPDATE: As long as the water level was within a 1-2" range this skimmer worked perfectly, however our water level fluctuates much more than that with rain and evaporation. My husband and I both have physical disabilities, it was too hard for us to keep the water level at the EXACT level necessary. I bought some closed cell foam (smallest diameter pool fun noodle! just 2 bucks at a local box retailer) that a friend cut to fit alongside both sides of the skimmer basket then attached using black plastic wire ties. We added just the right amount of rocks so the skimmer has some heft to it yet doesn't sink. Now our FLOATING SKIMMER is ALWAYS working, we just have to clean the skimmer basket. I do this by "fishing" the skimmer over to the side wall where my husband steadies it while I empty the skimmer basket. I've managed to do this myself a few times when he wasn't available. Now our pond surface stays perfectly clear and clears right up again after a storm knocks leaves and junk into the pond. Highly recommend, but if the water level fluctuate consider building as a floating skimmer, instead.

The install was simple to understand, but it does take some time and patience to get it so it is a stable solution. It would not work simply setting it on a ledge or otherwise and I used the milk crate solution offered by another buyer. That was easy to fabricate. I had to use extra layer of pool noodles on the two sides to life it high enough. Patience in filling the four corners with weight adding a bit at a time. Be sure the pump is installed and running when you are setting up the balance. I tethered the skimmer to the side of pool with cord loose enough for it to adjust height as water evaporates and it easily adjusts 4-6 inches in depth with no problems, running all the time. I learned the pump will pull some matter into it as it runs and needs to be cleaned. Thus, turn off the pump when cleaning and get a minnow dip net as there will be some material remaining even after removing the two filters. Just get everything possible. Further, the white filter really gets filled with muck and needs through cleaning. I purchased extra pads so I can just complete cleaning the skimmer, install a clean pad and then clean the old pad. This skimmer really pulls in everything floating when installed right and has made much easier for daily pond maintenance. However, I suspect it will not suffice for the massive amount of leaves dropped in fall and anticipate may have to clean daily then, and not certain it will handle the job. This is not a big negative on this device. It is simply the reality of the amount of material at that time. For the 10 months a year I expect this thing will save work, it is well worth the purchase. Just be patient and know the install needs tweaking to get the balances right. There are two balance issues involved. First, it needs to have sufficient weight so water will enter, with material to be filtered, not too deep, not too shallow. It really needs to be just right. Second, it needs to be balanced between the front and back of the skimmer. If the weight is too heavy in back, it tends to tip the front so it does not draw in water. If it is too light, it will tip the opening in front down so floating matter does not enter as well into the skimmer. Just take time and know it will be worth the patience.

My large pond is situated under numerous trees and on a windy day is particularly susceptible to leaf and twig fall. This skimmer is berry effective at sucking up the debris from the surface before it sinks to pollute the water. Floating plants do need to be restrained otherwise they will get sucked up and prevent the skimmer from being effective.

- Good working unit.

I am in a very leafy area, and my pond always had leaves, pollen and other debris floating on the surface. No more! This skimmer, combined with a filter, means my pond is always crystal clear!

Necesita una bomba potente, pero hace su función de limpiar completamente la superficie. Pre-filtro perfecto para cascada. Aún desconozco si se pueden conseguir las partes de reemplazo (tapete filtrante o canasta) pero funciona muy bien.

this is absolutely brilliant or awesome as our cousins across the pond would say, i can't believe by reading some of the reviews on here how some people are so much dimmer than me, it took less than 1/2 an hour to set up the hardest part for me was finding things to stand it on to get the right height, make sure you have a pump that enables a screw on adaptor to fit your pipe on and if you have floating plants like me tie them back so they dont float around and cover the inlet, its all common sense really, must be the best value for money for this type of thing