Dare to Compare
A Comparison of Bead Filters for Water Gardens and Koi or Goldfish Ponds
This page has not been updated and
contains older pricing, models and features. The savings are still very
good when you compare the ProBead to like-technology. We will be updating
this page very soon!
Compare the Price of the ProBead™
to AquaDyne™
and HydraBead™
While reading the comparison charts below you
are going to find the ProBead™ is considerably less expensive than the most
similar competitors' models. You may be asking yourself if the ProBead™ can be so
much cheaper -- is the quality not as good? Be assured that the quality of the
ProBead™ biofilter is as good if not better than the AquaDyne™ and other
competing bead biofilters. The ProBead™ standard series uses the same tank and 6-way valve
assembly as the AquaDyne™. It also has similar high-quality internal plumbing
for its laterals.
So – why is the ProBead™
less expensive?
The Pond Doc sells direct. There's no distributors taking their portion to
add to the cost of the filter. Here's a little bead filter history:
Five years ago when the Doc opened his retail store in Alpharetta, Georgia he
began developing his own bead filter more for his own use at the store than for
selling them. He wasn't satisfied with the quality and price of the ones
on the market. Customers began seeing for themselves how much time bead
filters save and the ease of maintenance and wanted bead filters on their own
ponds. Most of the Pond Doc's customers at the retail center are average
pond owners -- not individuals who invest heavily in expensive koi. He knew that if he were to sell a bead filter
that it must be priced lower to appeal to a larger market. The only way he
could keep the price down was to sell direct and not use distributors. Very
simply, if distributors are selling the ProBead™ they must realize a profit -- and that
adds on to the price of the filter. In his zest to keep the ProBead™ affordable
the decision was made to only sell direct to the public through his store in
Alpharetta, Georgia and the website. Although many pond and water garden
establishments have inquired about reselling ProBead™ filters the Pond Doc has
maintained his policy of selling direct.
Below is a table that is a quick way of showing
the savings. Click onto any ProBead™ model number to get more information
such as pricing, available options, specifications and/or to place an order.
"No" means the feature is not available. "Opt" means it is
available as an option. "Std" means the feature comes standard and is
included in the price.
Model ProBead
cu. ft. media
Suggested Pond Size in Gallons
2" Valve
($140 value)
Blower
($275 value)
Closest Matching Competitor Model
2" Valve
Blower
ProBead Price
Competitor's Price
*(With Added Options)
Savings
PB65
.65
500 to 1300
No
No
AquaDyne .60
No
Opt
$595
$675
$80
PB120
1.2
1200 to 2500
Opt
No
AquaDyne 1.1
No
Opt
$725
$849
$124
PB210
2.1
2400 to 5000
Opt
Opt
AquaDyne 2.2
Opt
Opt
$925
$1140
$215
PB360
3.6
Up
to 8500
Opt
Std
AquaDyne 2.2
Opt
Opt
(Adds $400)
$1325
*
$1540
$215**
PB450
4.5
Up
to 14,500
Std
Std
AquaDyne 4.4-C
Std
Std
$1725
$2040
$315
** $215 savings is just the
beginning...
Competitors do not have the equivalent (capacity and features) of our PB360.
The AquaDyne 2.2 has 1.4 c.ft. LESS beads and filtering capacity than our PB360.
When you factor in that the blower is standard on our filter and an option on
AquaDyne's filter you pay $215 MORE for LESS capacity when you purchase an
AquaDyne 2.2 instead of a PB360.
Compare AquaDyne™
's Features with that of the standard ProBead™
* Denotes
ProBead™ filters' superior performance features.
Better Features Mean Better Performance
The ProBead™ out-performs its competitors (such as the AquaDyne™ and HydroBead™)
because we actively and continuously field test our products allowing the Pond
Doc to develop solutions for the inherited problems that have
plagued all brands of bead filters. These solutions have been incorporated
into the ProBead™'s design.
There are
hundreds of ProBead™
filters currently operating in the Metro Atlanta Area alone and hundreds more
throughout the US. Many of Pond Doc's customers prefer our service department to perform yearly cleanings of their ponds
and annual inspections and maintenance on their ProBead™
filters. By actually seeing how the bead filters perform in the field under all
the different applications the Pond Doc has gained valuable experience on their
performance. Even though no major design modifications have been incorporated
over the past 4 years or so these experiences have allowed the Pond Doc to
continually fine-tune the ProBead™
and improve its performance by performing simple modifications to its design.
The following features are a few examples of the Doc's "fine-tuning".
The
Bead Anti-Loss Drain Feature
The Bead Anti-Loss Drain has always been standard on all models of the ProBead™
biofilter. This simple design feature allows sediment that has settled in
the bottom of the filter's tank to be drained from the unit without losing the
beads! Annual bead filter maintenance is a must for a healthy pond.
This drain makes it easier to perform that type of maintenance and is essential
when using the power backwash feature.
The
New Dual Anti-Clogging Bead Feature of the ProBead™
Biofilter
A weakness to any
bead filter has been the want for increased biological filtration. The bead
filter has always given superior mechanical filtration along with being the most
user-friendly of all types of pond filters. It has historically offered
adequate biological filtration sufficient for most applications but one can
never have too much biofiltration! The latest modification to the ProBead™
is the Dual Anti-Clogging Bead Feature that utilizes two types of bead media.
The ProBead™
still comes with the small beads that give the superior filtering properties for
which the ProBead™
is famous. Now, however, the Pond Doc has added a special hollow bead that has
been proven to enhance colonization of beneficial nitrifying
bacteria, nitrosomonas and nitrobacter. The addition of the new type beads
has proven to lessen the possibility of clogging. All 2003 models of ProBead™
filters will automatically come with the Dual Anti-Clogging Bead Feature.
The
New Water Garden Model Option One particular situation the Pond Doc
found through servicing bead filters was that combination ponds (fish and lots
of plants) have a tendency to clog the filter quicker than any other type of
pond. This is especially true when customers use a lot of anacharis, water
hyacinths and lettuce that shed an enormous amount of fine hair-like roots.
The roots can cause a terrible clogging problem that can lessen the ability for
any type of filter, including the bead filter, to perform efficiently. The
only cure for this problem in the past has been the addition of an expensive
blower. With this knowledge the Pond Doc has developed a modification to
the ProBead™ bead filter
especially for water gardens or heavily planted combination ponds.
This filter is designed with special laterals and internal tank materials that
have proven to be highly efficient in these "problem" ponds. This special order
filter is available for an additional cost of $75 – a smaller cost than the
addition of a blower unit.
