HydroBead™ Vortex HBV-28 Large Koi Pond Filter High Surface Area Bio Filter Reaction with Superior Water Polishing in One Unit
The HBV-28 HydroBead™ Vortex 28" koi pond filter is a professional koi pond bead filter that combines high SSA with superior water polishing for clean and healthy water for your koi and pond fish.
The HBV-28 large koi pond filter for koi features a vortex for heavy solids removal, a biofilter media stage for metabolizing dissolved organics, and superior water polishing. The unique highly buoyant bead filter design and biological filter media backwashes with less water than competing filters.
High Surface Area Bio Reaction and Superior Water Polishing in One Unit
Long After Price has been Forgotten, Value, Quality, and Piece of Mind are Not.
Highly Efficient, Easy to Clean, No Blower Required for Backwashing
HBV-28 Benefits:
Assembled in the U.S.A. from parts made in the U.S.A, Canada, and Taiwan
Highly efficient koi pond filter
Filter for up to a 10,000 gallon pond
Flow rates up to 5,900 gph (98 gpm)
Easy to clean
Simple, easy backwash
Backwashes with less water than competing filters
No air blower required for backwashing
Superior water polishing for sparkling water
Heavy duty spun wound fiberglass tank
Highly efficient HydroBeads™ bio media
Polishes water for maximum clarity and shine
Pressure gauge and air release valve on top of the HBV-28 large koi pond filter
The vertical backwash lateral jet inside the HydroBead™ Vortex HBV-28 koi pond filter reduces backwash time which results in less water use and eliminates the backwash “dead-zones” that occur within other brands of bead filters that feature horizontal backwash laterals.
The HBV-28 large koi pond filter’s unique design eliminates the need for expensive, difficult to use, and aggravating air blowers that competing bead filters require for backwashing.
Polishes Water for Maximum Clarity and Shine:
The polypropylene HydroBead™ media inside this 28″ bead filter cling together under pressure to trap fine particulates down to 100 microns and polish the water during filtering. The HydroBeads™ easily separate during backwash to release the trapped particulates.
The HydroBead™ Vortex HBV-28 large koi pond filter is a professional bead filter that combines high SSA with superior water polishing for clean and healthy water for your koi and pond fish. The HBV-28 large koi pond filter features a unique design that eliminates the need for costly and difficult to use air blowers for backwashing – saving you time, aggravation, and money.
Because of the unique HBV-28 large koi pond filter design, it uses much less water during backwashing. The vertical backwash jet inside the HydroBead™ Vortex HBV-28 large koi pond filter eliminates backwash “dead-zones” that occur in other brands of bead filters that have horizontal laterals.
HBV-28 Koi Pond Filter Superior Water Polishing
The highly efficient HydroBead™ bio media inside the HBV-28 large koi pond filter pack together under pressure to trap fine particulates and polish the water during filtering. The highly buoyant beads easily separate during backwashing to release the trapped particulates. The HBV-28 large koi pond filter is truly in a class all it’s own.
For clean healthy pond water coupled with superior water polishing, easy and complete backwashing – without the need for an air blower – the HydroBead™ Vortex HBV-28 large koi pond filter is the perfect filter for your 10,000 koi pond.
The HBV-28 HydroBead™ Vortex filter truly is in a class all it's own. For clean healthy pond water coupled with superior water polishing, easy and complete backwashing - without the need for an air blower - there are only HydroBead™ Vortex bead filters.
Bead Filters That Require Air Blowers for Backwashing Are Less Efficient and Have a Higher Cost of Ownership than HydroBead™ Vortex
Their designs don't let them backwash with just water
They use bio media that doesn't backwash with just water
Their bio media is either heavy, porous, or both
Their bio media "clumps" together
"Clumping" bio media must be broken up with high air pressure bubbles
Air blowers add to the cost of the filter
Air blowers require additional steps for backwashing
Additional steps mean more time to backwash
Air blowers require additional plumbing
Additional plumbing increases installation time
Air blowers fail over time and must be replaced
Replacing air blowers increases the cost of ownership
Air blowers are loud
These filters are an eyesore in the landscape
These filters ruin the natural look of the pond
There are many brands of koi pond bead filters that require air blowers for backwashing. The air blower sticks out like a sore thumb on the filter. These air blowers are very loud - more than triple that of a hair dryer.
Do YOU want to have to wear ear plugs just to backwash your filter? We don't think so.
Also, do you want to look at a filter like any one of these near your beautiful koi pond? Many people build a shed to hide these filters - that also adds to the cost of the filter! Building a filter shed also increases your installation time - and requires additional pipe. Yup, you guessed it! That significantly adds to the cost of the filter too! If you don't build a filter shed - do you want to scare your fish with a loud air blower?
If you don't build a filter shed you'll also make every dog in your neighborhood bark every time you backwash your filter. Your neighbors won't be too happy with you.
The Question to Ask is: Why is an Air Blower Required for Backwashing?
The answers we found after testing and researching these types of bead filters is simple:
They have flaws in their overall design
They have design flaws in their water flow
They have design flaws in their water direction
They have design flaws in their bio media
The bio media is heavy
The bio media is porous
The bio media clogs
The bio media clumps together
The bio media is hard
Now, not every filter has all the above, but if it requires an air blower for backwashing, you can be sure that it has at least one or more of these problems.
Down flow water direction during filter mode traps debris on top of floating bio media - requiring an air blower to force high pressure air bubbles up through the media to lift the trapped debris to purge it from the filter
Heavy - or sinking bio media such as glass beads or clay beads require water to pass downward through the media pack.
Negatively buoyant bio media requires high pressure air bubbles to dislodge debris trapped within the bio media
Ring type and bio-ball type media clump together requiring high pressure air bubbles to break them apart.
Compare With The Benefits You Get With HydroBead™ Vortex
HydroBead™ Vortex filters feature a unique up-flow design that eliminates the need for costly and difficult to use air blowers for backwashing - saving you time, aggravation, and money. Because of the HydroBead™ Vortex filter design, it not only doesn't require an air blower, it uses much less water during back flushes. The vertical backwash jet inside HydroBead™ Vortex bead filters eliminates backwash "dead-zones" that occur in other brands with horizontal backwash laterals.
The highly efficient polypropylene HydroBead™ media inside the bead filter cling together under pressure to trap fine particulates and polish the water during filtering, and easily separate during backwashing to release the trapped particulates.
For clean healthy pond water coupled with superior water polishing, easy and complete backwashing - without the need for an air blower - there are only HydroBead™ Vortex bead filter.
Pamela was a huge help with pre-order sizing and instructing me via email/phone during the install when I had a few questions. I actually got a custom kit with a 40' liner and the larger SH-4020 pump. The install was pretty "by the book" per the install instructions she provided. I was able to complete the entire project by myself. Everything is working great. I am so glad I went with the Russell system rather than having to deal with cleaning out muck from rocks and matrix boxes. I just clean out the skimmer basket and backwash occasionally.
After months of research, I found that the filtration, cleanout, backwash and pondless capabilities of this system was the ideal solution for my situation. The service was exceptional, very helpful and responsive.
Just installed an 11' high pondless waterfall with 66 feet of water course. The Hydro Sieve Pre-filter, Vortex Filter and Hydro Chamber system is the simplest and most common sense system out there. The Russell Water Garden website is informative and makes it easy for any DIYr. And the customer service from Pamela is top-notch, always quick to respond and great answers to my questions. Definitely recommend this company and their products.
Very impressed with the quality of the waterfall, stream and water garden pond kit. I’ll be happy to share pictures once it is finished. So looking forward to watching our grandchildren splash in the stream and catch frogs in the pond.
I chose the Ahi kit as it was the perfect size for our yard and the look we wanted with both a waterfall and small pond. Pamela at Russell Watergardens was incredibly helpful with my many questions before and after purchase. She was generous with her time and sent me videos/photos to give me ideas on fountains built by others so I could be confident about building our own. Russell Watergardens also has a wealth of information on their website and YouTube for “How to Build it,” Maintenance, and Tips. We are really pleased with the results and look forward to adding sod and a few native plantings to the surrounding area next spring. I highly recommend Russell Watergardens if you want the best DIY water feature.
The Marlin products are straightforward to apply. Pamela was great about clarifying any questions I had. Mine is a large feature with an eleven foot high waterfall and 66 feet of stream and I was not able to complete it to the point of turning on the water before the snow arrived. I will send Russell Watergardens a video when I get there.
This kit from Russell Watergardens is fantastic. Has everything you need to build a really nice water feature. This really is the only system out there that allows for system cleaning with low fuss and hassle. The service and support is also great. I am a 100% satisfied customer.
I decided to get the pondless waterfall package because I wanted something that was all-in-one, provided a solution that was nearly maintenance free, and would not have standing water to attract bugs. Russell's was the only solution I found that met all my needs. I looked at countless other solutions and ultimately decided on this one. Things that especially stood out to me after the install was the quality of the product, the directions/support, as well as the fact that everything was included....even things such as foam and pvc glue.
I’ve wanted to build a water feature for years but the time or place was never right. In 2023 everything came together to finally do it. I had been emailing back-and-forth with Pam Russell for several years about my plans for a Pond less waterfall while doing a lot of research. I had settled on Russell Water Gardens to use as the backbone for my build. The combination of design, quality and outstanding customer service lead to that decision. During the pre-purchase planning and design phase, Pam was simply outstanding. I would have made a lot of mistakes without her guidance. She’s a very quick communicator, extremely knowledgeable about the products as well as about the design of waterfalls. I had a ton of questions and she never seemed to grow tired of them. Her knowledge and input into my design and purchase of materials was simply invaluable. She even helped navigate the somewhat tricky logistics for the delivery, which is more complicated than you might think when you don’t live in an urban area. Now to the products. My project was a rather ambitious DIY first time built I admit. It features two waterfall heads combining into a single stream about halfway down a 15 foot drop hill in my backyard. The total water course is about 45 feet long and 2 feet wide. Pam helped me determine the amount of water volume that it would have and the materials it would take. I ended up with two hydro sieves at the end collection point. These two sieves connected to three Hydro Chambers. I used the Hydro Vortex at the top. With the length and and flow rate that, I wanted, I chose one of the larger external, 1350 gps extern pumps. She helped me with the planning and where to pomace the pump accommodate the head and flow characteristics to give me a good amount of water volume. Working alone, the project was definitely hard work, but was a labor of love and a dream come true for me. We have yet to finish the plantings around the waterfall, but are enjoying it nonetheless. I can’t recommend Russell Watergardens highly enough, and specificially Pam as an invaluable resource.
This produce seems to be the best for Pondless Waterfalls compared to other brand. Yes its more money but worth it in the long run. Pamela has been so helpfull to someone know nothing about creating a waterfall
I have been using Russell Water Gardens for years. We use the pond less components for our water features. We feel like they give us an unmatched quality and functionality. Service is excellent. They take good care of us.
After researching different types of water features i choose the Russell water garden for the low maintenance and the easiness of installation. I replaced a small fountain in my back yard with a 5’ wide by 20’ long water fall and stream. The standing water in my fountain needed cleaned and replaced frequently which took time. With the hydro tanks large water capacity and ease of refilling(i choose the manual fill system) over auto fill since my hose bib was not in a convenient location, simply lift the lid and add water with hose. The pre filter leading to hydro tank is the key! It allows you to quickly and easily remove all debris from system before it goes into hydro chamber where pump is located. This was the biggest problem with my fountain pump. Every week or two i would have to disassemble clean the gunk around inlet of pump(water would actually quit flowing ) and reassemble, alot of work. With the pre filter basket all debris is captured before getting to pump, just as described in the video.
In addition Pamela Russell was always available by email or phone, (email worked best ) to answer my questions as i was installing my water feature. It is now the center piece of our backyard adding both value and charm with many years of enjoyment to come. I would highly recommend!
Dave W
Venetia Pa
My husband decided he wanted a waterfall on our hillside which is located next to our home. I had zero knowledge but tried for weeks to figure it out by myself via reading blogs and watching youtube videos. Then I discovered Russell Watergardens. I called Pamela and had many conversations leading me to decide her brand was the best choice. I told her that I wanted the falls to be easy to maintain, variable in flow & sound, and easy to install. She assembled a custom kit for me which included 2 pumps. I could run 1 or the other or both in order to be quiet at night or loud while entertaining. I ended up hiring an experienced 2 man crew to install the waterfall… and I’m so glad I did! The rocks were heavy and the ground needed to be jackhammered in order to get the holding tank & filter system into the ground. All of our visitors love the relaxing sound of our waterfall, as do we. A big thanks to Pamela Russell for her guidance!
It took us several years of planning to get to the point of ordering materials to build the waterfall. We were dealing with soft sand on the hill and were concerned about how we were going to keep the hill secure and not wash away. We got the materials to make the waterfall and it took my husband several weekends to get the work done as he was working by himself. He did get help with the pond liner, but other than that, he was able to install the 2 large units, top of the waterfall and at the bottom, but it wasn't without a lot of muscle and reading the directions over and over. The only thing we would suggest is to make the directions easier to understand with pictures of the different parts and connections easier to see in the pictures. We finally hired a professional landscape person to come and do the rocks for us as we were frustrated with how to place them properly to look natural. We needed to order larger rocks to make the pond look better. The waterfall is not complete yet. We need to put in more river rock and plant trees and bushes alongside the waterfall. We have a lot of deer with sharp hoofs that have been walking through the riverbed and we are concerned they will puncture holes in the liner, but we will know better this spring when we start the waterfall again. In the picture, you see koi fish, but that was a very temporary thing as a friend wanted to see how his fish would do in the stream. They looked beautiful swimming in the riverbed, but the water was not deep enough for them. Also, we have critters that got a few of them overnight so we knew that having koi was not a practical thing to do! But, all in all, we are VERY happy with the equipment that we received because it can handle a lot of water making the waterfall flow so well and it sounds wonderful. If we were to do it again, we would definitely order from you again.
This review is as much about the products as it is about the team. Russell's products are outstanding and I could not be happier with the final outcome and how easy it is to maintain.
However, the real gem is the team's willingness to coach and advise before and during the project. Pam was wonderful and happily answered the 'dumb questions' along the way.
I don't plan to tackle another project like this again, but if I did there is ZERO chance I would do it with anyone else!
The water feature kit is exactly what I was hoping for. The installation sequence is well thought out and the practicality of the maintenance is easy. Thank you for all your assistance with our project.
This water feature is the topic of conversation for all our guests. And we installed this ourselves to make sure it was done right. Best yard I ever had. Love this product. We have a heater installed so we can watch our "Jemez River" flow all year round!
Unfortunately, as of this date, I still have not started the water feature due to a number of family health issues. However, I hope to start this project sometime this coming summer.
Thanks for keeping me in your communication loop.
Regards,
Bill Tierney
Russell Watergardens helped me create a custom kit for a pond less waterfall in my backyard. The instructions were easy to follow and the kit was simple to install. This was the first time I attempted a project like this and I did the entire installation myself. While it took me several weekends and a lot of hard work the results were well worth it. I have gotten lots of complements not only from my neighbors but also from professional landscapers. The system works as advertised and is so easy to maintain. I run the pump 24/7 without any issues. I really like the Hydro Sieve filter as it makes cleaning out debris very easy. I would highly recommend Russell Watergardens.
I like the whole concept and idea of your pondless kit but the water tank is just to big for my small space, do you have a smaller size or do you have any suggestion. My space is only 3.5’ x 5.5’.
pretty impressive. have had now for about a year and am getting ready to buy a 2nd one for when I upgrade the pond. the ease of cleaning is fantastic! worth every penny!
The Piper skimmer helps keep my pond clear by moving floating debris into an easily removed basket and brushes that are easy to hose off without getting wet. It has helped make my pond maintenance easier. I am happy I tried it.
This is a perfect skimmer for my small, raised pond. It so easy to open lid, pull out the net and brushes and hose them off. It takes a few minutes and I don't get dirty. It catches surface debris easily. I am very happy with this purchase.
Russell Watergardens put together a pondless waterfall “kit†for us that I installed this past Summer (2017). I did 100% of the installation. The project was hard work, but it was also fun. The instructions were very clear and thorough. I was missing a couple of parts, which were immediately sent to me upon my request. Soon after starting the pump it quit working due to a broken cover. A replacement part was promptly sent to me. The system has now been operational for three months. I have had no problems whatsoever. I am amazed that I have not had to add any water since starting the system. The hydro chamber more than adequate capacity. I have a heavy duty timer so the pump runs only during daylight hours. The filter system is very efficient. Leaves that have collected this fall were many. Nevertheless the Sieve also has substantial capacity. The water flow had been unaffected. All in all this is a very fine product and working with Russell Watergardens has been a great experience. We placed our waterfall on the corner of the lot where anyone driving or walking by can enjoy it. We have made our neighbors very happy. Thank you Russell Watergardens for great products and service.
Pam,
Thank you for the recommendation of the new HBV filter. My koi pond is 3000 gallons and holds right now 19 good size Koi. July is always a difficult month to maintain water clarity. Overnight the results I saw were amazing. The water is so clear that I can now see each grain of sand and wrinkle in the liner to the 4.5 foot depth of the pond. I am still getting us to the process of backflushing but it is pretty easy. The pond has never looked better!
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