How do Filtrific Vanishing Water Systems Compare to "Pondless" Systems?
We don't try to deceive you with liner lengths
The Vanishing Water Kits listed have liner that goes 100% to the stream and 0% in a reservoir. Rock-pit type systems devote more liner to the reservoir than to the stream so don't be fooled by the length of stream you end up with. It may be much less than expected.
Another rock-pit type trick is to count the vertical waterfall drops as part of the length of stream. Filtrific Vanishing Water Kits identify the amount of liner that goes into vertical waterfalls and the amount of liner that goes into the horizontal stream.
Serviceable filters before the reservoir and pump chamber
Nature tells us that debris collects and flows down a stream or over a waterfall. Common sense says that filtering should take place at the bottom of the stream before it plugs the reservoir and pump. Filtrific has serviceable filters at the bottom of the stream - the other systems either don't, or they try to filter at the top of the stream after the debris has collected in the rock pit. The Filtrific system immediately removes debris right at the start of the system so all other mechanical components can operate in a clean environment. Debris from leaves, needles, landscape bark and erosion won't foul operational accessories such as an auto-fill or pump safety switches and sediment accumulation won't reduce reservoir storage capacity.
Other systems try to talk around this shortcoming by claiming that their "bio-filter box" at the top of the waterfall filters the debris. The simple truth is that the debris flows down with the water and fills in between the spaces in the rocks and eventually clogs up the rock pit - it never makes it to the bio-filter. So if you want to consider easy cleaning - consider servicing easily removable filters instead of digging out, washing and then replacing a rock pit.
Rock pits in a pondless system will clog up and have to be cleaned.
Many people have experienced gravel walks filling in with sediment and debris. In gravel walkways you can observe disintegrating mulch and vegetation lodged between the stones and you know how hard it is to clean. Drain lines also collect landscape bark leaves and sediment, seal up like concrete and become impervious to water intake. With many of these rock pit systems, some day, often sooner than later, someone has to remove and wash the gravel and reconstruct the basin. No matter what kind of devices they put in the liner pit it will always fill up with debris if it isn't filtered.
A Vanishing Water System eliminates the need for a Bio-Filter
A bio-filters primary function is to convert ammonia (primarily from fish waste and fish food) to nitrate. Nitrate is still an algae food source but is much more fish friendly than ammonia. A bio-filter (better named a bio-converter) does this by providing additional oxygen rich surface area for beneficial bacteria to colonize. A continual flow of water is required to maintain the survival of the colony.
A Vanishing Water System is not a fishpond, has no standing water when turned off, and does not require a continual flow of water. Therefore, in a Vanishing Water installation a bio-filter would serve no purpose. For those that make the argument that the bio-filter also serves to remove debris, one has to wonder why they are installing their filtering after the rock pit where all of the debris collects?
Another misconception is that without a bio-filter there will be green water (single cell algae). There is never green water in a Vanishing Water Installation because every time the system is turned off all the water is stored underground, in cool darkness, rather than a pond, which has lots of standing sunlit surface water. Algae require sunlight to survive but a Vanishing Water installation creates a very unfriendly environment for single cell algae.
Even string algae isn't a problem in a Vanishing Water Installation; just turn the system off for a little while in the heat of the day and let the rocks dry out. By doing this you will kill any string algae growth, naturally.
How do you add additional water storage to a Rock Pit system?
What happens if you turn on the water feature and it quickly becomes apparent you should have had a little more storage? The pump runs out of water before the water comes back to it. So then you have to keep filling the system until there is enough water in motion so that it keeps running. Then when you turn it off, the excess water overflows out the bottom. With Filtrific you can easily add additional water storage by adding another storage tank out side the water feature. With a rock pit system you have to???
Efficient, versatile, and ready-to-bury underground storage lets you landscape over the top for a nicer looking water feature.
You get more planting area rather than more rock pit area. It is ready to go right when you get it, no liner punctures to worry about, no backbreaking hauling in rock, just good strong efficient water storage.
Finish your water feature with water instead of gravel.
With a pondless rock pit system the flow ends abruptly at the base of the pit and the rest is bare gravel. With a Vanishing Water system you can create a more natural look with a shallow Vanishing Pool at the end that completely disappears when turned off.
The Filtrific Vanishing Water system is a patented thoughtfully engineered system you can depend on. It has been on the market for over 9 years and installed in commercial and residential projects around the country. We encourage you to do your research and give us a call at 1-800-959-8353 with any questions.
