I don't think your pH is at a critical stage but it can be adjusted. Can you explain PCM/5. Is this a device that monitors pH levels and adjusts chemical feeds or monitors flow rate (either flow or no flow), or actually gpm? Do you have water sent to other locations where chemical feed is not needed, say outside faucets, so that the chemical pump is not actuated when you are watering your garden? Let me see if I understand what was recommended. The Stenner pump injects a liquid solution, which is what: Sodium hydroxide? Do you have copper/galvanized plumbing? I suppose you have one-inch plumbing at the pressure tank to the house, right? Liquid pH adjustment chemicals are usually recommended for very acidic conditions, below 5.4 pH. By putting this chemical feed, you may very easily jump your water to base levels too high. I have seen water jump to 12-13 pH due to poor settings and monitoring. I don't recommend the Stenner pump, not because it is not a good piece of equipment--I like them very much--but because of the method of pH adjustment. At 6.7, I don't think there is a need to mix Calcite with corosex. Calcite (marble or lime chips) alone should be sufficient. Hardness is raised about 1-2 gpg for every 0.5 pH rise. The nice thing about this sacrificial media is that the pH will reach a certain level and go no further. At a pH of 6.7, the media will last a long time and the media volume or contact time does not need to be great. Now, your iron is well above the 0.2 ppm level, which becomes a nuisance leaving stains. A greensand filter works between pH levels of 6.2 and 8.8 or there abouts. Greensand filters will work but require a correct set up, regular maintenance and "adequate backwash rate". I don't particularly like them (they can be a mess) but they have been around a long time and many use them exclusively for iron removal. My recommendation would be an upflow Calcite filter and an efficient softener. Not sure why you don't want to go this way (water softener) as your water is hard and hard water results in many negative water condition aspects. A backwashing pH adjuster can also be used. Andy Christensen, CWS-II

Our well has visible sediment and the water is dingy, unfiltered. So I have two large filter canisters in series, 1" piping. The first has a 50 micron element and the second has a 5 micron element. My idea, whether it is correct or not, is that the first filter will catch some of the sediment and thus prolong the life of the second element, increasing the time between filter changes. The cartridge manufacturers specify a replacement schedule-- but they have a vested interest in selling lots of cartridges! The first filter also supplies the outside faucets so that the coarser sediment does not clog nozzles and sprinklers. Water for the clothes washer and for other in-house uses also goes through the 5 micron filter. So I replace mine when the drop in pressure becomes too great. And that has proved to be about every 10-12 months. I see no reason to change that plan.

There is often debate over whether it's necessary to filter a pond, and always a few people who claim they have great luck with letting the pond "go natural" with no human interference. A man-made pond, though, is not a natural environment, and will only benefit from some form of filtration or at least aeration. Filtering keeps the water cleansed of organic wastes that can cause cloudy, smelly, murky, or even toxic water. It simplifies maintenance, conserves water by cleansing and recycling it, and can help create "gin-clear" water that allows optimal viewing of the pond and its inhabitants. If you plan on creating a water garden and keeping only plants in the pond, you should be able to get away with little or no filtration, depending upon the type and number of plants you grow. A small pump used with a spitter, fountain, waterfall, or similar feature, should create enough movement to keep the water from stagnating, and diligence in keeping dead plant life from accumulating in the water will help maintain water clarity. However, most people find that, once they've created the pond, they want to add fish, and this is when filtration becomes vital. The more fish you have, the more filtration is necessary to keep the water and the fish healthy. Fish produce ammonia from both their gills and kidneys. Ammonia is also produced from other organic matter decaying in the pond. Whatever the source, ammonia is toxic to fish and must be removed from the water. Frequent water changes and ammonia binding water conditioners will help temporarily, but the addition of a biological filter is the best and easiest way to deal with this toxin. Briefly, a biofilter works by creating a suitable living environment for certain types of bacteria which do the cleaning for you. As pond water is slowly pumped though the biofilter, Nitrosomonas bacteria consume the ammonia, turning it into nitrites (which are also harmful to fish.) Nitrobacter bacteria then oxidizes the nitrites into nitrates, which become food for the plants in your pond. Although these "good bacteria" are present on every surface in your pond, they are not usually there in large enough numbers to reliably cleanse the water of these compounds that are so deadly to fish, and so biofiltration is strongly recommended when there are fish in the pond. Mechanical filtration (that which removes solid waste) is always beneficial, but simply keeping the water clear of solids does not guarantee fish-safe water. Ammonia and nitrites can not be seen except through the use of water test kits. Ideally, water will first pass through some type of mechanical filter that removes solids prior to entering the biofilter, where the toxic compounds are oxidized to nitrates and sent back to the pond where the nitrates will be absorbed by the plants therefore keeping the pond healthy for both your fish and plants. These beneficial bacteria cease to function at temperatures below fifty degrees, so running the biofilter all winter is futile if you're in a cold winter area. The fish will not be eating and producing their usual amount of waste during the winter, so the biofilter will not be needed anyway. Once the autumn temperatures are below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, clean and store the biofilter until spring returns. If you're lucky enough to live in a warm climate, it should be kept running year round. Start the filter up again in the spring as the temperatures get into the upper 40s to low 50s. The nitrogen cycle takes about four to six weeks to establish once the bacteria begin colonizing in the warmer temperatures, so be diligent about testing your water for ammonia and nitrites if the fish are eating. It would take far too many pages to describe here all the types of filters available. Research and ask questions of more experienced ponders, and join several of the informative forums on the Internet. Do not always believe a manufacturer's advertisements, and if tempted to buy something being touted by a salesperson, research it before making an investment. There are many plans for do-it-yourself filters that are simple to make, produce excellent results, and are much less expensive than most of the commercial filters available. And remember - you can never have too large a biofilter! Ronaye, Steve and David

Sorry, I didn't see your comment until now - better 2 years late than never. My plumber installed an Aqua Pure filter about 20 years ago and I've never had a problem with it. If you haven't already installed something, try looking at their 102T or 141T models. There are other equally good brands though - my current water treatment company uses Big Blue. The most important thing is to choose the replacement cartridge that you want to use and then choose the appropriate assembly to go with it. Small carbon filters can be very slow (the first one I installed was 3 gpm), so you'll want a bigger one with a high flow rate if you're filtering the water for your entire house. I currently use an Aqua Pure AP817 filter which has a 10gpm flow rate. It works well, but it's pricey (about $32.50 through Amazon Subscribe & Save).