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The pond filters above with the exception of the straight biological filters and some of the koi filters have ultraviolet sterilizers combined. The pond water passes through the ultra violet sterilizer before entering the filter chamber. The UV light kills the algae that makes your pond look dirty. If you took a sample of pond water in a glass you would see that actually it is green. The ultra violet also helps control pathogens ( organisms that attach themselves to your fish) and fungal diseases.
Generally there are three types of pond filters above.
These are for the smaller pond up to 5000 litres. The unit sits in the pond. The water is taken into the filter via a Uv sterilizer, it is mechanically biologically cleaned and then it returns to the pond via the built in fountain. There is also an LED light combined that comes on at night to light up the fountain.
The water is pumped to the filter from a submersible pump in the pond, situated as far away from the retuning water as possible ( so that all the water in the pond is filtered). It enters the main chamber of the filter via the UV and is then mechanically and biologically filtered. The water overflows from the filter and returns to the pond. If it is returning via a waterfall, then the filter outlet must be situated above the top of the waterfall.
The UV bulb normally needs replacing in the spring. The filter needs cleaning on a monthly basis and this involves taking out the sponges and washing them in water. Preferably pond water rather than tap water so that the good bacteria that has built up in the sponges for the biological action does not get killed by the chlorine in the tap water. Some of the more expensive filters e.g. the Clearwater filters have back flush facility to make cleaning easier.
Again like the gravity filters the water enters the filter via the ultra violet sterilizer. It is mechanically and biologically filtered and is then returned to the pond. The filter being pressurised however can be situated below the top of the waterfall and indeed can be partially buried, It can also be situated at a distance from the pond ( in a shed, garage or greenhouse) that makes it easier to hide.
The other big difference however is the ease of cleaning. The majority of these filters (with the exception of the first two sizes of Fishmate filter) come with back flush cleaning facility. The filters have an inlet and an outlet on top of the filter and also a cleaning outlet. There is a knob on top and when turned to cleaning, the water flow is reversed through the filter ( flushing out the dirt) and it comes out of the cleaning outlet. You can then either water and feed the garden (high in nitrogenous material) or put it down the drain. The net result of course is that you are pumping out some of the pond water. One quarter is ideal as the biological action of the filter turns the ammonia produced by the waste from the fish into nitrates and these need removing ( diluting) from the water on a regular basis. You can then top up the pond either by spraying the new tap water in via a fine spray (to disperse the chlorine as it passes through the air) or by adding a dechlorinator such as fresh start.
Pond filters require the right size of pond pump to feed them. To make choosing easier we have matched up the filters with some ideal partner pumps. These filter kits typically represent a saving of 10% over buying them seperatly.