How to select a pond biofilter ... the basics

To specify an appropriate biofilter it is important to know the volume of water in a pond to say about 80% accuracy. A filter is specified in terms of what capacity it can handle when the pond is stocked normally which needs some interpretation. Getting the size of the filter correct is important and you should always bear in mind that as fish get bigger they produce more waste and therefore more pond water needs purification. Every time you add a fish to a pond the load on the biofilter increases.

How to select a bio filter for the average garden pond

Typically therefore a filter will claim to handle or purify up to 5,000 litres of pond water. The claim will be based upon qualifications such as fish stock density, amount of food fed and so on. If you can afford it always go slightly bigger to get better performance. You need a UV + Bio Pond Filter to keep your fish alive and the water clean clear of green algae & healthy

Here are THE 2 CRITICAL facts about  UV + Bio Pond Filters ...

1. The UV section CLEARS water of green or brown algae

2. The BIO FILTER section CLEANS the pond water and removes dead algae killed by the UV

How to make the right choice is simple. You ONLY need to know the volume of your pond to choose the right system for 90% of all garden fish pond situations. See TABLE below for filter with or without UV

Fish-Mate Includes UV Sterilizer (see below ... if you're looking for a low cost well tested UV + filter combo for a small to medium fish pond this would be my recommendation)
UV + Biofilter for ponds to 1,000 gallons	UV + Biofilter for ponds to 2,000 gallons	UV + Biofilter for ponds to 3,000 gallons
Combo UV + Biofilter for ponds to 4,000 gallons	UV + Biofilter for ponds to 5,000 gallons	UV + Biofilter for ponds to 6,000 gallons
Fish-Mate Biofilter ONLY .... does not include UV Sterilizer. You will need to buy a separate UV unit For UK and European visitors click this link and for USA click below
Biofilter (no UV) for ponds to 1,000 gallons	Biofilter (no UV) for ponds to 3,000 gallons	Biofilter (no UV) for ponds to 10,000 gallons
Fish Mate Pressurized UV+ Bio Filters make hiding filter easy
Pressurized filters ponds to 500 galls	Pressurized filters ponds to 1000 galls	Pressurized filters ponds to 2000 galls
Pressurized filters ponds to 3000 galls	Pressurized filters ponds to 6000 galls	For UK and European visitors click this link
Hozelock BioForce UVC Pond Filters make hiding filter easy
Bioforce pressurized pond filter to 500 galls	Bioforce pressurized filter for ponds to 1000 galls	Bioforce pressurized filter for ponds to 2000 galls
Bioforce pressurized filter for ponds to 4000 galls	For UK and European visitors click this link
OASE Filtoclear Pressurized UV + Bio Filters make hiding filter easy ... For UK and European visitors click this link for USA click below
Oase pressurized UV + Bio for ponds to 800 galls	Oase pressurized UV + Bio for ponds to 1600 galls	Oase pressurized UV + Bio for ponds to 3000 galls
Aquabead biofilters for larger ponds ... No UV included
Aquabead pond filters hassle free. Ponds up to 2,500 galls	Aquabead pond filters hassle free. Ponds up to 5,000 galls	Aquabead pond filters hassle free. Ponds up to 10,000 galls
Aquabead pond filters hassle free. Ponds up to 17,000 galls	Aquabead pond filters hassle free. Ponds up to 25,000 galls
Aquabead biofilters for larger ponds ... UV included
Aquabead UV + Bio ponds to 2,500 galls	Aquabead UV + Bio for ponds to 5,000 galls	Aquabead UV + Bio for ponds to 10,000 galls
Aquabead UV + Bio for ponds to 17,000 galls	Aquabead UV + Bio for ponds to 25,000 galls
Aquadyne Pond Filters ... Bead Filtration Systems for Larger Ponds
Aquadyne Bead Filter ponds to 1,200 galls	Aquadyne Bead Filter ponds to 1,800 galls	Aquadyne Bead Filter ponds to 2,500 galls
Aquadyne Bead Filter ponds to 3,000 galls	Aquadyne Bead Filter ponds to 5,000 galls	Aquadyne Bead Filter ponds to 7,000 galls
Aquadyne Bead Filter ponds to 14,000 galls	Aquadyne Bead Filter ponds to 28,000 galls
BIOTEK ... Low cost, high performance pond filter read more here
Biotek 1.25  ... The Biotek 1.25 is smallest unit for ponds up to 1500 gallons	Biotek 1.75 The BIOTEK 1.75 is for ponds up to 2500 gallons	Biotek 2.50 The BIOTEK 2.50 is for ponds up to 5000 gallons
Biotek 4.0 The BIOTEK 4.0 is for ponds up to 10,000 gallons	Biotek 6.0 The BIOTEK 6.0 is for ponds up to 20,000 gallons
For UK and European visitors click this link

Do not be bamboozled by all the models and variations on the market. A basic pond bio filter which will work fantastically well is a simple box containing good biomedia (and the pond filters we recommend contain the best media available ...called Supra in USA or Alfagrog in UK.

For the average garden fish pond the revolutionary design of Fish Mate UV+Bio Pond Filters combine UV clarification and biological filtration to guarantee crystal clear, purified water at a very attractive price. The full Fish Mate UV+Bio filter range caters for ponds up to 6 000 gallons with the following features:

• Combined U.V. and Biological Filtration for crystal clear, purified water

• Clear Water Guarantee (see below)

• Includes Supra Bio Media

• Designed and coloured green to blend with natural surroundings

• Gravity Models feature UV tubes positioned over the water, thus eliminating problems of scaling, quartz tube replacement and frost damage associated with conventional UV clarifiers.

Additional features include:

• Flip up lid for easy maintenance

• 'Frostproof' quartzless U.V. chamber

• Medium and Large models feature removable media tray(s)

Installing a biofilter is no guarantee of getting clear water (although it is possible you will be told it is do not believe it) because clear water is dependent not just upon the filter design. It is dependant upon other system components like churning because too large a water flow is passing through the pond. Another and the major reason for cloudy water is the presence of algae, which are far too small to be taken out by all the pond filters on the market that I am aware of. However a well-designed filter will go a long way to giving you clear water (where the lack of clarity is resulting from solid particles and not algae).

If you intend to keep fish you must have a biofilter unless you want impure water and dying fish. I will discuss natural biofilters later.

Do reconsider your intention to build a pond if you are not prepared to spend money on a biofilter. You will be wasting money if you go ahead without a biofilter and I promise you will do it sooner or later or you will turn the pond into a sand pit.

"The Complete Pond Solver" by Tony Roocroft ...  2005 Edition. Essential reading for anybody who wants or has a garden pond. Get 12 Excel pond calculators free as well as "Water Lilies and Pond Aquatics" ebook also free