Pond filtration comes in several different formats. Here's a look at what's available, based on stated product and category details, to help you compare formats for your water feature.
What Pond Filtration Does
Pond filters generally provide mechanical filtration, biological filtration, or both. Mechanical filtration captures debris, while biological filtration supports beneficial bacteria that break down waste. The options below take different approaches to providing that filtration.
All-in-One Pressure Filtration: OASE FiltoClear
The Oase 3rd Gen FiltoClear Pressure Filter combines mechanical filtration, biological filtration, and UV clarification in one unit, with Easy-Clean backflushing that lets you clean the filter using a 2-way valve without opening the unit. It's available in three models: the FiltoClear 3400 (24W UV, up to 3,400 gallons light fish load), FiltoClear 5200 (42W UV, up to 5,200 gallons), and FiltoClear 8200 (60W UV, up to 8,200 gallons). Each includes three densities of replaceable filter foams, metric step fittings, 1.5"/2" Schedule 40 adapters, and a 16-foot power cord, and carries a 2-year warranty. The body can be buried up to the clamping rings for a concealed installation.
For larger water features, the Oase High-Volume FiltoClear Pressure Filter is available in FiltoClear 15500 (84W UVC, up to 15,500 gallons) and FiltoClear 23500 (120W UVC, up to 23,500 gallons) models, each with four densities of replaceable filter foams, a patented UVC Cleaning Rotor, Easy-Clean backflushing, and 2" inlets and outlets, backed by a 2-year warranty plus a 1-year extension.
Browse the full lineup on the Filtration category page.
Pond Skimmers
Pond skimmers remove floating debris from the water's surface before it sinks and breaks down, working alongside mechanical and biological filtration to help keep water clearer. Explore the available options on the Skimmer Filters category page.
Waterfall Filtration
Waterfall filters combine biological filtration with a spillway, so the same unit that filters pond water also creates the waterfall feature itself. Explore the available options on the Filtration category page.
Wetland / Bog Filters
A wetland or bog filter uses gravel, beneficial bacteria, and often aquatic plants to filter pond water naturally, distributing water across a filter bed rather than pushing it through a compact mechanical unit. Several components work together to build one of these systems.
The Aquascape Centipede Module sits at the base of the system and distributes incoming water evenly across the filter bed, slowing water velocity so heavier solids settle out before reaching the biological filtration media. Multiple modules snap together to build a system sized to the site. The Aquascape Snorkel Vault with Lid & End Cap connects to the Centipede Module and serves as the housing and access point for the pump, with a large opening for service and a snap-fit lid that conceals under gravel or rock.
In larger-scale wetland filtration systems, the pump sits inside a dedicated underground housing rather than loose in the filter bed. The Atlantic PV15000 fills that role for high-capacity installations, rated for pumps up to 15,000 GPH. It shares its footprint with Atlantic's Eco-Blox for integration into a basin layout alongside the rest of the wetland system, has a low-profile lid rated for gravel cover and foot traffic, and carries a lifetime warranty.
For the structural storage and support matrix beneath a wetland or bog filter bed, the PondScape AquaMatrix is a stackable, interlocking modular system. Its product listing states it can be used to create biological filtration zones for ponds, with the modules providing structure for gravel and plants so water flows through for natural filtration while supporting aquatic plants in wetland filter beds. It's offered in a large module (31.5 gallons of storage) and a small module (17 gallons of storage), both including connection clips for linking modules together.
Choose Around Your Feature
Each of these filtration formats fits a different kind of setup, from an all-in-one pressure filter to a modular wetland system built from individual components. Reviewing the stated details for each option is a useful starting point for narrowing down what fits the feature you have.