GRAVITY FILTERS

When water is pumped to a filter and returns to the pond by gravity through a pipe, the filter is called a gravity filter or sometimes a gravity return filter. Most of inexpensive "bio-filters" on the market that are gravity filters that consist of little more than a flimsy plastic container with some foam pads and plastic media inside. We offer two more sophisticated gravity filters that are well-made and really work. In additon, we offer waterfall and bog filters (discussed on separate pages) that are specialized types of gravity filters in which water returns to the pond by gravity, but not through a pipe.

Water flowing through this filter must take a long path that assures adequate contact time with the filter media and prevents bypasses. Water is pumped into the bottom of the first chamber where it flows upward through nylon brushes that retain any solid matter. Next, it flows into the second chamber, down to the bottom, and up through a grid of special high-quality filter matting called "Japanese Matting". From there it flows into a third chamber, down to the bottom, and up through a foam cartridge filter. Finally it flows into the fourth chamber, down through three layers of progressively finer foam filter pads, down through a thick bed of super-efficient ceramic filter media, and up through a standpipe to exit the filter.

Due to the superior design of this filter, we can recommend it for ponds up to 1000 gallons with fairly heavy fish loads, or for ponds up to 3000 gallons with light stocking. The maximum recommended pump rate is 1200 gallons per hour. Each chamber has a bottom drain, and maintenance is a simple matter of opening each drain for a few seconds once each week.

Cloverleaf Gravity Filter, $360.00