OASE BioSmart 10000 Pond Filter

Two weeks ago we could not see our koi in the water it was pure mud, all 8000 gallons of it. Everything they claimed about this product is correct and better, super easy to install and works fantastic! We purchased the 10000 gallon filter for our 8000 + gallon pond. We have 12 Koi, some very large We could not see our fish at all. Removal of an orchard directly behind our house and construction of a new housing project for two years now, high winds has filled our pond with dirt and muck 6 -12 inches + deep. Water quality was very poor no matter how much we changed water or vacuumed we could not get all the dirt and muck out of our pond. Three years ago we spent $7000 emptying cleaning and adding new pumps, lights, fountain etc. so we could have a clean and healthy pond for enjoyment. But now We have spent $1000's on bacteria and chemicals, eco-safe and not so eco-safe to clean it. Koi got ulcers even though we have a very expensive bead uv filter system with two pumps, it was here when we bought the house 10 years ago. It could not do the job. I ordered this OASE BioSmart filter without telling my husband because it was the last resort to try to save our koi and be able to enjoy the beautiful backyard, he was ready to give the koi away and fill in the pond, which would have been 1000's of dollars also (google it, very expensive for a huge pond). The pond has two waterfalls and two creek beds, they also full of muck and dirty water. I only wish I would have taken a picture of before our OASE BioSmart filter. Our pond is now clearing, muck is disappearing, and the pump has only been up and running for a little over 2 weeks. We noticed it clearing in only one day and everyday since it is better. As you can see in the pics we have some more to go before crystal clear but now We are enjoying our koi and they are loving it and starting to spawn as soon as the water started cleaning up. Thank you, thank you and thank you for saving our koi and cleaning up our pond. PS: We did not add the UV unit but may do so down the road. A happy life now!

Allow me to set the scene: I have four rescued pet ducks who have taken up residence in a large run I’ve coined “Duckingham Palace”. Like any palace, it is equipped with a large pool (aka a 300 gallon stock tank). As one may imagine, the ducks absolutely love spending time in their pond. However, ducks are quite messy and poo quite literally every two to three minutes. This can make keeping their pool clean quite challenging. Enter this filter! I purchased the filter in combination with the corresponding 18v UV light attachment, a high efficiency pump (Little Giant 566407 WGP-95-PW, 4280 GPH) and an aeration system (Aquascape Pro Air 20). With my prior filtration system (an all in one pump and filter), within 5-6 days, their pool would need to be drained, power washed, and refilled. Their filters were replaced weekly because of how gross they were (they otherwise required hand washing - no thank you!). We are one week out and the water is still running crystal clear and I can still clearly see the bottom of the pond. I also have not noticed any algea, likely due to the UV light attachment. I have cleaned the filters every couple of days, even though the gauge doesn’t always indicate I need to do so. I just do it as part of my chores now to ensure the cleanest possible water. I do have advice for those that purchased this though! Some users noted that they experienced leaks or connections that didn’t fit tightly. The key for me, was the incorporation flexible PVC couplings from Lowes (shown in picturespictures). The first is a 3”-2” coupling that goes to the front. The 3” side attaches to the filter, the 2” side to the 2” PVC pipe that returns water to the pond. The other is a 1.5”-1.25” coupling. The 1.5” side attaches to the sludge drain insert, the 1.25” end attaches to my tubing. The tubing I used for my pump and sludge drain is from the Star Water Systems plastic kit sold at Lowes. It’s important to ensure your hose clamps are as tight as possible too! My setup is leak free and did not require any PVC cement to work. Another tip: this filter is gravity dependent - your tubing needs a downward gradient to work. My filter is raised and on a table, the PVC pipe is slanted slightly downward. The return hose is zip tied to the duck run at a downward slope, with the end in my garden bed - this allows drained water/sludge to filter out there and naturally fertilize my plants. I’ll update this review if my opinion changes, but so far, I do highly recommend this system. My next investment may be a pond hose to vacuum up debris at the bottom in between fillings, but I’m waiting to see if it will truly be needed.

We were on the point of giving up. Our pond water was totally green every summer, and we could only see the fish when they were within the top foot or two of water. We tried different filters, barley, and algicides. Nothing worked. Our pond is 8'X10', with half of it 2 feet deep, and half 4 feet deep, so there's a lot of water in it. Previously we had an Aquaviolet filter, but it just didn't do the job. We were going to give our fish away and fill in the pond. Purchase of this filter was a last attempt. The results have been amazing. The water is crystal clear, and we can see right to the bottom of the pond. We used to have to pull the pump out every second day to wash the algae off the mesh bag protecting it, and we changed the pond water every second week. UV lights, different filters, nothing seemed to work. That's all changed now. It was difficult to pipe in. I used 1.5 inch plastic hose with spiral re-enforcing. It has nearly impossible to find connectors for it. I had to purchase things for toilets and use steel hose clamps. I used a splitter to get the full volume of water pumped up to the two inlets on top of the filter. My initial impressions were that it looked flimsy and I was disappointed to see that the filter media was only a few sponges. That all changed as we began to see how effective it is. Clean out of it is really easy and quick. I just shift the filter a bit so that they clean-out port is over the edge and let it drain. With the larger diameter piping that it's designed for, we can run much more volume through it than anything we have had previously. The water is so clean now that we only need to even clean the mesh bag over the pump about once a week. I only changed the water once during this whole season. The sponge filters only need to be squeezed about every couple of weeks. I highly recommned this product.

We installed this a week ago. So, limited experience and may upgrade to five stars after we have had it a while. We estimate our pond is about 1200 - 1500 gallons - somewhat a guestimate. So this filter is perhaps a bit oversized but that is great. Anyway, our pond (6 medium to small koi) is finally clear - very clear. We have the filter hooked up to a Vivohome 2700 gph pump with the outflow going to a rock-built waterfall. We found that the outflow was too much for the waterfall (splashing and overflow) so I hooked up an ABS T connector and to another pipe with a ball valve. Now I can adjust the water that goes to the waterfall (more or less) by how far I open the T valve. From the ball valve the diverted water hose runs directly into the pond and is aimed to circulate the water flow inside the pond. Works well that way. I hooked up a second hose to the second intake valve in case the filter got to an overflow point but that was unnecessary as there has been no overflow issue. I had to monkey around with various fittings to make it all work but very happy with how it turned out. . . and with the clean water. A notes: -water is very clear but alas, the fish seem to hide a lot. Time may change that. -I will rebuild the waterfall a bit so it can handle more flow. -the 2700 gph pump matches well with this filter, i.e., no overflow within the filter. I will post updates as we have more experience with this, ease of cleaning, any issues etc. UPDATE: We have had this in now for about 5 weeks. Water is clearer than ever. Cleaned it once with the pull-push method, and yesterday took out the filters for a thorough cleaning. Very satisfied. BTW, I installed a hose to the second input for any overflow and ran it down to the pond (concealed) and it is a useful way to tell when it is ready to clean as an overflow is one indication of that. Simply stated, typically nothing comes from that hose, but when it does I know it is overflow so need to clean the filter. The out flow goes to both a water fall and a ball valve which runs water back to the pond directly. I adjust the flow to the waterfall by adjusting the ball valve. Works great.

As was noted in some other reviews, the 5000 is sold with no way to deliver its output to your pond. There is a 3" outlet port in the box, a 3" flange and gasket, and nothing else. Their instructions refer to the missing components as "not delivered". They imply that you must buy parts on your own, including a 3" connector and a 3" pipe, but they do not specify whether that is inside or outside diameter, and whether it is regular household sewer pipe (PVC Sched. 40) or something else. I called them yesterday evening at about 4:45 PM and got a message that they close at 5:00 and I should contact them via e-mail, which I did. No response yet, but maybe they are busy with other calls asking the same questions. Anyway, I spent some time at Lowe's fitting the provided flange to various types of pipe and connectors in the plumbing department. Here's what I found, which might be useful to others in my predicament: 1. Use a 3" Sched. 40 PVC connector collar. 2.Glue it to a length of 3" PVC Sched 40 pipe long enough to reach your pond. 3. You will need to paint the pipe and connector since they generally come in white--not a great look around the pond. 4. glue the provided flange to the connector, inserting the end of the flange opposite the gasket into the connector. 5. Before inserting the gasket end of the flange into the box, be sure that the flat side of the gasket faces away from the box, and lubricate the gasket with petroleum jelly, floor/machine wax, grease, or your favorite lubricant. That should do it. I shall update my review when I install the filter and see how well it actually works. UPDATE: The seller's rep e-mailed me the following: "The connections that are needed to hook up the discharge are a 3' Fernco that can be purchased from most home improvement stores. As far as what pipe to use, that is completely up to you, as long as the pipe size remains 3' the entire run. The adapter that is included is slid on to the outlet and then the Fernco is attached to that. This unit can be plumbed differently in many applications so the use of a Fernco gives the user the freedom to adapt it to their water feature." Would have saved them a lot of user frustration and hostility if they had either included this Fernco adapter or at least said in the instructions that you would need it. Also, they said that you must use a 3 inch output pipe. Not doing this may explain why so many commenters experienced overflow when the filter became saturated with dirt. UPDATE 2: I had the filter in operation for the full season of 2024. I cleaned and stored it indoors for the winter, and reinstalled it this April, 2025. I am now prepared to revise my former review. I have never had a pond filter that did as good a job at clearing the water, nor one which was easier or quicker to clean than this one. The initial installation problem was inconsequential compared to the ongoing operational ease and simplicity. It is an excellent and cost-effective filter, and I am delighted to wholeheartedly recommend it.

I've had to take over for my mom caring for the outdoor pond. She used to clean the filter bi-weekly and had two filters running (3000 galfilters) Problem is we have goldfish and Koi in our 2500-3000gal pond... so we needed 6000-9000 (no fish) gallons to keep it clear. Me and my dad said screw it and went 50/50 in on this filter and a 3500GPH pump and in ONE DAY you could see the difference. However... that is our issue, the filter is overkill for my pond and is just doing it's job, so for the stress test it passed with flying colors. Onto the cleaning, I will say the sludge drain is leaky and requires a LOT of force to get it to a drip... I ordered more tube clamps since the filter only came with two... so my drain hose can be on permanently, but lead back into the pond when not in use. This is your best option to save your wrists ever time you clean the filter, just secure the drain pipe and move it when you drain. The other suggestion I have is a 3" flexible rubber gasket instead of gluing the output as instructed, the rubber gasket will let your output sag slightly for good flow and can be removed in the winter easily if necessary. TL;DR Pros: Works very well Easy to clean... once setup Cons: OOW MY WRIST Needs more Hardware for proper installation No UV Expensive I do recommend this filter because it is so simple but works so well, no pressurized chambers, no bio balls, it's just sponges with handles to wring them out... Which just makes it more annoying that it's so expensive and they dont even give you a few extra clamps and gaskets. I will probably add the UV attachment in the future, maybe next spring since my wallet has been lightened. It isnt necessary though, coming from a really dirty start this filter does the work.

I have a Koi pond approximately 8000 gallons and 17 fish medium to large in size. They’ve been in the Pond for 12 years. I have a bead filtration system with a UV light on it, that was doing a pretty good job, but I was still having cloudy water, sometimes greenish hue. I used to try different chemicals and products to clear up the water. none of that stuff ever seem to work. After reading many reviews on YouTube, I came to the conclusion that the best way to keep your water clean is to add extra filtration so I bought this pump and filter, and has done a fantastic job of finishing off what the bead filter was not accomplishing the two pieces together worked very well. The only stuff I put in the water now is the good bacteria, I put 2 gallons in in the spring and maybe add one more in July and one more in September. But that’s it no other chemicals the fish are very healthy. I’m thinking about adding another one of these just to really keep the pond clean. But for the price, I’m very happy with it. It was easy to set up and it’s easy to clean. You still need to clean out your pawn at a minimum every two years, it doesn’t matter what filter you have you will always need to clean out the pond to get all the sediment out of the bottom. But this thing works really well, I imagine if you had a smaller pond 3 to 4000 gallons it may be all you need.

zEDITED: August 16, 2020 *We've had this filter for over a month now. Not sure why it happened, but we went into the backyard to notice our pond had lost some water. Looked over at the filter and it was gushing water out of it onto the ground. Turned the filter off. Luckily we caught this early before it drained our fish pond. Not sure why it overflowed. We did a deep clean on all the filter sponges. It's back on and NOT overflowing but we have now noticed a small drip from the corner from where the output hose is. It also seems like the plastic overall has warped so the inner base is not sitting fully sitting correctly and this is another place where we are noticing a drip. First things first: THIS IS NOT A STRAIGHT-OUT- OF- THE- BOX AND TURN IT ON FILTER. CONS: It does NOT come with any hoses, input or output. You will find out that the fitting sizes are European, not US sizes. So you will have to make a few trips to the hardware store to rig up the system to make it work. There are many reviews from others on here that recommend the fittings. The instructions are few and far between. The video shows the filter being right beside a pond but then the instructions say to place the filter 6 feet away from the pond. You clean the filter by removing the top and pulling up the blue handles that are connected to "sponges" that are squeezed to remove the dirty water. However, we noticed that when you do this, some of the dirty water goes into the output hose and back into your pond when you turn it on. Draining: You unscrew this fitting on the bottom side when you are ready to drain all the dirty water out of the filter. However, this piece doesn't stick out very far so you are constantly hitting your knuckles up against the plastic hanging over it. We had to lift our filter up off the ground so we could get a good handle on being able to unscrew the fitting and then putting it back on when the filter was done being drained. There are MANY design flaws in this pond filter that has caused a lot of frustrations. PROS: Within 24 hours, we saw a big difference in our pond. However, being that our large pond is right in the sun and we live in the Phoenix area, we won't see any real results till the fall months when the algae eases up. We are fighting the Phoenix sun so right now, so the algae is winning.