Fish Mate 2500 GUV Gravity UV Plus Bio Pond Filter- with Flip-Up Lid & Flow Gauge for Advanced Filtration & Clear Water

My mother bought one of these filters in the 90's and it never failed, just changed the uvc bulb yearly and did regular maintenance and it really was a great little filter. So as I was upgrading to a bigger pond I wanted/needed to add extra filtration I immediately wanted this filter. I set up the new pond with the pressure filter, I had filled the new pond 5 days before adding the fish and filtration during the heatwave so in those 5 days the water went dark green, the pressure filters uvc did a great job at clearing the grean colour but then the uvc bulb went, so I decided I would sort this filter out, it is so simple to set up, add the hose from the pump, plug in the filter for uvc and its ready. I have included 2 photos, the first photo was taken at about 5pm yesterday afternoon just after setting up the new filter, the pressure filter is not attached at the moment so it is just this filter on the pond, I have just taken the 2nd photo at 9.30am the next morning, as you can see the clarity is amazing 16 hours after turning the uvc on and the sponge in the filter collecting the floating dead algae, I can even see new buds on the lily. Being a new pond there will always be algae problems, this is expected and to be honest I welcome it as it allows the pond to come to life, eventually I hope to have what I call a green carpet on the floor and walls of short length algae, the fish love feeding off of the life that makes this algae home but I do like to see the fish so I like to have the best of both worlds and give the fish a good life and this filter gives me exactly what my fish and I would like. The new pond can have 700 gallons but at the moment I have 500 gallons in it and this filter can handle that volume fine, I also only have a few fish so the waste level is low, I will be adding 2 or 3 koi in time but the filtration needs be a lot more as koi create a lot of waste but I will also have a smaller quartine/hospital pond and this will be perfect for that. If you need a small filter to run 500 gallons or less then you will not regret getting this filter, it is so easy to set up, very easy to maintain, it keeps the water in great condition, you can add extra mechanical and or biological media, the filter is supplied with one layer of coarse foam sponge for the removal of particles and came with ceramic rings as the biological media as the ceramic media holds a large amount of nitrfying bacteria and there is room to add extra sponge layers and ceramic rings or even change the media to whatever you want and this filter is extremely good value especially when you think the uvc is included, it does not come with a plug fitted but adding a plug takes a couple of minutes but it gives you the option of how you power the filter, I just use a plug as it does not need high power to work. The pump I am using is a 1000 gallon per hour but the filter can easily handle a stronger flow. Would I recommend this filter - the answer is simple - yes, it is so easy and is great if you want it for your first or tenth pond.

My small garden pond was suffering from a heavy algae contamination. The filter on my pump was constantly clogging. I took a chance on this as an extra filter. There was an ideal place on the side of my pond so locating was simple, though it needed a power supply so I had to change my single outdoor socket to a double to accommodate the extra plug. Size is ok and, the green colour means it is not too obtrusive. I may, in the future, disguise it with plants, but at present am not too worried about appearance, as long as this filter is effective at maintaining a healthy pond. At first I was a bit sceptical as to its effectiveness so I started changing some of the water by removing a couple of buckets full daily for a few days. Suddenly I noticed a definite difference in the clarity of the water. Over a couple of days it cleared and now I can see right to the bottom of the pond, which is a remarkable transformation. The uv tube in this filter is only 8 watt so I haven’t noticed any significant increase in electrical cost on our smart meter. The existing pump seems to cope with supplying a steady trickle of water to the filter, whist still maintaining a “bell” fountain head. As another reviewer suggested, inside there is a space between the filter media and the 2 outlets so, like him, I put in a standard, cheap, kitchen sponge scourer which is a perfect fit, slows the water to allow the filter more time to work and gives any easily accessible extra means to clean out any algae and debris caught up in it. Just open the lid, lift out the scourer and rinse under the tap! Simple but very effective!.. I’m very happy with the difference this has made.

Had this on my pond just over a year no probs, UV tube just blew but found a replacement easy. My only gripe is - i still have not found an the input pipe from the pump that fits tight so, it leaks,

Good filter that works well simple to set up and does a good job of cleaning a small pond no issues as yet.

Replacement for an old one. Really good value and product. Exactly what I wanted. Very efficient and effective. Thank you.

This is my fourth one. Works a treat. Clear water, after a couple of days. I would recommend this Filter. Ease to fit. Not a bad price. Good quality. Should be good for two or three years.

Quick delivery, perfect replacement.

Good value