OASE BioSmart 5000 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.