Pond Pumps

Your pond filtration system consists of your pond pumps and pond filters.

Optimal water quality is essential to the health of your koi pond. Not only is sparkling clear water important for the health of your fish, it also more beautiful to look through when viewing your fish.

One of the secrets to sparkling water in your koi pond is selecting the right sized pump and filtration system. You cannot skimp in this area.

Your fish pond pump can be compared to the heart in the human body. Selecting the right pond pump is critical to maintaining a healthy sparkling pond.

When choosing a pond pump, you need to consider the size of your pond. Calculate the volume of water in your pond using this pond volume calculator to get an idea of the size needed. The pump size should turn over the volume of water in your pond once every hour.



Once you understand how much water you must move, you need to calculate the required head height that your pump must have to move the water to your water features. This guide shows you how to select a pond pump. Once you identify the pump size needed, there are many different fish pond pumps to select from.

Submersible pumps are the most practical for small ponds and are usually cheap (around $60.).

There are three types of submersible pumps to select from: magnetic drive pumps, asynchronous pumps, or direct drive pumps. Select a submersible pump if your pond is small to medium or roughly 200 to 800 gallons of water.



Sump pumps fall into this category, but these usually have oil seals that will eventually leak into your pond. These types of pumps do not last long – usually around a year. They are not really designed for 24x7 operation.

Beckett makes a submersible pump that is made for pond operation. It is a good pump for a small pond, but not as efficient as an external pump.

These small pumps and filters are usually not sufficient to deal with a large pond or a pond with many koi fish. The waste generated from your koi will tax a pump of this size.

The most popular external pump for pond applications is a direct drive pump. Direct drive pumps are by far the most popular for medium to large backyard ponds. These pumps can pump large volumes of water with little pressure lost. Many models are very energy efficient and are excellent for pond and waterfall use. Select an external pond pump if your pond is medium to large size with 1000 gallons or more.

These pumps have a suction pipe that runs from the pump down to the pond. Be sure you have a screen over the end of the pipe, or you will suck up debris and/or fish.

The main drawback with an external pump is that it can lose its prime during a power outage, run dry and burn up.

These pumps require a good deal more planning for their plumbing during the pond building stage. Their general advantage is the amount of flow they can circulate for a minimum amount of electricity. This is a huge advantage if you plan on having a waterfall.

Speaking of electricity, we recommend installing a dedicated outlet for your pond pump

If you get one of these, be sure to get one with an attached strainer basket that has a check valve built in. This will help keep the pump primed if it shuts off accidentally for some reason.

Ultimately, you want your pump to circulate the complete volume of the pond in an hour. It must be reliable and energy efficient.

The purchase of your pond pump is one area that you will not want to scrimp on costs.

You may save a little money by purchasing a cheaper pump, but you will more than make up for that in the increased cost of electricity to run the pump. Generally, the more energy efficient pumps are more expensive. Over the life of your fish pond pump, you will more than make up this extra up-front cost in savings on your electric bill.

To ensure that you get the maximum circulation of your pond water, locate your pump as far away from the discharge as possible. To keep the fish from getting pulled into your pump, place it into a suction screen. We will show you how to build one.

Your pond filtration system made up of your pond pump and pond filter is the most important component of ensuring you have a sparking backyard garden koi pond. If you get this right, you will have hours of enjoyable time with your koi pond.

Return to Pond Pumps

Return to Home Page