OASEBioSmart 10000 Pond Filter

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.

Good and easy to clean, recommend

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.