Filtreau Excellent Bio Drum 35 – Gravity Fed

Filtreau Excellent Bio Drum 35 – Gravity Fed

A wider drum for the gravity-fed mechanical stage

The Excellent Bio Drum 35 Gravity gives you a wider mechanical stage than the Bio Drum 25 without increasing the body length or height. The 500 mm drum sits in a 1,163 × 700 × 680 mm housing, with automatic pressure washing and 80W high-output UV-C included.

It is intended for a gravity-fed circuit, where dirty water reaches the drum before the circulation pump. Maximum flow is 35,000 litres/hour, subject to the pond connections, operating levels and the capacity of the rest of the filtration system.

The benefit of removing solids early

The 120-micron screen captures suspended waste before it can accumulate in later treatment stages. Screen loading changes the water level, starting the drum motor and internal wash pump. Rinse water carries the removed material into the waste channel and out of the system.

The cleaning cycle responds to the filter’s condition rather than requiring a fixed daily hand-cleaning routine. Still inspect the mesh, waste path and nozzles, especially when the pond is being cleaned or seasonal debris increases the load.

Pair it with the right biological treatment

For a complete pond system, match the drum to a biological stage with enough mature media and aeration for the fish you keep. Its 35,000-litre-per-hour flow capacity describes water movement, not feeding capacity: a heavily stocked koi pond places greater demands on the biological filter than a lightly stocked ornamental pond.

If your preference is for dedicated media chambers inside one combi body, compare the Excellent 25/30 Low Gravity or Excellent 30/50 Gravity. Those layouts have different footprints and equipment arrangements, so choose on the whole system rather than flow alone.

Connections and service clearance

Three 110 mm inlets and three outlets offer flexibility for the pond circuit. Keep branch isolation accessible and avoid unnecessary reductions that increase draw-down. Place the filter on a level base at the correct operating height, leaving sufficient room to remove the UV components.

The 80W HO lamp treats suspended algae. Use the appropriate HO spare rather than an 80W amalgam replacement with a superficially similar description. A clean quartz sleeve and the correct lamp are part of maintaining useful UV performance.

Technical details

Choosing between the nearby models

Compare the Bio Drum 25 Gravity when width is tighter, or the Bio Drum 60 Gravity for the larger drum and more inlet branches. The pump-fed Bio Drum 35 is configured for pumped dirty water and has its own lower flow limit.

Follow the Excellent manual for safe servicing. Observe operating levels as pump output changes and leave room in the finished installation to inspect the drum rather than making access an afterthought.

Related equipment and advice

• View the full Filtreau range
• Browse Filtreau drum filters
• Read our drum filter guide
• Compare all drum filters
• Choose a variable pond pump
• Choose a Charles Austen air pump
• Pressure pipe, valves and fittings
• View Filtreau UV-C units
• Find replacement UV lamps and quartz sleeves
• Filtreau Excellent Bio Drum 100 – Gravity Fed