Filtreau Excellent Combi Drum 25/30 Low Version – Pump Fed

Filtreau Excellent Combi Drum 25/30 Low Version – Pump Fed

Automatic pond filtration where filter height is restricted

If you want an automatic combi filter beside an established pond but have limited installation height, the pump-fed Excellent 25/30 Low is worth a close look. Its body is 750 mm high, with the drum, biological sections and 80W high-output UV-C brought together in one unit.

A pond pump sends water into this version. The return then relies on gravity, so the filter must be high enough above the pond for clean water to leave freely. A low body can make the installation easier to accommodate; it does not remove the need for a correctly arranged return.

A cleaner feed to the biological media

The first stage is a 120-micron drum screen. Solid waste is held back, and an automatic rinse starts when the level sensor detects restriction. The internal wash pump supplies the spray bar while the drum rotates, removing dirt to waste without requiring daily manual screen cleaning.

Keeping solids away from the biological section is useful because that section is there to process dissolved fish waste, not to store sludge. Hel-X media moves under aeration, and Japanese matting provides a separate fixed-media surface. The 80W UV-C tackles suspended green-water algae alongside these processes, rather than replacing either of them.

Selecting the right accessories

Biological media and the air pump are separate choices. An optional 100-litre Hel-X and 2 m² matting arrangement is available for this filter family, but the final loading must leave the moving bed free to circulate. Increase biological demand gradually while new media matures and check water quality rather than assuming more media gives instant extra capacity.

Our high-quality Japanese matting is supplied in 1.2 × 1 m sheets. Two sheets provide 2.4 m² before cutting; one sheet may suit a smaller addition. These are uncut sheets for the static section, not a guaranteed drop-in replacement for the shaped cartridge. Match the sheet layout and air supply to the actual chamber configuration.

For additional biological treatment, the model-matched 25/30 Low trickle add-on can be considered as a separate stage. It needs its own flow planning and suitable media; adding a shower does not increase the drum’s permitted throughput.

Allowing for the complete pump circuit

The maximum filter flow is 20,000 litres/hour. Choose the circulation pump from its flow curve at the installed height and pipe losses. A larger pump can be useful when it is adjustable, but only if its output is set within the filter and return capacity.

Technical specification

Installation and ongoing care

Support the entire 1,300 × 1,117 mm base, allow access around the lid and keep the waste pipe easy to inspect. Avoid building the filter into a tight enclosure that traps the quartz sleeve when it needs removal. Electrical equipment needs suitable protection and safe isolation before servicing.

Follow the Excellent manual for initial setup and maintenance. If your intended arrangement instead brings bottom-drain water into a filter at pond level before the pump, compare the gravity-fed 25/30 Low; the operating arrangement, not the exterior appearance, determines which one to choose.

Related equipment and advice

• Charles Austen ET100
• 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 Combi Drum 25/30 Low Version – Pump Fed Inline