Choosing the right pond pump is important. Pumps can help make the water in your pond clean, power a pond filter, or make a fountain or waterfall. But there are so many different kinds of pumps! To choose the right one, think about what you want it to do. There are three main types of pond pumps: one for cleaning up water (solids handling filter pumps), one for making fountains or waterfalls (fountain pumps), and one for powering a feature in your pond (feature pumps).

Solids handling pumps, or filter pumps, are designed to suck in solid waste and pump it to a filter for removal. They have large cages and large inlet holes to prevent solid matter from blocking the tiny holes in the fountain jet. Solids handling pumps are low pressure and designed to lift large water volumes just a few feet to a filter box.

Fountain pumps use high pressure to squirt water high into the air or push water to the top of a waterfall.