Koi Clear V-105 Vortex Filter by Matala

One single standard unit suitable for water gardens up to 20 Ton / 5,300 Gallons.

Versatile and modular application, state of the art progressive filtration, the Matala filter media with 3-dimensional structure and high free volume, easy installation, transport friendly.

The Koi Clear does not include any tank fittings. You must drill your own holes and install your own bulkhead waterproof fittings in any location you need.

We recommend you use standard long shaft 2" or 3" bulkheads for your waterproof fittings.

In some cases even when the Koi Clear is buried or back filled you may install the filter on top of a concrete slab for extra stability depending on your earth and soil type and conditions. Be aware that any filter which is buried or back filled has a risk of lifting out of the ground when empty if the ground has a high water table such as after a heavy rain . If you drain the filter with a high water level in the earth the hydrostatic pressure can lift the tank out of the ground. It is important to consider the hydrostatic pressure in your earth. If your property is in a low elevation compared to local area or if you are at the bottom of a hillside, then you could have a much higher water table. Try to provide adequate drainage of ground water away from your buried or back filled Koi Clear. Installing the Koi Clear in a vault with a drain will alleviate this potential risk. Koi Clear tanks which are installed above grade or above your water table are not at risk.

If the Koi Clear is installed above grade then the stand is recommended for extra stability.

Connectors and fittings are not supplied by Matala. Fittings must be supplied by end user or the dealer. Typically you will need three fittings.

One inlet from the pump or from the pond to feed water to the filter. 

-If gravity flow to the filter you will need a 3inch or 4 inch inlet.

*A single 4 inch pipe can handle up to 3500 gph by gravity flow to the filter.

*A single 3 inch pipe can handle only 1800 gph by gravity flow.

-If pumping to the filter you will need a 2 inch inlet.

One outlet returns water to the pond.

-if gravity flow back to the pond you will need a 4 inch outlet. If the return to pond is gravity flow, you can increase flow rate to 4500 gallons per hour only if your 4 inch pipe is less than 5 feet and definitely draining downhill.

- if pumping back to the pond you will need a 2 inch outlet. * See above flow rates.

One drain to clean out the dirty water from bottom of filter tank. 

- if the bottom of the Koi Clear is above grade or in a position where it can drain downhill then you can use a 2" or 3” drain fitting with a ball valve or knife valve on outside. Just open the valve and the dirty water will drain downhill.

- if the bottom of Koi Clear is below grade or in a position where it cannot drain downhill then you must use a sludge pump in the bottom of the Koi Clear to pump out the waste. In many cases you can install the sludge pump permanently at the bottom of the Koi Clear and just plug it in to pump out the waste. The pipe from the sludge pump should rise above the water level so that you do not have a leak when sludge pump is not in use.

The Koi Clear holds approx 150 gallons. If it will be free standing then you need the stand for security. It will stand by itself but not safe for long term.

If you bury it with solid back fill even 18" to 24" then you do not need the stand.

The tank has no holes drilled in it. You must provide holes and fittings. You may use bulkheads or Uni-seals.

If used as a vortex it would normally be positioned with top of tank just a few inches above the water level of the pond and the bottom drain pipe from pond would flow by gravity to the vortex. Use 2 x 3" pipe or 1 x 4" pipe for gravity feed from bottom. Maximum flow for vortex action is approx 50 gallons per minute. If you add a black R- Matala at the top of tank then you can increase your flow to 75 gpm. If flow is too fast then solids will get pulled through.

If used above water level then you must pump the water to the Koi Clear. You may use 2 inch pipe if pump fed. If pump fed and used for solids only then you should use a black R-Matala at the top of tank to catch solids. Max flow is 75 gpm for good solids removal.

If used for mechanical/biological filtration then get all 3 Matala layers. Black pad on bottom, green R-Matala in middle and blue R-Matala at top.

This will become the dominant filter. (Most waterfall filters on the market are too small to be good filters.) You can send the dirty water to the Koi Clear and then gravity flow straight to the waterfall or pond. If you have an existing watefall filter or biofallsz you can also flow from the Koi Clear directly to the biofalls so as to keep existing pond design intact. The biofalls will not have to deal with heavy solids in this manner and the overall combination will give very good results if used on ponds smaller than 5000 gallons. 

It all comes down to turnover flow rate through the system and overall filter capacity to handle solids and biological load. You must provide an easy and simple process for cleaning the Koi Clear. Access to the tank should be clear of obstacles. Use a bottom drain for backwashing debris from the Koi Clear.

If using Matala media in the Koi Clear, set up the cleaning process so that you do not have to remove the Matala media. It is too heavy with dirt and is cumbersome to lift out. Instead set up a portable sump pump (at least 3000 gph) to take pond water and flush down through the media with high volume. Leave the media in the tank during cleaning process. You may also use your existing filter pump in some cases to divert water with a valve and flexible hose to use pond water to flush out the media.

There are many possible plumbing combinations that can be achieved with the Koi Clear.

Actual positions of inlet and outlet pipes and pipe sizes will depend on the application you intend.

The tank can be used as a vortex solids filter only or as a mechanical biological filter only. The Koi Clear can be used as a stand alone filter or together with multiple Koi Clear or other filter tanks to create a multi-chamber filter system. Pay attention to water levels in the tank and how your pipe position will affect the water level in the tank. Leave yourself some margin for safety to prevent overflow of the tank. If you need system design you may contact your local koi pond filter expert or contact us at Matala USA.

Koi Clear V-105 Vortex Filter features and benefits:

• Versatile and Modular Application
• Dimensions: 42 inch diameter x 40 inch tall.
• Contains approx 150 gallons volume.
• Can be used as Vortex or as combined Vortex + Filter.
• One tank can be applied as a single filtration unit.
• Several tanks can be applied as modules in a multi-chamber filter.
• State of the Art Progressive Filtration
• For better step-wise transition from mechanical filtration to bio-filtration.
• The Matala Filter media with 3-Dimensional Structure and High Free Volume
• Active, self-cleaning vortex flow below and throughout the filter media.
• Very resistant to clogging.
• Easily maintained: Top to bottom rinsing.
• Easy Installation
• Thanks to the sloped square bottom of the KoiClear105, no extra supports are needed for positioning and equilibration.
• Transport Friendly
• Tanks are fully stackable.