My priority was an easy to maintain all-in-one fountain filter and this was perfect. As I have a mucky 1,500 gallon wildlife pond with one 8" Koi and about another 20-25 small 1"-3" baby Koi and many frogs, it needs a clean every couple of weeks—an probably weekly during the summer months. It's an undersized filter for my pond, but I will be running it alongside a properly sized box filter in the future. Even clogged the Filtral's fountain retains its spray shape pretty well, something I can't say for the all-in-one pump it replaces. Overall, the pump is a bit pricey, but IMO the ease of maintenance, fountain feature, integrated bio and mechanical filtration, UV clarifier and aerator, low wattage magnetic drive pump are added value that make up for that expense in the long run.