Surface mounted, or dry mounted pumps are designed to be situated outside the pond, unlike other pumps which are submerged under the water. Once primed they suck water from the pond via a hose, and then send it along another length of hose to a filter or waterfall.

Surface mounted pumps are commonly installed on gravity fed filter systems and, because there is only a suction hose set into the pond or filter, can be used to draw water from areas which would otherwise be inaccessible to a bulky pump.Flow-rates for surface mounted pumps tend to range from 3,000 Lph to 6,000 Lph. These pumps work under much higher pressures than common pond pumps, and can pump water over far greater distances, making them ideal for long streams or tall waterfalls.The main drawback with surface mounted pumps is the running cost, as the higher pressures require a much higher wattage.