What kind of Aquarium Pumps can you find?

Aquarium pumps come in a mind blowing number of shapes and sizes, and a newbie aquarium owner can get easily confused when selecting an aquarium pump for their fish tank. Some of the most common types are air, water and power-head pumps. Some aquarium pumps perform multiple functions, while others stick to one; and to be able to distinguish between pumps, it is important to know how they work.

Let’s start with the aquarium air pump, which is also the most common variety available in the market today. Available in a wide range of shapes and styles, air pumps aerate the aquarium water, and even aid filtration. Usually they are small objects that you place in the tank, with the actual pump located outside of it. It is absolutely essential to place the air pump outside the water, even if the bubble spurting device is kept inside the water. Such devices are a big hit with children in particular, with the treasure chest being the most sought after model.

Most air pumps are so easy to use that you only have to take it out of the box, plug it in, and its ready to roll. Some air pumps come with filters, which will need cleaning regularly. But make sure it is not too big for your pump, as it could set your fish rolling along with the water.

Now let’s move onto to aquarium water pumps, which unlike air pumps can be placed within the tank itself, or outside as well. Water pumps placed with the water are also known as submersibles, and their major advantage is their lack of noise, and easy set-up process. But submersibles tend to heat up the water, and may not be as powerful as external water pumps. The only drawback, a minor one at that, of external water pumps is that they are slightly harder to install and require some basic knowledge of pumps.

Lastly power-heads are very similar to water pumps, except that they provide water flow in only one particular direction. They are ideal for small freshwater tanks, and can be used to drive filters as well as aerate the tank. Inexpensive, these devices are also extremely useful in marine and reef tanks, where ideally more than two power-heads are placed to create strong multidirectional water flow.

How do you know what kind of Pump you need

Selecting the right aquarium pump for your tank is actually an easy task. You will have to keep in mind the following points:

• Size of your tank: Bigger the tank, the more powerful the pump should be, and preferably an external pump.
• Population of your tank: If your tank is heavily populated, a power-head will be unsuitable; go in for an air pump instead.
• Type of aquarium: A marine or freshwater aquarium; there are pumps for either so pick one that suits the style.
• Whether the aquarium is closed or open: A closed system will require a more powerful pump, while an open aquarium can make do with a little less power

Apart from all these, you need make sure that your aquarium pump should turn over the water of the pump at least 3-4 times in an hour. So if your tank holds about 20 gallons of water, you will need to get a pump having 100 GPH (Gallons/Hour) power, so that it turns the water 5 times in an hour. If you have a reef aquarium you will need even more power than this, as you will have to duplicate the natural currents found under the sea, which are vital to the growth of these organisms.

Another set of numbers to keep in mind is regarding the head pressure of the aquarium pump. Basically, the head pressure is the distance between the inlet of the pump and the discharge, plus an extra one foot for every 90 degree bend , as well as another foot for every 10 feet of horizontal pipe in use. Be sure to calculate the head pressure for your tank, and compare it with the value available on the aquarium pump you are looking at.

All this simple observations will ensure that you end up with the ideal aquarium pump for your fish tank.