Fish Tank Pumps

In an aquarium, we rely on water to deliver oxygen & trace elements to organisms, and waste to skimmers & filters. Good circulation is absolutely essential, and is a major concern in large or heavily stocked tanks, which can develop stagnant "dead spots". Water movement also discourages algae, and promotes fish health by forcing them to swim harder (stick to low flow rates for fry, live plants and stagnant water fish that aren't used to exercise).

Fish tank pumps circulate large volumes of water; powerheads are small pumps that produce currents. Different aquariums have different circulation needs.

Fish tank pump is kind of a jack-of-all-trades. They can power filters, airstones, and several types of plastic decorations. Air pumps are available in both vibrator and piston models. When added to an undergravel filter, a pump drives air though the airstone in the uplift tubes via tubing. The air is then broken up into small bubbles as it passes through an airstone and up the tube.

Fish tank pump should always sit above the midpoint level of the aquarium to avoid water backflow (which can ruin your pump) if electrical power is lost. For example, if your aquarium is 12 inches tall, the pump should sit higher than 6 inches measured from the bottom of the tank. However the easy solution to this problem is to buy a checkvalve. The checkvalve is a small plastic cylindrical object that allows water or air to flow in only one direction, so that any backflow of water will not damage your pump. The check valve is added to the air-line tubing. Air pumps come in a variety of different sizes to suit almost any filter. (All filters are driven either by an air pump or an electric motor.)