Our Facebook Page to Follow: Aquarium/Pond Answers Facebook
This is a unique resource for answers, help, & advice to aquarium and pond questions not found elsewhere; With regular posts & article updates.
In our research; we use aquaculture, horticulture, medical, & university research to compile many of our articles.Our Recommended Lighting for highest efficiency professional planted/reef aquariums: "AquaRay Lighting"
Head Pressure in Aquarium and Pond Water Pumps/Filters
Sections Include:
- Overview
- Simple Calculation Methods
- Impeller Design effect on Head Pressure
- Effect of Electromagnet design on Pump Head Pressure
- Head Pressure Improvement Suggestions
By Carl Strohmeyer-PAMR 40+ years experience
Updated 11/1/21
An aspect of any water pump (not air pump), including the water pump aspect of an aquarium canister filter, a significant factor in choosing the correct pump is head pressure.
I will attempt to describe in basic and more advanced terms the important aspect of "mating" a correct water pump to your aquarium or pond application, including the addition of placing a UV Sterilizer in the line up.
The most simple definition of head pressure is that this is the force (or resistance) placed on the "head" (OUTLET) of the pump by gravity. The weight of the water column past the point of the pump outlet and devices in-line past this point constrict or impede flow. A UV Sterilizer, pond "spitter", fountain, waterfall feature, or Fluidized Filter all can affect head pressure.
Do not confuse this with the INPUT side of a pump, any resistance or variances in flow placed on the input side of a pump can damage a pump, especially the popular Mag-drive pumps used today by most aquarium & pond owners (in applications of possible input resistance, a direct drive pump should ONLY be used)
In other words the ability to LIFT water while maintaining current (think torque in a truck that allows the "lifting" or pulling of a load up a hill). This is not simply moving water on a level plain as flow, directly out of the water pump with no pressure placed on the pumps flow.
Another way to think of this is to take a 5 gallon bucket full of water. To simply tip and pour water out of the bucket takes very little energy or "lift" (as an example of head pressure). However, if you were to climb a ladder and pour this same bucket, it would take more energy or lift to do so (again as an example of head pressure).
The majority of aquarium and pond water pumps list their maximum head pressure, so this can be used to determine the end water flow (after head pressure is applied). This may be essential for not only determining the correct pump to purchase, but the correct UV Sterilizer (if desired) to be purchased since flow rate is a MAJOR FACTOR in UVC Sterilization effectiveness.
The listed "GPH or "LPH" is almost always the flow rate directly out of the pump (head) WITHOUT ANY pressure from tubing, devices, filter media, or even water or gravity applied.
An example/analogy would be a car/truck engine: the rated horsepower is what the engine produces at the crank shaft, not the wheels after transmission, vehicle weight, etc is applied. So as a rough analogy; a 200 hp engine is going to work much better in a 2000 lb vehicle than a 10,000 vehicle. This analogy applies to a pumps rated flow rate before head pressure is applied.
"Real World" Canister Filter Flow Rates:
What adds to the confusion canister filter flow rates is the subject of open system versus closed system,
A pump in a sump is an open system, where as a motor/pump as part of a canister filter is a closed system by virtue of the aid of a siphon. This Siphon aid also applies if we were to use a water pump placed in the aquarium to power the canister filter, which I have often done when the motor has failed (this is less expensive than a new filter and often makes for an easier starting filter).
This siphon aid results in much lower affects of distance upon water flow rate between a canister filter and a pump in an open sump.
What is noteworthy is that despite this siphon aid, tests and 1000s of practical use applications show that there is still a drop in flow rate for a closed system canister filter due to friction, tubing size, devices such as UV Sterilizers, CO2 equipment, etc. along with some impact from head pressure.
This sometimes confusing aspect also applies when one product is more factual in publishing flow rates with what a canister filter's closed system pump will deliver in a "real world" application than another.
An example here would be a Sunsun 303B Aquarium Canister Filter which like most related filters provides only the gph (370 gph) immediately at the "head" of the pump, while the Rena Filstar XPL provides both the immediate flow rate out of the pump head (350 gph) and the ACTUAL flow rate (187 gph) out of the filter itself after hoses, filter media, etc are applied.
Based on questions, many will think the SunSun and related filter is substantially stronger, when in reality these filter are nearly equal once head pressure is applied.
Recommended Product Sources:
*Sunsun 303B Aquarium Canister Filter
*Rena Filstar XPL Premium Canister Filter
The implications here are important for mating an effective UV Sterilizer to the correct filter (if a canister filter is to be used to drive water through the UV Sterilizer). As noted previously, few canister filters rate their "true" flow rate. Another example is the Fluval FX5 with a 0 head pressure rating 925 gph, when in reality the typical head pressure flow rate is 600 gph or less after the added resistance in the filter media and tubing are applied (as well as the addition of a UV Sterilizer).
Though it's far from an exact formula, a typical pump/canister filter flow rate with an under tank placement is about 50% to 60% of the published 0 head flow rate.
This is the number you should use for mating your UV Sterilizer.
It's noteworthy that you can increase or decrease the head pressure by the placement of the pump/canister filter and other equipment run off the filter. Keeping the tubing length to a minimum can help decrease friction & head pressure as well as to not use under sized inside dimension tubing.
Impeller, intake, internal flow, and exhaust design will also play a role, as I have seen one canister filter brand barely affected by placement, whereas another is much more affected by filter placement.
Here is an actual test using the Filstar S and timing its flow to fill a container.
- Level with the aquarium - 164.53 gph
- 24" below the aquarium - 153.00 gph
- 52" below the aquarium - 142.87 gph
These results were with a filter with NO resistance in the filter (all media was removed). The tubing was not cut, shortened or lengthened (as tubing length can also change results by adding more water resistance).
For example you can have an aquarium where the stand or table it is placed on allows for the filter and other equipment to be placed alongside at the same level as the base of the aquarium. This would provide for considerably more head pressure than an installation that has the canister filter and other equipment under the stand/cabinet at say 24 inches.
Another important plumbing note is that it is important that your inflow not be impeded (which is why a pre-filter is important, especially with pond pumps), if any flow restriction is needed to control flow, this should be on the exhaust/outlet side of any pump/filter system.
Usually valves on the output/outlet side only adds more head pressure, while restricting flow on the inlet side will strain a pump/filter (this is based on decades of practical/hands on experience as well as advice from my many mentors over the years).
* An example would be a pump with the ability to pump to 10 feet; there is no difference between running this pump at zero head pressure while restricting the flow rate to that of 5 feet of head pressure versus simply running the pump uphill 5 feet to an aquarium or pond water feature!
This is why most properly designed pumps or filter often have a larger diameter intake than they do exhaust. This allows for less strain on the impeller and better head pressure.
Water Pump Designs;
Most aquarium water pumps are open impeller designs that are greatly affected by head pressure. Propeller pumps, just by their design can handle almost no head pressure and thus are only intended for under water applications with no lifting of water out or into an aquarium.
A few pumps, in particular those designed for ponds or large aquarium systems such as the Rio HF Pump series have closed designs that can handle much more head pressure and are thus better suited for lifting water through multiple devices, water features, or deep sumps.
The bottom line is, regardless of the pump design you choose, know its maximum head pressure so it can be calculated what the actual flow will be with the devices you might add in-line.
For instance, do NOT expect a 1000 gph pump with a maximum head pressure of 10 feet to pump any more than 700 gallons per hours lifting water 3 feet from a pond to a waterfall (other factors including water in-line likely will reduce this even more). It is likly that it will be closer to 600-500 gallons an hour. This also applies to aquarium applications too!
Simple Calculation Methods:
This section will provide simple and reasonably (but not 100% accurate) methods to calculate head pressure on a pump or filter.
:
This one is the most obvious; Add 1 foot of head pressure for every 1 foot of vertical tubing past the pump or filter to the discharge point in the aquarium or pond. If the pump is submersible, do not count the position in the aquarium or pond, just where the tubing leaves the top level of the water.
Do not count tubing coming from an aquarium to a canister filter as this is gravity assisted and does not add to this calculation.
This major factor of head pressure is a "one way" factor, meaning that if your pump/filter is pumping water to a UV Sterilizer 24 inches under the aquarium water level, you do NOT count the distance down, then back up as "down" is a given based on gravity/siphon. The head pressure is added on the trip back up to the tank/aquarium.
Looking at Vertical Head Pressure another way we can use this accurate formula:
1 vertical foot = 0.433 pounds per square inch (psi)
or conversely
1 psi = 2.31 vertical feet
Look at it this way; if you have a sump, and are pumping the water up, you have atmospheric pressure at the intake and you have atmospheric pressure plus the weight of the water column on the output of the pump. So before even moving anything the pump has to overcome the weight of that column, and that's where all those feet and 2.3ft/psi or 0.433 psi come from.
As an example; A pump with a rated Head Pressure of 7 feet, would have 3.03 psi (7 divided by 2.31)
Another more simplified, albeit not 100% accurate way to figure vertical head pressure loss is to find the rated maximum head pressure of a pump or filter (if published), then deduct the amount of head pressure in feet, inches, centimeters, etc.
As an example; if the maximum head pressure is 6 feet, and you are placing a pump or filter 2 feet below the aquarium or running 2 feet of water line up to a fountain or pond water feature, you can roughly deduct 1/3 off the flow. If 3 feet of water line is used for this same pump/filter, you can roughly deduct 1/2 (50%) of the flow.
There are not 100% accurate formulas that I have found for measuring horizontal head pressure, other than the very complicated Bernoulli's Equation.
Reference: Bernoulli's Equation
However both in my observations and other reading it is safe to say that horizontal head pressure equals a vertical run of .25 to .5 times its length (in an open system).
The pump outlet size is a major determining factor that you can calculate; for instance if you have a pump with an outlet designed for 1 inch tubing and you use a reducing part (often supplied with many pumps) for say 1/2 inch, you are literally going to reduce your total head pressure by half.
However if your pump is designed for only 1/2 ID tubing, using this size tubing/pipe is not going to subtract from calculation.
I also should point out that not all pumps are designed with the best outlet sizes for their design (which includes head pressure, impeller design, and more), so these calculations can be off if for instance a pump is designed with a 1 inch outlet when in reality its design is better suited for 3/4 inch outlets.
As a side note, in tests I have conducted with several pumps and 1/2 ID tubing with one foot of head added I have not been able to achieve flow rates beyond 350 gph regardless of open impeller pump sizes, wattages, stated flow rates, etc.
Many aquarium systems are designed to operate with larger diameter tubing/piping on the inlet size and smaller on the outlet.
This reduced friction and allows for better flow rate and less strain on the pump/motor.
This also applies with both closed and open systems which is why pumps such as the Rio HF pumps have a larger diameter inlet than outlet
Further Reference:
Will a Larger Pipe Size Help or Hurt?
The bottom line is this is an aspect I have often seen where clients/customers I have serviced over the years have over looked.
An example was a person who had a 3800 gph pond pump connected to 1 inch tubing, even though the pump was designed for 1.5 tubing/pipe. This reduced the flow immediately by 1/3!!
Generally speaking a Level 1 UV Sterilizer will add 1-2 feet to head pressure, but this can vary considerably by UV size and design.
As an example a small well designed 8 watt UV would add as little as a foot to head pressure, however some, such as the Coralife 9 Watt Turbo Twist can double this for a similar size UV.
A large UV such as the TMC 110 Watt PRO Pond /Aquarium UV will add as much as 4 feet of head pressure (although less if 2" ID inch pipe is used).
Product Resource:
*Level 1 UV Sterilizers
*TMC 8 Watt Vecton Premium UV Sterilizer
*TMC 110 Watt PRO Pond /Aquarium UV Sterilizer
Devices such a Fluidized Filters can add anywhere from 2 to 4 feet of head pressure (more or less).
Again design is a factor as well as the sand size (smaller requires less head pressure), but again as a generalization consider a minimum 1 foot for every 6 inches of sand fluidized plus the added elbows in the device add to head pressure as noted earlier in section #2.
Product Resource: TMC Premium 3rd Generation Aquarium Fluidized Sand Bed Filter
If this cannot be found, find a similar pump with the same input wattage and one can generally extrapolate what the maximum head pressure will be.
Then use this number for calculations of flow rate. Using an example is the best way I can explain this:
If, for example your pump/filter has a maximum head pressure of 8 feet and your device (such as a UV Sterilizer) is one foot below the aquarium or pond, you have one 90 degree bend in 3/4" ID tubing/PVC (this would add 1/2 foot head), and then the device itself would add a minimum of one foot head, this equals 2.5 feet of head pressure. Then divide 2.5 feet by 8 feet and gives you .31 or 31%.
So if the rated flow rate of said pump or filter is 500 gph without any head pressure (rated flow), then multiply by .31 or take off 31%, this equals 156 gph. Then deduct 156 from 500 and your actual flow should be 344 gph.
If all else fails in calculations or you have already purchased a pump and simply desire to know the end flow rate, this can be simply calculated quite exactly;
Simply place a container under the outlet of your pump as it empties into the aquarium or pond after passing through all devices and water feature. Then time how long it takes to fill the container in exact measurements.
As an example if a 1 gallon container fills in 10 seconds, that is 6 gallons per minute or 360 gph (this works for metric using liters too).
Admittedly this can be rather difficult for very large flow rate pond pumps that pump say 10 times the previous examples flow rate (3600 gph versus 360 gph), as this would fill 1 gallon in a second. This would required a 5 gallon bucket that might be difficult to position 100% in the water flow discharge; the end result would be 5 gallons in 5 seconds to produce 3600 gph.
Video; Calculating Aquarium Flow Turn Over
ADVERTISEMENT
Effect of Impeller design on Pump Head Pressure
The design a of a water pumps impeller has a major impact on whether it will produce higher flow rates through a higher flow rate curve.
Here are three common designs and their affect on water head pressure
(Please Click on the pictures to enlarge);
The "Propeller" pump impeller design has almost no head pressure and is not intended for any real lifting of water.
However it also is very efficient at moving reasonably high volumes of water with a very smooth rotating current and requires very low electrical wattages to do so.
These are popular in pumps such as the Premium Seio Propeller pumps for under water circulation devices, especially in reef tanks.
Another advantage of this impeller design is that it also has very low start up resistance making it the best design for wave makers that automatically turn pumps on and off to simulate waves.
Product Source: Seio 320, 530 Propeller Water Pumps for Reef Tanks, wave makers
The standard open impeller is the most common design for aquarium and light duty pond water pumps.
While not as good for wave makers, these tend to be the most versatile design which use reasonably low electrical wattage.
Even with these impellers there is a very wide variance in design quality with some having lighter magnets, thin blades or even slight hybrid propeller designs (the Fluval Pumps have impeller designs that are not well suited for adding much head pressure).
As pure water pumps/ power heads go, the newer upgraded Rio Plus Pumps are the superior design in this class from what I have used and seen.
Product Resources:
*Rio Aquarium, Fountain Water Pumps
*Aquarium, Fountain, Pond Pumps; Light to Heavy Duty
The "closed impeller" design is generally the most heavy duty water pump impeller.
This design can handle many more in line devices and its head pressure falls off much more slowly towards its maximum head pressure (where it obviously falls off to 0). In fact this is an aspect of pumps that utilize these closed impellers that is difficult to measure in the previous sections calculations (which I made many generalizations).
This design is best for deep sumps, multiple water features/devices, multiple aquarium systems, and simply larger ponds or aquariums.
A good example of a well made closed impeller pump is the Rio HF Pump
Product Resource: Rio HF Pump; Medium to Heavy Duty Water Pumps
Affect of Electromagnet design on Pump Head Pressure
This is rather straight forward, but still occasionally missed by aquarium or especially pond keepers, and that is the design of the electromagnet of most typical "Mag-Drive" pumps used for aquariums and ponds.
One way to think of this in terms of car/truck engines is horse power versus torque.
Many simple pumps (or in the case of high flow pond pumps; "cheap") have the horse power to move a lot of water, but almost no torque to lift water if there are any devices in-line or debris in the water.
The electromagnet that drives a propeller pump is generally very "simple", meaning it does not need to be a very heavy winding that uses much current, thus this design is generally quite efficient as for electrical usage. As an example a Seio 530 Pump uses only 7.5 watts yet moves 530 gph.
This is an excellent pump for what it is designed for, but it has absolutely no torque and therefore should be used for nothing more than underwater current, not running a UV Sterilizer or similar.
Product Resource: Seio 530 Pump
With most standard impeller design and especially closed (or partially closed) impeller design pumps the electromagnet is much heavier and will require more electrical current (wattage). This will obviously increase depending upon the load and flow it is designed for.
Unfortunately not all pumps marketed for applications such as ponds in particular have the heavy duty electromagnet to provide the torque to provide the "lift" necessary for head pressure.
So even if the flow is good or even the impeller design is excellent, often the electromagnet is not, so the end result is often poor head pressure or worse; a shorter life span due to an electromagnet burn out from attempting to run a large pump and impeller design (often in harsh pond conditions) with an inadequate electromagnet design.
A good example is the Via Aqua 4900 pump (although I like many Via Aqua pumps as good, albeit more economy pumps, this is one to be avoided).
Another is the entire Laguna Max-Flo pump line.
Often, but not always, a dead give away is a pump of what may seem "too low of wattage" for a high flow pump.
This may be fine a for a propeller pump, but not a pump used in sumps or ponds to lift water, especially with more debris in the water column or devices in-line.
Head Pressure Improvement Suggestions
This most basic suggestion is to adjust the level of lift if head pressure (slow water flow) is a problem.
As an example, say you are using an Internal Filter or Power Head Pump to run a UV Sterilizer (often utilizing intake and return adapters) such as the Vecton 8 Watt UV; I would recommend hanging the UV Sterilizer just below the rim of the aquarium with minimal tubing between the UV Sterilizer and the intake and return connections.
Such a short drop will reduce head pressure considerably versus placing the UV Sterilizer at the base of the aquarium or even lower such as at the base of an aquarium cabinet (which may be too much head pressure for many small Internal Filters and Power Head Pumps).
Product Resources:
*Via Aqua or SunSun Internal Aquarium Power Filters
*Power Head Pump; Efficient JP-023
The above suggestions work for many similar applications, and that is moving any device closer to the aquarium (or pond) thus reducing vertical lift.
Horizontal lift is also and issue, but not nearly as much so as vertical lift; that said reducing any unnecessary horizontal tubing/piping can improve head pressure as well.
Having direct flow, even with canister filters using bulkheads can also lower head pressure from my experience
This video provides information as to bulkhead use based on professional experience:
Aquarium Bulkhead Tips and Tricks
References, Additional Reading:
*Pipe Pressure Loss Calculator
This is excellent reading for those with a more technical engineering aptitude.
````````````````````````
For other articles to help readers make well informed decisions about their aquariums or ponds, please consider reading these:
*Aquarium Lighting; The most in depth & researched aquarium lighting article anywhere on the internet.
*UV Sterilization; Sterilizer Information
As with the Aquarium Lighting, this UV Sterilization article is a must read for aquarium or pond keepers.
*Pond Care Information;
Basic but complete information about pond care with links/resources to more in depth pond care help/information.
Other Recommended Reference & Product Sites
Sponge Filtration; Complete Aqurium Sponge Filter Use Information
Premium Aquarium Sponge Filters; from AAP/ATI
Aquarium & Pond Plumbing Parts
Difficult to find or unique parts found nowhere else!
Including: T Water Diverters, Hose Barb Adapters, Couplings, & Reducers, Ball Valves, Swing Check Valves, Return Adapters, Intake Adapters
Economy Submersible Aquarium, Fountain Pumps; SunSun JP-033
A better, UPDATED version of the Via Aqua 302 with SUPERIOR Performance, unlike other pumps sold elsewhere as a replacement
AAP/SunSun HJ-1542 Aquarium Pump; replaces Via Aqua 1300
This pump replaces the Via Aqua 1300 and other copies such as by AquaTop as the Premier Power Head Pump for Aquariums, Ponds, Fountains, Wet/Dry Filters. This pump is submersible with Mag drive & ceramic shaft
JTP-12000 High Output/Efficiency Pond Pump, 3170 GPH (12000 LPH)
Unique VERY efficient design; uses variable frequency technology for low power consumption yet large flow rate & high head pressure!
Uses only 100 watts for 3170 gph output
Hanna Instruments Aquarium Testers & Meters; For Freshwater and Saltwater
Hanna instruments is a global manufacturer of analytical instrumentation.
Hanna offers multi-parameter bench top portable meters and testers..
AAP Premium FSB Filters
Premium, second to NONE Aquarium Bio Filters, that with optional Oolitic Sand can also maintain essential aquarium calcium levels, alkalinity, & electrolytes that are important to ALL Marine life, Goldfish, African Cichlids, Livebearers & more
*Aquarium Silicone Sealant; USDA 100% Fish Safe
100% Fish Safe, USDA & Agricultre Canada approved.
The same CANNOT be said for Hardware Store brands!!
For a friendly, Knowledgeable, aquarium forum with in a family atmosphere:
Aquarium Forum; Everything Aquatic
ADVERTISEMENT
Labels: aquarium, Aquarium Pond Answers Directory, Aquarium Pump, Fountain, Head Pressure, Pond Pump, UV Sterilizer, Water Feature, Water Pump
Power Head, & Water Pump Review; Aquarium & Pond
REVIEW OF AQUARIUM (& POND) POWER HEAD, PROPELLER, & WATER PUMPS BASED ON REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE (including comments on about.com and thereeftank.com reviews):
By Carl Strohmeyer-PAMR 35+ years experience
Updated 5/6/20
Index;
- Overview
- Basic Pump Types
- Head Pressure
- Rio (Taam) PowerHead Water Pumps
- Rio HF Water Pumps
- Maxi Jet Power Heads
- SunSun Power Heads
- SunSun Water Pumps
- Marineland Power Heads
- Hagen Power Heads
- Jebaeo & Finnex Pumps
- ZooMed Power Sweep
- Hydor Koralia Propeller Pumps
- Seio Propeller Pumps
- VorTech Propeller Pumps
- PondMaster Pumps
- Via Aqua Power Head Submersible Pumps
Overview;
First I would like to recommend readers to look at the following webpage to better understand what aquarium, pond, fountain water pumps would fit their needs best and why:
Water Pump Specifications, Recommendations, Limitations
COMMENTARY:
As to the review, which unlike most articles here at Aquarium/Pond Answers, this one is admittedly more subjective rather than objective since these were not controlled studies in the strictest scientific since.
HOWEVER these are based on decades of experience, much mentoring, experimentation, & going with what the popular fad or believing everything a product salesperson told me.
While not to pick on about.com, however after an interesting email form a hobbyist about aquarium power heads/pumps I thought I would investigate what is being said in reviews and stumbled across an article with the reviews of five different power heads at about.com.
This is also not to say I've been perfect from my selection of pumps or did not fall for what a salesperson told me, but I will point out that I learned from mistakes and sought out mentoring (often from engineers as to what a design difference would mean).
A good example back in the late 90s was the Rio 3100 Pump. I was told the new "hinged" impeller was an improvement, so I installed a couple on a new pond build to run a pair of "under-rock" filters powering a pair of UV Sterilizers.
While they ran great for a short time, the hinges broke in short order. I replaced the pumps for my client only to see this happen again. I later simply installed a pair of Rio 20HF Pumps and had no further problems.
Back to the review, many pumps are left of from popular "cool kids" reviews where there was clearly no professional consultation. These reviews often left off some of the best aquarium and pond power head/ water pumps then their reviews were quite contrary to my extensive experience with these pumps in literally 100s if not thousands of aquariums & ponds over the years in my aquarium/pond maintenance business.
Basic Pump Types:
I would like to start out that aquarium water pumps come in three basic designs:
- The Power Head Pump such as the Maxi-Jet and SunSun PH; these are best for use with sponge filters or under gravel filter lift tube and thus acting as part of a filter system.
This type generally does not have as much head pressure as the submersible pump style and for this reason these do not work well for applications such as running Ultra Violet (UV) Sterilizers, Fluidized Sand Bed Filters, or similar.
However this style or even more so the Circulation/Propeller pump is often better for running wave makers than the submersible pump style as these tend to work better in the constant re-start environment of wave makers (I should note that not all true power heads work well here either such as the Marineland).
True UV Sterilizer & FSB Filter Resources:
*UV Sterilizer, Clarifier for Aquarium, Pond
*AAP Premium Fluidised Bed Aquarium Bio Filters - The Submersible Water Pump such as the Via Aqua and Rio PowerHead/Pump series can function both as an inline submersible pump for sumps, fountains and even ponds as well as for power head applications (such as the Rio 600).
This is a VERY BROAD category, with really small models such as the 85 gph Rio 90 up to really big models for ponds or aquarium systems such as the 4755 gph AAP JAP-18000.
The design however is similar from the smallest to the largest.
Some important points to this popular and large category of aquarium/pond water pump:
- With smaller versions, often ceramic shafts are used for noise and heat reductions, but these do not fare well in larger models (much over 750 gph).
- With ALL models, power failures or surges can cause them to not re-start when normal power returns (especially if water has high particulate or mineral loads such as often found in many marine aquarium & pond applications). Even more noteworthy is that with larger models, if the impeller is left seized/frozen, this can burn out the pump magnetic windings very quickly as evidenced in warping or burning of the impeller well.
- As noted in the previous point, for aquarium applications this style pump does not function as well in the environment of being connected to electronic wave makers as the design of the impeller & impeller well does not lend itself to constant starts and re-starts (the best are the propeller pumps)
- Beware that many of these submersible water pumps will add wattage and/or larger impellers for higher flow rates designs without "beefing up" the size and weight of the magnetic windings. This can result in a shorter lifespan of the pump due to premature failure of the electromagnet.
An example is/was the Via Aqua 2100 versus the 1300. Both had the same size electromagnetic windings, but the 2100 pulled a higher wattage with a larger impeller resulting in it being a shorter lived pump.
For another comparison, the AAP JAP 8500s larger cousin the 18000 outweighs it by about 3 lbs just due to the larger magnetic windings 
Before I seem to throw this style of submersible water pump "under the bus", this is probably the most versatile style of pump you can purchase without spending "big bucks" for a generally reliable pump if properly used.
These can be major circulation pumps with excellent head pressure for aquariums or ponds or even be used as a power head too as shown in the picture to the right of a Rio 600 converted to a power head for use on a sponge filter or under-gravel filter
- Propeller/Circulation Pump:
The final pump "type" I will review is the newer propeller style. the Hydor Koralia, AAP/Rio Seio, and AAP/SunSun are popular types of this style pump.
These have almost no head pressure (and as such are utterly useless for powering any device).
However these pumps shine for wave maker use and use the least amount of energy for the water they do move (at 0 head pressure). Another advantage is that these are a very "clean" (aesthetically speaking) water pump application and these pluses make them popular with Reef Enthusiasts.
Finally I will note that most of these pump types (including the basic submersible such as the Via Aqua 305) and with the exception of the propeller pumps have an aeration attachment feature for drawing/injecting air into the water column re-entering the aquarium from the water pump.
See the picture to the left that demonstrates this using a SunSun JP series Power Head.
Head Pressure:
An aspect of any water pump that is often forgotten, yet can be a significant factor in choosing the correct pump is head pressure.
The most simple description of head pressure is that this is the force placed on the "head" (outlet) of the pump by gravity, weight of the water column past this point, and devices in-line past this point that often constrict or impede flow (such as UV Sterilizer or Fluidized Filter).
Most aquarium water pumps are open impeller designs that are greatly affected by head pressure. Propeller pumps, just by their design, can handle almost no head pressure and thus are only intended for under water applications with no lifting of water out or into an aquarium.
A few pumps such as the Rio HF Pump series have partially closed designs that can handle much more head pressure and are better suited for lifting water through multiple devices or deep sumps (as well as water features in ponds).
The bottom line is regardless of the pump design you choose, know its maximum head pressure so as to calculate what the actual flow will be with the devices you might add in-line.
For instance, do NOT expect a 500 gph pump with a maximum head pressure of 5 feet to pump any more than 300 gallons per hour lifting water 2 feet from a sump to the aquarium.
For a much more in-depth and objective article dealing with calculating aquarium/pond pump head pressure, please see this article:
Head Pressure in Aquarium and Pond Water Pumps
ADVERTISEMENT
Here are several pump & power head lines I will review (including refutations of others comments if necessary):
Rio Plus PowerHead Water Pumps
*Rio (by Taam); Originally the "Standard" for submersible aquarium, fountain, and pond pumps as per aquarium maintenance professionals; Rio was later surpassed by their break-away sister company "Via Aqua" with many comparable models based on my professional use (Via Aqua/Commodity Axis has since merged back with Rio/Taam after a hostile Mainland China use of their designs).
However of late, Rio has improved their design of the Rio "Plus" Water pump line with a much better impeller design and it has leaped back over their sister company Via Aqua (which now has few models due to takeover) to once again be the "King" of reliable aquarium, small pond, & fountain water pumps/power heads in their price range.
The Standard Rio Plus Pump has shed the flawed hinged impeller and now has a very durable impeller, along with an excellent epoxy sealed electromagnet motor
Rio pumps & power heads are very powerful with excellent head pressure (depending on the model). Depending upon model, these can be used to run sponge filter or undergravel filters (smaller models up to the 1100) and run sump systems in larger models.
The cons with the impellers as of the most recent update are no longer a "con" as the impeller design has been vastly improved to now surpass their sister Via Aqua Pumps in durability.
These Rio Plus Aquarium & Fountain Water Pumps are among the best aquarium sump, pumps for powering equipment such as needle wheel skimmers, small pond or fountain pumps.
The Rio pumps are also reasonably good at starting up when used as wave makers and are properly maintained, although this is not their best use.
Let me now address this comment from about.com:
"These units are known to fail and leak lubricants back into tanks.".
This is simply NOT TRUE.
I have used not just a couple, rather 100s if not 1000s of these Rio Plus Pumps and failures are rare, especially since the impeller design was improved and more importantly I have NEVER had one Rio "leak lubricants" (there are no lubricants if about.com ever took the time to take one apart before spreading another internet myth), so this is a ludicrous statement!
Clearly this is another reason to be wary of about.com (now called "The Spruce"), including their scientifically incorrect information about Detritus Worms in aquarium, falsely identifying these annelid worms as the flatworm planaria with some serious implications.
UPDATE: since changing their name to "The Spruce" they seem to be cleaning up their act and have now corrected this mistake.
Reference: Aquarium Planaria, False Identification
Another complaint found in Amazon Reviews (which are also not often trustworthy when one considers the dishonest reviews of the Smart Filter & Green Cleaning Machine) is that the Rio Pumps are noisy. Even the first generation Rio pumps were not noisy, yet alone the newer models with improved impeller designs.
I have used 100s of these pumps, and not one time did any client complain of noise. My guess is since these are a powerful pump, is the persons did not secure the pump correctly, allowing vibration.
Further Reading: Aquarium Myths; The Myth of using Community Driven Reviews as a way to determine product quality
Where to Purchase:
*Rio Power Head Aquarium and Pond Water Circulation Pumps
Such as the popular Rio 1100 pump
*Rio 1100 Water Pump
Rio HF (High Flow) Aquarium/Pond Water Pumps
*Rio, Taam HF Series Water Pumps; the newer HF (High Flow) series is without equal when power, performance and especially head pressure (the ability to lift water vertically) are compared with price for all these abilities.
These pumps hold a patent for their design which includes the unique vortex rotor blade, rare earth magnet and more.
The Rio HF Water pumps are what I would recommend for large aquariums with sumps well below the aquarium and/or with many applications to run.
As well the Rio HF is often a good choice for ponds with water features such as water falls or spitters that exceed 5 feet above the pond level as these pumps often have head pressures of double similar gallon per hour pumps.
For example the Rio 26 HF has a maximum head pressure of 13 feet and it still maintains 75% of its water volume at 6 feet.
Where to Purchase:
*Rio HF Pond, Aquarium Water Pumps
*Rio Model 26 HF Water Pump
Maxi-Jet Power Heads
*Maxi Jet Power heads; I will have to agree the most with other commentaries as to this power-head pump.
They are reliable and relatively economical and start back up easily even when used as wave makers (which is an application these pumps are popular for use in).
In fact these are one of the best earlier/1st generation Power Head (only) aquarium pumps.
The newest version of the Maxi-Jet are a convertible circulation/power-head pump. The flow rate is much higher when used as a circulation pump. Example the Maxi-Jet model 600 is rated for 600 gph as a circulation/propeller pump and 160 gph as a power head
The only negative with this pump is the head pressure is poor, but then this is not really what this pump is designed for.
Where to purchase to support the professional aquarium hobby:
Maxi-Jet 600 Pro Water and Circulation Pump from AAP
AAP/SunSun Water Pumps
The SunSun line of aquarium products, in particular the pond, aquarium, and fountain water pumps are relatively new to the North American market, however with the demise of Via Aqua, they are producing many of the same niche of "good value" aquarium, pond, sump, & fountain pumps often based on the exact same designs (sometimes actually "borrowed").
In fact SunSun now has a much larger line of versatile aquarium/pond water pumps from basic power heads and simple fountain pumps, to large amphibious and high efficiency pond pumps
After issues with a dishonest aquarium product distributor and reseller that had a part in Via Aqua's demise, I started looking for alternatives and was pointed to this company and its new North American distributor by more than one aquarium professional. It is also noteworthy that SunSun builds to order, so the same model pump may not be to the same quality or even specs as another depending upon price paid and specification requested.
What has come to my attention more and more after about a year of use is the quality and especially the head pressure of these SunSun water pumps.
In fact I found these pumps superior in flow & head pressure to the Via Aqua and many other pumps I was looking to replace.
AAP/SunSun also produces some excellent medium to heavy duty pumps that are excellent for aquarium system use or medium to large ponds.
Two of note is the super high output JAP-18000 Pump which is an excellent high head pressure pump that is amphibious, meaning it can be in or out of the water.
The other is the SunSun JTP-12000 High Output & Efficiency Pump which uses only 100 watts to produce a flow rate of 3170 GPH.
*AAP/SunSun JTP-12000 High Output & Efficiency Water Circulation Pump
*AAP/SunSun JAP-8500 & 18000 Amphibious Water Circulation Pump, Pond or Large Aquarium System
*TMC Pond Advantage UV Clarifiers, Sterilizer
AAP Power Heads
The AAP JT Pro 132 pumps are an excellent economy based water pump & powerhead. Definitely one of the best for the price (although the Maxi-Jet is the best when price is not considered)
Bluntly speaking, the Maxi Jet is a design that requires little improvement (I am of the opinion if you design something correctly the first time, little needs to be changed).
What this AAP JT-132 pump has over the Maxi Jet is a more economical pump that has the good reliability and performance!
When compared to other economy water pumps/powerheads such as the Penguin or Aqua Clear, not only is this a better price, but generally MORE reliable!
Where to Purchase: AAP JT-132 Aquarium Water/Power-Head Pumps
Marineland Penguin Power Heads
*Penguin Power Heads; I do not generally agree with assessment by about.com on these power heads. Although they do have a neat feature with the reverse flow power head for UG filters (which are not very common anymore), the other nice feature is the adjustable flow feature.
However nice these features are, these power heads have a poor track record for reliability, they have very poor head pressure, and do not re-start well after the pumps have been in service for a while (in applications such as wave makers).
*Jebaeo/Jebo & Finnex Pumps
The review of these two brands is quite simple, both are extreme economy brands that are designed for quick cheap sales by discounters, most definitely not quality aquarium stores or online sellers.
I personally know a distributor for these and other Chinese brands and he also will back up this statement. My own use in particular of the Jebaeo pumps (aka Jebo) is that these are far from durable pumps (in part due to their underrated electromagnet windings).
The warranty on these lines also speak volumes, with the Jebaeo there is NO warranty. If you purchase a Jebaeo and the seller states there is a warranty, either they are lying or they are self backing the pump (good luck if this business sticks around).
The warranty for the Finnex is 6 months with many exclusions.
Another reason I would recommend against the purchase of these pumps is since these are sold via eBay, Amazon, and other purely "here today, gone tomorrow" discounters, is the harm this does to the hobby and industry.
I know for a fact many good top notch local stores, full information retailers, as well as full service distributors/manufacturers are falling by the wayside. The end results may someday be no one to provide good hobby support both directly and indirectly to the hobby. I know this view is shared by many professionals in the industry as well.
The bottom line is to do yourself a favor unless you need something cheap to hold you over until you can purchase a better pump and pass on the purchase of either of these brands of pumps.
Hagen Aqua Clear Power Head
*Hagen Aqua Clear Power Heads; this pump is also over rated by about.com in my extensive experience with them.
I have used more Aqua Clear power heads than ANY other (including the Via Aqua pumps).
When these power heads first came out they were industry leaders in design, however they are of 1980s technology IMO and although they are better than Penguins in reliability and head pressure, they still would stop and not re-start in many of my applications when power was even briefly interrupted, making them a poor choice for wave maker applications.
Aqua Clear power heads also do not handle high organic/debris loads well and need more maintenance than the Rios that about.com incorrectly claimed needed!
Bottom line with Aqua Clear power heads is that they are reasonable “retro” pumps, but certainly NOT the latest in technology!
ZooMed Power Sweep
*ZooMed Power Sweep; even though I sold these in my business (and I generally like ZooMed as a company), I rarely recommended them.
They are basically a gimmicky power head with poor head pressure and low output. They are not real durable and the “sweeping” directional output feature is run by cheap plastic gears that often fail. These pumps do not handle high bio loads well and are best used in small aquariums or better vivariums where not much is asked of them.
Hydor Koralia Propeller Pump
*Hydor Koralia Propeller Pumps;
The Hydor Koralia is among the first besides the over priced Tunze Pumps to market a propeller type design to the aquarium hobby, and Hydor does this at a much better price than Tunze.
The propeller design is an excellent idea for low power consumption, yet high water movement in a surprisingly gentle flow of which it owes its gentle flow pattern to its design. The Hydor Koralia Propeller Pump attaches to an aquarium via a magnet that attaches to the glass from the outside holding the motor unit on the inside to the glass.
This is an excellent pump for Reef Aquariums due to this unique design and flow pattern and a pump many of my friends in the professional aquarium maintenance and design business like for certain applications.
These applications are generally tanks under 80 gallons where this flow design is advantageous for crowded reef aquariums and a strong current is desired without the strong smaller diameter column of water generated by most other mag drive pumps.
These propeller pumps (or better the Seio) are also excellent and reliable for use as wave makers (unlike most power head pumps, that are not designed for this type of application as they have too “heavy” a designed for “on/off” applications)
HOWEVER, this pump is not without its faults and unfortunately there are several.
Here are a few problems as noted by these professionals:
- Low quality design that easily breaks including the impeller if debris (which is easily brought into it) comes in contact with the impeller. Also if the unit falls from the glass, it can break easily.
- High price per actual performance; the Hydor Koralia 1 generally sells for twice what a Via Aqua 1300 sells for of the same performance and quite bluntly has a much less durable design than the VA 1300.
The relatively newer Seio 320 Propeller Pump is a vastly better choice when value is considered - The magnets can let go and often do in aquariums with 3/8 inch or thicker glass (although this is a rare problem in tanks with ¼ inch glass which is why they are a reasonably good pump choice in tanks under 80 gallons
- In Larger tanks standard power heads such as the Rio 1700 are simply a more durable and better choice.
- When used as a wave maker many report a lot of noise (although many pumps can have this problem).
(6) They are purely water movement pumps and CANNOT be used to run UV Sterilizers, Sumps, or any other application where a pump with a standard outlet that can be hard plumbed or added vinyl tubing is necessary.
Seio Propeller Pump
*Seio (Rio) Propeller Pumps;
The Seio Propeller Aquarium Pumps are finally past the testing phase in aquarium maintenance use where I can make some notes based on the use of many Seio pumps.
Unlike my recently hoped for but disappointed tests with the internal UV Sterilizers (marketed by Jebo/Jebaeo, JBJ, Killing Machine) where I was really hopeful for a new cutting edge product, but let down after use; The Seio Propeller Pumps have passed with the quality I hoped for.
The Seio Propeller Pump is vastly more economical than the Hydor Koralia with a better ceramic design as well as a more compact size. As with most other propeller pumps, the Seio is the best design for use with wave makers.
I would recommend this propeller pump over the Hydor Koralia.
The Seio 320 (320 gph) is best for ¼ inch thick glass, while the Seio 530 produces a flow of 530 gph (2000 LPH) and is recommended glass thickness 3/8" or less.
The Seio 320 is comparable to the Hydor Koralia 1 (actualy slightly more output), but is also almost half the price with a more compact reliable design.
If you in need of a propeller aquarium pump, this is definitely the pump you should consider!
Where to purchase: Seio Propeller Water Circulation Pumps
VorTech Propeller Pump
*VorTech MP40 Propeller Pumps;
This propeller pump has become the latest fad in reef keeping circles, and in part for some good reasons, but unfortunately it also has some serious flaws too.
The VorTech MP40 Propeller Pump in particular has some nice features such as wireless control and battery back up. It is also a well designed pump with many wave and broad flow & flow rate options.
One feature that is touted by many is not a really positive when one examins it in more depth with years of experience using magnetic drive pumps. Unfortunately the magnetically coupled design for driving the impeller in the water from outside the aquarium or pump housing has been tried before.
The magnet required for this feature unfortunately is easily uncoupled from the electromagnetic current from outside the glass, often due to debris in the water.
The more common method of using an impeller in a magnetic well certainly has its drawbacks too, but impeller uncoupling from the magnetic current is much less common with this design (the before mentioned manufacturer went back to an impeller well design after too many of their filters ceased functioning because of impeller uncoupling).
This magnetically coupled design is also touted because you have have no risk from electrical malfunction inside the aquarium. However this too is a misguided attribute, as in literally over 1000s of magnetic drive pumps I have used inside the aquarium; when the pump did fail, there NEVER was any disastrous electrical meltdown or similar in part due to the fail safe epoxy design.
Another cool feature is the "VorTech Battery Backup" touted as "reef tank insurance in an aluminum housing". While not a new idea, since I have been using and even designed my own as far back as 1988, this is the feature I like best.
However the jury is still out on this feature as many who have purchased this have had it fail when needed most!
In the end, with the high price, I think this is a cool product that is also "buyer beware" since this well marketed and over hyped product is more of one of those products where you could do better purchasing a more proven propeller pump such as the Seio or Hydor and a Wave-maker to go with it.
As well more proven air powered back up pumps or your own DIY Inverter/RV battery back up system could be designed.
Further Reference for Power Outage Answers:
Aquarium Power Failure, Tank Moving
Where to purchase alternative products:
Hydor Smart Wave-Maker
Non-Stop AC/DC Pumps
Eugene Danner (Supreme) Pond Master Pump
This is a "tried and true" line of light to medium duty primarily pond, but also aquarium sump pumps.
These are among the first epoxy filled/electromagnet water circulation pumps, and are still better than many.
I personally have used these for now decades with at least reasonable results, mostly in small pond applications
My only complaint is when compared to the more modern Taam/Rio HF series at a slightly lower cost and with vastly superior head pressure and slightly better reliability, these are simply not a good value.
The newer yet SunSun line, while not as tried and true as either the Pondmaster or Rio HF series, has already proved in about 2 years of use (as of 2013) to be AT LEAST as reliable with equal and better head pressure for a MUCH better price.
Good example of superior head pressure and value pumps are the Rio 32HF and SunSun JAP-8500 pumps
The bottom line is while still a good water pump, the PondMaster is simply obsolete when compared with other newer generation water pumps when value and head pressure are factored in. For this reason I personally have ceased selling all but one model of this pump
Where to purchase:
*Rio 32 HF Medium/Heavy Duty Pond/Sump Pump
*SunSun JAP-8500 Heavy Duty Amphibious Pump for Pond/Aquarium Systems
Via Aqua Power Head/Submersible Pump
*Via Aqua; this is a real workhorse line of pumps that is VERY widely used in the professional aquarium maintenance community yet when available rarely got mentioned by many consumer driven reviews.
Unfortunately Via Aqua has ceased production of the excellent value pump, in part due to the economy, but mostly due to unethical practices by another company.
These pumps in the power head line (not the basic line) also have ceramic shafts and very durable construction. Via Aqua pumps (along with SunSun) can be used in sumps or as a power head and have excellent head pressure.
The Via Aqua power head line (such as the VA 1300) can be submersed or used in line which adds to versatility that not all pumps can match. For Aquarium sumps (usually in marine applications) the Via Aqua 2600, and 8000 are unsurpassed in usefulness, especially when costs vs. performance is compared.
Again the only con is these pumps can be a little noisy, but only when used in line. Via Aqua power heads (as with SunSun, Rio among others) are also not as adjustable in flows as some other power heads, but this a minor inconvenience IMO. This inconvenience is more than made up for in versatility!
I will also admit to a couple of models by Via Aqua that I not recommend due to less than desirable durability and these are the 2100, 2300, and 4900 (the 4900 has failed miserably every test I have performed on them).
Where to purchase:
*Via Aqua 1300; Now SunSun HJ 1542
*Via Aqua 2600; Now SunSun HQB-3500
*Via Aqua 8000; Now Superior SunSun JAP 8500
SUMMARY:
I have had persons also ask me why many brands such as SunSun, Rio or Via Aqua are not as commonly available as Hagen and does that make them of lower quality as no one really wants them?
The answer is quite simple; Hagen is sold through a larger network of mainline Pet Store distributors (although they are now transitioning to their own in house distribution system). This system promotes an all or nothing approach to marketing their products basically meaning you carry the whole line (good and bad) or not get discounts or even sell anything at all. This marketing system has been very successful (not to mention slick packaging), however this does not mean a better product.
Rio (among many other professional brands) do not sell through traditional marketing distribution methods and systems, rather it sells many high end Marine fish importers and similar without all the expensive marketing gimmicks.
This in particular places their products in the hands of Aquarium Maintenance Professionals who do not care about slick marketing or whether it is the fad, rather whether it works or not which is why Via Aqua and many other similar high end companies choose to sell this way.
Here are a few more manufactures that sell only (or partly) through high end distributors as well: Sanders, Tropic Marine, Liquid Life, SeaChem, SPS, Two Little Fishies, AAP Wonder Shells (not to be confused with Weco Wonder Shells sold at Amazon & elsewhere) and many more.
If no stores in your area sell Rio (Taam), Seio, AAP, Tropic Marine or similar it is that they choose to buy from the one size fits all mainline distributors that also are the primary stockers of stores such as PetCo as well.
Other Recommended Reference/Product Sites
Marine Aquarium; Basics to Advanced
Aquarium Lighting
The Internets most researched and up to date Aquarium Light Information
FISH AS PETS
Fish as Pets with articles & commentary of Interest to the Aquarium Hobby
Aquarium & Pond Plumbing Parts
Unique and often difficult to locate parts to help plumb your aquarium or pond system.
This includes diverter valves, back flow check valves, couplings and more
UV Replacement Lamps/Bulbs
For TRUE High Output, Hot Cathode, Low Pressure UVC Germicidal Bulbs, not the low output medium pressure bulbs commonly sold at Amazon or eBay
The best in Quartz, Under gravel, and Submersible Heaters:
ADVERTISEMENT
Labels: about.com, Aqua Clear, Aquarium Pump, Hagen, Koralia, Maxi Jet, Power Head, Rio, Seio, Submersible Pump, SunSun, Taam, thereeftank.com, Via Aqua
