Fish Tank 101 - Question

saichuen · 7 July 2008

Hi guys,

Just thought I will ask this silly question in here anyway. I've just recently bought a new fish tank for my goldfish (upgraded from a bowl previously) and since this is the very first fish tank I have ever got in my entire life, I was wondering if the pump (motor) that filter/circulate the water is supposed to be submerged into the water or not?

The pump is seated inside the tank at the top, just underneath the cover.

Cheers!

seamisty · 7 July 2008

saichuen said:
Hi guys,

Just thought I will ask this silly question in here anyway. I've just recently bought a new fish tank for my goldfish (upgraded from a bowl previously) and since this is the very first fish tank I have ever got in my entire life, I was wondering if the pump (motor) that filter/circulate the water is supposed to be submerged into the water or not?

The pump is seated inside the tank at the top, just underneath the cover.

Cheers!

Not a silly question if you are not familiar with aquarium filters. There are many types, internal, external, hang on,under gravel etc. If it is internal, which if it is sitting inside the tank I assume it is an internal filter then it needs to be fully covered by water. There is usually a piece of air hose attatched to the filter that hangs outside the tank. It will probablly be best to do some research if you are not sure. Just google aquarium filters, I could help more if I knew what it looked like. I have 8 fish tanks and certificate 2 and 3 in aquaculture so if you have any other questions I may be able to help. Regards, Seamisty

saichuen · 7 July 2008

seamisty said:
Not a silly question if you are not familiar with aquarium filters. There are many types, internal, external, hang on,under gravel etc. If it is internal, which if it is sitting inside the tank I assume it is an internal filter then it needs to be fully covered by water. There is usually a piece of air hose attatched to the filter that hangs outside the tank. It will probablly be best to do some research if you are not sure. Just google aquarium filters, I could help more if I knew what it looked like. I have 8 fish tanks and certificate 2 and 3 in aquaculture so if you have any other questions I may be able to help. Regards, Seamisty

Seamisty,

Thanks for your advice here. Here is a pic of how my fish tank looks like. It's nothing special. Just a generic unit you get off a regular shopping centre.

As you can see, only a small portion of it (1/4 of the motor perhaps) is currently submerged into the water. I think what it does is to suck water from below the tank and circulate it through the filter at the top (in the cover) and then back into the tank (I hope this makes sense).

Regards.

seamisty · 7 July 2008

Yeh, that actually looks like a hang on filter, does it have anything written on it?

seamisty · 7 July 2008

seamisty said:
Yeh, that actually looks like a hang on filter, does it have anything written on it?

Does it actually sit on the edge of the glass and the water that is filtered fall on to the top of the water level?

saichuen · 7 July 2008

seamisty said:
Yeh, that actually looks like a hang on filter, does it have anything written on it?

There is a label on the pump/motor itself. It reads as follow:

Power Head
Model No: 300
AC 220-240V / 50Hz 6W
Qmax : 400 l/h

seamisty said:
Does it actually sit on the edge of the glass and the water that is filtered fall on to the top of the water level?

The pump/motor is actually attached to the cover and when you put the cover back, it will sit just on the top at left corner of the tank.

Yes, the water that filtered through falls on to the top of the water level.

So, does the pump/motor meant to be submerged into the water in the tank? This means I should be able to fill the water right almost to the level of the visible glass.

Regards.

Wysiwyg · 7 July 2008

saichuen said:
So, does the pump/motor meant to be submerged into the water in the tank? This means I should be able to fill the water right almost to the level of the visible glass.
Regards.

The pump could be 1 metre above the tank and still circulate water.Though the pump efficiency would drop away the higher from the suction point (the tank bottom).I wouldn`t fill the tank above the pump discharge point.

roland · 7 July 2008

I have the same pump and similar tank, it can be safely submerged - in fact I fill the water level up to just above where the plastic meets the glass on the sides of the tank, so you can't see the top of the water.

Wysiwyg · 7 July 2008

roland said:
I have the same pump and similar tank, it can be safely submerged - in fact I fill the water level up to just above where the plastic meets the glass on the sides of the tank, so you can't see the top of the water.

Yep with the pump at water level/submerged there is no need to prime or foot valves.

saichuen · 7 July 2008

roland said:
I have the same pump and similar tank, it can be safely submerged - in fact I fill the water level up to just above where the plastic meets the glass on the sides of the tank, so you can't see the top of the water.

Roland,

Thanks for the confirmation here. Did you get your fish tank from Pets Paradise?

Yeah, I was hoping to fill the water right up to the level where the plastic meets the glass (as you've mentioned) but I just wasn't sure as that would mean the motor/pump located at the left corner would have to be submerged into the water. I think even at this water level, the water flowing out from the filter located in the cover at the top still has a decent gap (perhaps 1.5cm or so).

Cheers!

Wysiwyg · 7 July 2008

I remember dealing with a centrifugal pump used to pump water from the big aquarium (the ocean) to a desalination plant.The suction point was a concrete well in the reef flat and of course with the constantly moving coral and sand it filled up and jammed the pump.What a nightmare.

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