Submersible vs In‑Line Aquarium Pumps: Key Differences Explained

Typically, there are two types of water pumps, which are submersible aquarium pump and in-line water pump. A submersible aquarium pump is more popular and commonly seen than the other. The details of the two products will be shown later.

 

Why Using Water Pump Is Important?

Nowadays, a lot of people have their miniature eco-system at home. A water tank that provides fish or other marine animals to live is particularly popular. Since the growing popularity of personal or mini aquarium grows, the demand for aquarium pumps grows as well.

However, instead of using a water pump, some choose air stones and claim the effect is as good as an aquarium pump. That is a big mistake. Although air stones make bubbles in the fish tank, they do not provide enough oxygen compared to air pumps. To provide a nice and breathable environment for your fish, an air pump is definitely your best choice.

 

Different Types of Air Pumps

Since there are too many types of aquarium pumps on the market. It is necessary to briefly talk about them. It is because, without basic knowledge of air pumps, customers cannot find the products that best suit them.

Here are two main and most popular types, including submersible aquarium pumps and in-line water pumps. Here is all you have to know about air pumps. After reading it, you will be able to choose the most appropriate for your fish tank.

 

Submersible Aquarium Pump

This is the most popular air pump type. A submersible aquarium pump, as the name shows, runs completer underwater. It drains water from a filter and then simply pushes it back into the fish tank. By doing this, air can be sufficiently mixed with the water for fish to breathe.

Of course, there are some advantages that other types of air pumps cannot compete with. Here are some benefits of a submersible aquarium pump.

• Quiet operation
  It does not generate any noise that may annoy you. All the noise and sound generated during the running process will be absorbed by water. That is why more and more people choose a submersible aquarium pump. You can provide a nice living space for your fish while maintaining a quiet living space for yourself. A nice purchase always meets and satisfies different requirements.
• Easy installation
  Some complain about the complexity of installing air pumps, but with a submersible pump, it is never a problem. Once you receive the package, all you have to do is open the package, put the circulation pump into your fish tank, and turn it on. Users of all ages can install it without any trouble.
• No overload
  The residual heat is totally absorbed by the water in your fish tank. Therefore, the circulation pump itself is never overheated. The risk of overloading is eliminated as well. It runs completely underwater, so you can say it incorporates the water-cooling concept into the design.

 

However, there are two things that you must pay attention to when installing a submersible aquarium pump.

• Water temperature
  Since the whole device runs underwater, the residual heat goes directly into the water. For some aquarium tanks requiring consistent and low temperatures, a submersible aquarium pump may not be a desirable choice since it slightly raises the temperature as operating.
• Space
  Although the space needed to install a submersible aquarium pump is not big, it still takes some space in your water tank. Therefore, if your water tank is not so big or every inch is important, consider using in-line water pumps.

  :: Read more : Everything You Need to Know about Small Submersible Pump

In-line air pumps

Unlike a submersible aquarium pump, which runs underwater, in-line air pumps are used outside of the fish water. It provides oxygen, runs circulation, and filter the fish tank with an inlet hose. Here are some obvious advantages that you will soon find out with the use of in-water air pumps.

• Air-cooling system
  The device does not rely on the water in your fish tank to outlet the residual heat. That is to say, for aquarium tanks that need stable temperature, in-water circulation pumps are better. Because the heat never goes into the water, the adorable creatures will never be affected.
• Versatility
  This kind of circulation pump can work in two configurations, which are a pressure setup or a free-flow setup. The most visible difference between the two configurations is the relative placement of the pump and the canister filtration system.
  
  a. Pressure setups
  The canister filtration system is placed after the pump. By doing this, the circulation pump pushes water with pressure and sends it back to the canister filter system.
  
  b. Free-flow setup
  On the other hand, a free-flow setup places the pump after the filtration. The function of this configuration is like a filter. With filtered water, the circulation pump sends the filtered water back to the fish tank. By doing this, the whole setup does not receive too much pressure while running.

 

However, there are also disadvantages to having in-line air pumps. Here are two things to know before buying in-water pumps.

• Noise
  The whole device is installed outside the fish tank. Therefore, the only place that the noise goes is the outside space, which means that it generates noise. If you are a very hearing-sensitive person and cannot tolerate the noise made by the machine, please consider using a submersible aquarium pump.
• Efficiency
  The big advantage of these pumps is that they’re air-cooled instead of water-cooled, which means they add less heat to the water than submersibles. They’re also usually pretty powerful, so they work better for larger aquariums.