If you have a fish tank, than an aquarium pump is critical to the functioning of the aquarium, and needs to be chosen with great care. When selecting a pump, some important points to keep in mind includes resistance offered, heat generated, noise production and number of returns.

A mistake commonly made is to instantly opt for the biggest and most powerful option available irrespective of the size of the fish tank. This of course should be avoided under all circumstances since large pumps generate a lot of heat and can endanger the fragile ecosystem prevailing in the fish tank by raising the temperature of the water.

On the other hand you should not opt for small fish tank pumps as they may lack sufficient power. This may force you to install an additional equipment to save the aquarium and fishes. The most important point that you must keep in mind when buying tank accessories, is the volume of water to be stored in the tank.

In a closed system or a static system, it is necessary for a more powerful pump to be installed to generate the pressure needed. This is due to the water needing to be filtered through the canister or the module filters. These pumps will also require a comparatively higher turnover rate. In the open system aquariums the turnover rate is much lower. Wet and dry filters are a typical example of open systems.

You should not increase or decrease the intake or the return of the pumps. If the intake is lowered this could lead to overheating of the pump. The pump life can also be affected if you reduce the return. This will be due to the resistance building up and causing the temperature to rise.

Make sure to check your pump regularly as part of the maintenance schedule. Any piece of tank equipment that you find to be giving problems must be replaced immediately.