# Need help choosing pump



## Nicole (Nov 21, 2011)

I've been researching for awhile now and would like some insight from you guys on what type of pump I should use and how to use it.

I want to find a pump that can move water from a water barrel up into my tank. 
The barrel is about 34" tall from the ground and the top of the tank is 50" from the ground. 
Instead of submersing the pump into the barrel and having it shoot the water up 50", I want to have an external pump sit on top of the barrel with one hose in the barrel and one hose going into the tank.

I've never used a utility pump before and see that with the external ones, people attach it to a sump with a bulkhead to top off their water. 
Would it work if I attached the input valve with a hose that goes into the barrel and attached a hose to the output that goes into the tank? It would look like an inline pump.

After seeing Tom's Aqualifter pump, I really liked the idea except I want something with a flow rate of about 60 gph.
I've been looking at various pumps and it seems like a Quiet One pump might get the job done? Others have attached a control valve on the output end to adjust flow. Basically my concern is would it be able to pull the water up 34" from the bottom of the barrel and then shoot the water into my tank?

Quiet One pump: Lifegard Aquatics Quiet One Pro 1200 Water Pump

Thanks in advance.

I also posted a poor picture of the set up I'm trying to explain.


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## Nicole (Nov 21, 2011)

Any ideas on what pump would work?


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## smccleme (Aug 20, 2012)

Why don't you want a submerged pump? You won't have any priming issues, it will be quieter. I don't know that you'll be able to find an inexpensive pump that will pull water up 34". That quiet one won't do it sitting on top, but it would if you submerged it.


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## spit.fire (Jan 3, 2011)

You won't be able to use an external pump if it's above the water level of the barrel, a submersible pump's "head" is not based off of where the pump sits, it's based off of the water level of the water in which it sits in

I'd go submersible

Externals can be a pita, they're power hogs and usually noisier than submersibles. 

Oh ya and generally more expensive


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

Im no expert, but reading about the pump you are looking at, it would probably more than enough for your needs... but would probably work more efficiently if submersed to the bottom of the barrel. Any pump that has to pull works harder than a submersed one IME. If the flow rate is too much, you could easily install a valve on the hose to adjust it to the desired rate. It states at 48" the flow is 150gph. So at 55" your looking at about 140ish gph. If you were to go the submersed route, the intake strainer on that pump is designed to adjust the flow rate so you can reduce it down to where you like it.


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

spit.fire said:


> I'd go submersible
> 
> Externals can be a pita, they're power hogs and usually noisier than submersibles.
> 
> Oh ya and generally more expensive


lol ....+1


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## Fish rookie (May 21, 2012)

I got a mag pump before and it worked very nicely submersed. I paid $45 for it from another discus keeper here. No risk of leaking metal or oil and very easy to clean up. Too bad I already sold it or else I can let you try it. I also use that to suck out the substrate, worked very well.
I would highly recommend a mag pump submerged in your barrel. It should work very well.


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## bonsai dave (Apr 21, 2010)

I have a used ehiem 1262. It's power full enough for what you want to do. You can have it for a fair price
.Eheim Universal 1262 Water Pump


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## Captured Moments (Apr 22, 2010)

What are you trying to accomplish with the water barrel? Is is for water change? or some kind of sump? With the Quiet One that you mentioned, it should work either way, whether it is submerged or sitting on top of the barrel. I would think that you would get less flow output if you had the "sitting on top" scenario than if you have the "submerged at the bottom of the barrel" scenario. In practice, actual flow output is less than what the stats for the pump tell you..but then again you are not looking for much flow, only 60 gal/hour. Depending on your intended usage, whichever solution is easiest for you.


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## hp10BII (Apr 23, 2010)

I would go submersible too. I've used a Danner Mag 7 to do my water changes for years, I could use it submersed or externally and it's less hassle and better flow submersed. I use the same pump to fill from my water barrel for 15g to 125g tanks, the highest tank is about 72", so head height isn't a problem for the Mag 7 at the bottom of the barrel. 

Using submersible would only need 1 output hose, no need for a second hose which would slow the flow down.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

These pumps are not designed to "pull" water so until you have a closed loop you won't be able to move water up. All it would do is cavitate like crazy. I would either put the pump inside at the bottom of have it drawn out of the bottom of the barrel on the outside and it would work.


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## spit.fire (Jan 3, 2011)

bonsai dave said:


> I have a used ehiem 1262. It's power full enough for what you want to do. You can have it for a fair price
> .Eheim Universal 1262 Water Pump


Personally I'd go with the eheim

Very well built pump


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## Nicole (Nov 21, 2011)

Thank you everyone, really appreciate the help. I'm convinced now that it'd be better to just have the pump submerged rather than external.
As for the pump, I have an extra maxijet 1200 laying around so I wanted to give it a shot. I know it's not made to be used this way but it wouldn't hurt to try.
I attached 1/2" tubing to the outlet and water shot out just fine at 5 feet so this will certainly do. 
Thanks again for everyone's input!


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