Aquarium Pumps & Accessories

Aquarium pumps and accessories, split between flow pumps that move water inside the tank and amphibious pumps that run submerged or dry. Hydor supplies most of the range, with an Aqua Zonic amphibious pump and impeller and a Blagdon pond pump alongside it.

Movement pumps and utility pumps do different jobs

A movement or wave pump does not lift water anywhere. It sits inside the tank and pushes a broad, low-pressure stream across it, keeping detritus in suspension for the filter to collect and stopping dead spots forming behind rocks and in corners. The Hydor Koralia Nano suits small and nano tanks, and the Koralia G3 pumps cover larger fresh and marine aquariums. Add the Hydor Smart Wave controller and two pumps can be alternated into a changing flow pattern rather than one constant jet, which is closer to what reef animals are built for.

Utility and centrifugal pumps do the opposite: they generate pressure and head height, so they are what runs a sump, a closed loop, a water change or an external filter. The Hydor Seltz L is a multi-purpose centrifugal pump for fresh and marine aquariums, and the Seltz D is controllable, meaning output is dialled down electronically instead of being throttled with a valve. Amphibious pumps such as the Aqua Zonic SUMO G2 and the Blagdon Amphibious IQ run in or out of the water, which is what a garden pond or an external return needs.

Sizing and placement

Two numbers matter. Flow rate in litres per hour tells you how much water a pump shifts; head height tells you how far up it can push before that figure collapses, so a pump chosen purely on flow will underperform once it is lifting water from a sump into a tank on a cabinet. For in-tank circulation, a freshwater community tank is usually comfortable with gentle movement, while marine and reef tanks want considerably more turnover. Aim the outlet across the surface rather than down at the substrate, for gas exchange without blasting sand around. The impeller and its shaft are the wearing parts on any pump and the usual cause of a rattle or a drop in output.

Brands stocked

Hydor: Koralia Nano and Koralia G3 movement pumps, the Smart Wave controller, and the Seltz D and Seltz L pumps. Aqua Zonic: the SUMO G2 amphibious pump, supplied with an impeller. Blagdon: the Amphibious IQ Pond Pump for garden ponds. Everything here is a water pump; air pumps and airline sit in the wider fish range.

• Aquarium filters & media
• Aquarium lighting & equipment
• Fish tanks & aquarium kits
• Fish water care treatments
• The Hydor range
• All fish supplies