Submersible Pumps vs External Pumps - Pros vs. Cons

External Con: Takes up extra space specially if you have everything in a stand and also sometimes there is a noise factor when you go external

 

Submersible con doesn't last as long as an external pump

 

Posted By ninjazx777 on 04/07/2010 07:55 PM
Submersible con doesn't last as long as an external pump
Don't think I agree with this one. I have a rio 2500 that has been running for 10 years straight.

 

+1 to fishbrain. I also have a rio 2500 6yrs old still good as new!

 

Also isnt a con for extrenal is they are easily rebuildable?

 

Also isnt a pro for extrenal is they are easily rebuildable? and vica versa for submersiable.

 

It comes down to what you need. Space, heat and energy consumption are good points to look at. I have had external pumps and the main reason I will not use one again is when power flickers or goes out for a while the pump needs to be reprimed most of the tim and I had a short power outage while at work so my sump was out of the loop for 11 hours so that meant no skimmer, no heater and reduced flow. I have never had any problems with in sump pumps and will use them until I cant do this anymore. If you have the spae, and a way to auto prime your pump then go for external. Otherwise go for internal. Shaun

 

I like external pumps. I have an Iwaki I have had for 10 years. I bought a used gorman rupp that I think is pushing 20. I have thrown at least 3 rios away. I did have a Mag drive 500 in a pond that lasted a long time.

 

external pump all the way, as long as the pump is below the the water line of your sump loosing the prime isnt a issue. i also like extrnal pumps for the fact they dont heat the water near as much. one last point is you dont have to worry abought stray voltage being fed into your tank. if you have a fray in the cord of a internal pump or a problem with the pump you can kill your fish. i love my blueline return pump which is made by the former engineer of iwaki. i will never go back to a internal pump if possible.

 

It all depends on the application. Typically people have tanks that are 120 gallons and smaller. That being said, they are usually around 4ft long so there isn't a lot of room to work with if you want to keep everything inside the stand. If you have a large tank, it makes perfect sense to go with an external pump.

Another thing to keep in mind is price. Internal pumps are usually priced lower than external pumps.