# Circulation pump or Powerhead. What's the difference?



## Manami (Sep 29, 2015)

Hello. I want to buy one of those (circulation pump or powerhead) that can help circulate the water of my planted tank. I have bba algae and I removed most of the affected plants but left some there (I also bought lots of plants, so that it can beat the algae) I've read that a circulation pump or a powerhead might help reducing algae by not leaving dead spots in the tank.

I have a 40 gallon tank with 2 aquaclear 70 filters in lower flowing setting, but can still give strong currents if I don't fill the tank up.

What's the difference between the two? Are they the same? Do they do the same thing? Will I need two or just one? And how much current do I need for my tank? 

I have pearl gouramis, butterfly danios, platies, a bolivian ram, otocinclus and kuhli loaches. I still haven't bought schooling fish, but will soon, hopefully!


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## shrimpNewbie (May 6, 2011)

Not a huge difference they tend to be used interchangeably, power heads tend to be those balls with a propeller in them whereas a circulation pump is something you see in a sump.

My recommendation is a jebao rw4, you might not use the wave function but it's an awesome powerhead, use it on else mode and when the lights go out it slows down to make the fish more comfortable, it also has a feed mode that turns it off for 10 minutes and it auto starts up after those 10 minutes. I don't mean to sound like a salesperson btw I have no affiliation I'm just a welder haha.

Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk

Oh and last I saw amazon has a good deal on the rw series

Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk


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## Manami (Sep 29, 2015)

The adapter looks different. I don't think it's going to work...


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## burr740 (Feb 19, 2014)

In my mind the definition goes like this

A power head is made to be attached to something, like a UG or a sponge filter. Amazon.com : Marineland Filtration-Penguin Powr Head 300 Gph : Pet Care Products : Pet Supplies


A circulation pump isnt made to connect to anything, just sticks on the wall and creates a current. : Amazon.com: Hydor Koralia Nano Pump 


The pumps used in sumps or pond filters are not circulation pumps. They are just pumps, or utility pumps. Aquarium Water Pumps : Amazon.com: Danner Mag-Drive Supreme 7 700 GPH Water Pump


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Power head usually has a way to attach some plumbing at one end or another. 
As an example, the Aquaclears were originally designed to be used in the uptubes of an undergravel filter system. 
Power heads are also used on top of sponge filters. 

A circulation pump is (as noted above) a fan/propeller in a cage. No way to attach plumbing to it. It may have some oscillating features (wave maker) or simply be fixed. 

Either one will increase the water movement in an aquarium. The circulation pump tends to be more economical- more gallons per minute for less watts of electricity. The circulation pump can be aimed at different spots to target a calmer area where debris accumulates or algae grows. 

Some power heads have a diverter thing you can clip on to give them some directional capacity. 

With either of these, set them up to work with the main filter. Not at cross purposes. Do not try to create a vortex or turbulence. Try to increase the flow in one direction.


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## Manami (Sep 29, 2015)

Diana said:


> Power head usually has a way to attach some plumbing at one end or another.
> As an example, the Aquaclears were originally designed to be used in the uptubes of an undergravel filter system.
> Power heads are also used on top of sponge filters.
> 
> ...


Then, should I choose the circulation pump since it sounds like it's more gentle for the fish?


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## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

I've had good success with a power head (80 GPH). You could even direct the flow with a bent piece of 1/2"-3/4" PVC or something like that. A heat gun makes PVC very pliable.


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## jrygel (Jan 29, 2014)

Manami said:


> Then, should I choose the circulation pump since it sounds like it's more gentle for the fish?



In general, yes. Propeller type circulation pumps (also used in saltwater as wavemakers) have a wider flow than powerheads, so for a given flowrate, the flow velocity will be lower, and gentler for the fish. The wider flow also helps to get a larger volume of the water circulating - which, in a planted tank is exactly what we want to get the nutrients and CO2 evenly distributed throughout the water column.


-Justin


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## Kubla (Jan 5, 2014)

A lot of people use the terms interchangeably or incorrectly including the manufacturers. 
By definition a power head is submerged and a circulation pump is out of the water. 
Doesn't matter if it has a propeller or impeller, if it's in the sump, the main tank, or the neighbors house. The terms have been misused for so long that they really have no significant meaning now. You need a pump that circulates some water.

I've got a couple of the Hydor Koralia wavemakers in my tank, and the work great, but the last power head I bought is a lot more versatile. Check out the JEBO AP series. They can be used stand alone or can be hooked to hoses. I think they will even function not submerged if set up properly. This is what I'm powering my CO2 system with. I attached a short intake hose to a surface skimmer. The output goes to a "y" with a valve on one side to dump excess flow and circulate water. The other side goes to the reactor and back into the tank.


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## roadmaster (Nov 5, 2009)

I should think two Aquaclear 70's on forty gallon would be plenty of circulation.
Key to good circulation is to not have flow directed in such a way as to be fighting flow from opposite direction's.
I used to run two Aquaclear 110's on 80 gal tank and best flow throughout was by placing one filter on each side on back glass and wide open flow.
I now run two canister's on the tank but spray bar's are mounted on each end ,on back glass pointing toward's the front glass.
I also use Koralia circulation pump's /wavemaker's,powerhead's,or whatever you want to cal em in pleco tank in addition to canister filter to create the flow that these fish enjoy.


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## Manami (Sep 29, 2015)

roadmaster said:


> I should think two Aquaclear 70's on forty gallon would be plenty of circulation.
> Key to good circulation is to not have flow directed in such a way as to be fighting flow from opposite direction's.
> I used to run two Aquaclear 110's on 80 gal tank and best flow throughout was by placing one filter on each side on back glass and wide open flow.
> I now run two canister's on the tank but spray bar's are mounted on each end ,on back glass pointing toward's the front glass.
> I also use Koralia circulation pump's /wavemaker's,powerhead's,or whatever you want to cal em in pleco tank in addition to canister filter to create the flow that these fish enjoy.


I have both my filters covered with sponges because my kuhlies like to go inside the filter and it was a pain getting them out when I got them in the beginning...they act like cats!


I want to get the Hydor Koralia Nano Aquarium Circulation Pump, but I'm between the 425 or 565. I might get two in the future, but I want to try one first and see how it goes.


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