I have used external pumps for large fountains, but not indoors. They are common on swimming pools.
Most are plumbed for IPS, international pipe standard (or something) meaning that PVC fittings will work. You can use rigid PVC or flex. The benefit of rigid is that it will turn sharper corners so fit into smaller space. Unfortunately some of the energy from the pump is used to force the water through those sharp bends. Instead of 90 degree fittings try to find sweep 90s or else use 2 fittings of 45 degrees each. The savings (better pump efficiency) more than make up for the extra expense. Flex pipe avoids that issue, but it needs more space to turn a corner.
Some of those pumps are self priming, some are not. You will have to investigate the actual pump you are looking into. Make sure it is fish-safe, too. Some pumps are not.
Most pumps can be slowed down some. Use a ball valve. Put one each on the IN and on the OUT. To service the pump unplug it and close both valves.
To disconnect the pipes include unions on both the IN and OUT lines, closer to the pump so the ball valves are left connected to the pipes that are in the tank.
Be prepared for some water when you disconnect. Put the pump in a plastic storage bin and keep some towels handy.
A pump like this has no filter. You have 2 options: Internal (not good looking, and not a good way to go. External. The way it is done with external pumps in the garden (pond or swimming pool). The filter is a separate item from the pump, sits along side the pump and is plumbed to the pump.
Since all of this is a closed loop, with just the tank open, there is no risk of water on the floor when the power goes out. (Of course a fitting might fail or something, but that can happen with any sort of set up).
The more common set up for home aquariums is a sump.
A volume of water, open to the air under or along side of the tank. Equipment (including the pump) is submersed in the water. Filter media is in this box, too.
There is a pipe draining the water from the tank, and a pipe returning the water to the tank.
The tank might have holes drilled in the back or the bottom so the pipes pass through the glass with special fittings called bulkheads. If there are no holes then the pipe that drains the tank needs some very careful figuring so it works, and does not cause problems.
Things to watch out for:
If the power goes out the water can run backwards through the pump. Fill the box and overflow. The spray bar is near the top of the tank (usually) so the water would quit siphoning through when the level in the tank drops below the spray bar. Keep the spray bar as high up as you can, and include a check valve (flapper) in the line that goes from the pump to the tank. KEEP THIS CLEAN!!! This is how I have ended up with water on the floor.
The water can siphon through the other pipe, too.
If the tank is not drilled then you will be setting up some sort of siphon to get the water out of the tank and down to the pump. There are ways to set this up so that the siphon will hold the water in itself and automatically restart when the pump comes on again (after a power outage).
For the best design look up Bean Animal. This one is a special set up, not a retrofit into a currently running tank. Take the tank down to do the work.
Any siphon that goes over the rim can fail. There are special ways to make PVC do the job, and it takes careful measuring to do it right. The intake is up pretty high, or else there is a hole drilled in exactly the right place so the siphon stops after draining just some of the water out of the tank and into the box.
Plan for some extra space in the box to hold this overflow from the tank during a power outage.
Another problem: If there is not enough water in the system the pump can empty the box, all the water is in the tank, and the pump is running dry. Get a switch so the pump turns off when the water is too low, and turns on when the water level is back up to the right level.
Most are plumbed for IPS, international pipe standard (or something) meaning that PVC fittings will work. You can use rigid PVC or flex. The benefit of rigid is that it will turn sharper corners so fit into smaller space. Unfortunately some of the energy from the pump is used to force the water through those sharp bends. Instead of 90 degree fittings try to find sweep 90s or else use 2 fittings of 45 degrees each. The savings (better pump efficiency) more than make up for the extra expense. Flex pipe avoids that issue, but it needs more space to turn a corner.
Some of those pumps are self priming, some are not. You will have to investigate the actual pump you are looking into. Make sure it is fish-safe, too. Some pumps are not.
Most pumps can be slowed down some. Use a ball valve. Put one each on the IN and on the OUT. To service the pump unplug it and close both valves.
To disconnect the pipes include unions on both the IN and OUT lines, closer to the pump so the ball valves are left connected to the pipes that are in the tank.
Be prepared for some water when you disconnect. Put the pump in a plastic storage bin and keep some towels handy.
A pump like this has no filter. You have 2 options: Internal (not good looking, and not a good way to go. External. The way it is done with external pumps in the garden (pond or swimming pool). The filter is a separate item from the pump, sits along side the pump and is plumbed to the pump.
Since all of this is a closed loop, with just the tank open, there is no risk of water on the floor when the power goes out. (Of course a fitting might fail or something, but that can happen with any sort of set up).
The more common set up for home aquariums is a sump.
A volume of water, open to the air under or along side of the tank. Equipment (including the pump) is submersed in the water. Filter media is in this box, too.
There is a pipe draining the water from the tank, and a pipe returning the water to the tank.
The tank might have holes drilled in the back or the bottom so the pipes pass through the glass with special fittings called bulkheads. If there are no holes then the pipe that drains the tank needs some very careful figuring so it works, and does not cause problems.
Things to watch out for:
If the power goes out the water can run backwards through the pump. Fill the box and overflow. The spray bar is near the top of the tank (usually) so the water would quit siphoning through when the level in the tank drops below the spray bar. Keep the spray bar as high up as you can, and include a check valve (flapper) in the line that goes from the pump to the tank. KEEP THIS CLEAN!!! This is how I have ended up with water on the floor.
The water can siphon through the other pipe, too.
If the tank is not drilled then you will be setting up some sort of siphon to get the water out of the tank and down to the pump. There are ways to set this up so that the siphon will hold the water in itself and automatically restart when the pump comes on again (after a power outage).
For the best design look up Bean Animal. This one is a special set up, not a retrofit into a currently running tank. Take the tank down to do the work.
Any siphon that goes over the rim can fail. There are special ways to make PVC do the job, and it takes careful measuring to do it right. The intake is up pretty high, or else there is a hole drilled in exactly the right place so the siphon stops after draining just some of the water out of the tank and into the box.
Plan for some extra space in the box to hold this overflow from the tank during a power outage.
Another problem: If there is not enough water in the system the pump can empty the box, all the water is in the tank, and the pump is running dry. Get a switch so the pump turns off when the water is too low, and turns on when the water level is back up to the right level.
