[Chrisk-K]

I'm looking at a variety of aquarium water pumps (Eheim, Mag-Drive, Maxi-Jet, etc.) for water changes and none of them are self-priming. I'm afraid that the lack of self-priming defeats the convenience of using a pump for water changes because I cannot imagining priming the pump every time I drain and fill my tanks.

If you use a pump for water changes, do you use a self-priming pump? I've looked at some vendors and self-priming pumps are > $100, which is expensive for water changes.

 

[milesm]

maxi-jet powerheads are self priming; i'd even go so far to say that all powerheads are self priming. drop in, plug in, and they start pumping. i think powerheads would be more convenient, easily moved from tank to tank.

 

[fshfanatic]

any submersible water pump should in fact be self priming. Drop that sucker in the water and plug it in.

 

[Wasserpest]

Don't confuse the terms...

"Self-priming" is a feature of non-submersible water pumps that allows them to suck water through an inlet hose into the impeller chamber, and start the siphon that way, even if they are started dry.

This feature would be entirely unnecessary for a pump that sits submerged in water to start with, like a power head or little Eheim or Magdrive pumps.

 

[Chrisk-K]

Great. I thought I'd have to prime a submersible pump! I've never used a water pump before.

Now I need to choose which one to buy. So many choices. I guess a pump with about 300 GPH will be more than enough for a 40 g rank and a 60 g.