You may not know it, but in order to maintain a healthy living environment for captive saltwater life forms, you need to move large volumes of water. In the wild, water moves particles and nutrients continuously, like the ebbing of the tide or the movement of waves, or the meeting of two water sources. Life forms in the water welcome this kind of dynamic movement since this helps promote the movement of oxygen in the water as well. 

Of course, when you are planning on setting up your own saltwater aquarium or fish tank, you need to recreate this water movement as well. Subtle water movement is naturally one way to go about it because highly turbulent waters can cause a lot of damage to your set-up; and yes, salt water fish are known to develop sea sickness too.  

The power of the aquarium pump is dependent on the size of the aquarium or the fish tank, and how well the living things inside these aquarium will fare with such water movements. Not only does this make the inhabitants of the aquarium more at home with its otherwise artificial surroundings, the movement of the water also helps out the biological and mechanical filtering processes as well.  

Stagnant water is the breeding ground of most bacteria and fungi. Even in a so-called sterile salt water aquarium and fish tank environment, bacteria and fungi still develop because waste products are often in the water. These waste products come from the aquarium and fish tank inhabitants themselves; or left over food particles; or a build up of trace elements like ammonia and copper; or an overproduction of calcium. In any case, biological and mechanical filters can only do so much, and the steady movements of the waters help the filters do their work. When filters perform as they should, the re-oxygenation properties of the water increases greatly, offering a better life support system to the animals within.  

Many fish hobbyists and salt water fish enthusiasts actually prefer the more subtle benefits of using mechanical aquarium pumps than the continuous use of antibacterial medications in the water. It is true that mechanical pumps use a lot of electricity as opposed to the use of medications, but too much medication actually lowers the resistance of all living organisms in the enclosure and may even lead to other more severe health complications.

Mechanical aquarium pumps are not a new thing. The earliest known (and probably the best documented) mechanical pump was used in the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon and Nineveh around the 7^th century BC. It was commissioned by the ruler of Assyria himself, King Senncherib. The pump was called the Archimedes Screw, named after the ancient Greek scientist Archimedes of Syracuse – not because he invented the water pump or patented it, but because he was able to describe its workings in minute detail around 3^rd century BC. 

Over the years, pumps have evolved progressively from manual to mechanical to industrial. Pumps have been continuously developed to suit a number of more specialized uses, and so the global market can actually offer us pumps of all sizes and of all power outputs. There is a basically limitless range of water pumps to choose from, but again, for salt water aquariums and fish tanks, the size and power of the water aquarium pump depends greatly on two variables: the actual size of the aquarium where you want it installed; and the robustness or delicateness of the living things inside the enclosure.

We can offer our patrons all brands of heavy-duty pumps from various top manufacturers such as BlueLine, Coralife Turbo-Sea, dolphin Pumps, Eheim Pumps, Gen X, Hi-Tech, Hydor, Iwaki, Little Giant, Mag Drive, Maxijet, Ocean Runner, Quiet One, Rio, Sedra, Sen Pumps, Sequence, Tunze Turbelle, etc.