PonicsPumps by ZAHGO PP53016: 530 GPH Submersible Pump with 16' Cord - 45W… for Hydroponics, Aquaponics, Fountains, Ponds, Statuary, Aquariums & more.

I have two of these Ponics pumps. I use them in a slow-flowing stream in my back yard that it very much dependent on the height of the local water table. It often dries up when the water table drops, but pools of water remain in the deeper areas which are filled by ground water. I have created a recirculating system in the stream using these Ponics pumps to send the water back upstream from the bottom pool in order to keep the water flowing and the habitat active and algae-free during these drought periods. I have found the Ponics pumps (and another Little Giant pump I use to drain my pool cover) to be quite good for the job. They are reliable and inexpensive and I have been running them 24x7 without failure, though I turn them off when the stream is flowing to give them a rest. Their 3-5 gallon/minute rate closely replicates the natural flow of the stream. I also use an inexpensive Aquascape aerator system to keep the water healthy. The result is an efficient, low-cost system that allows me to enjoy my stream 24x7 all year round. It also keeps the fish and other animals that use the stream healthy.I just have to check the pumps weekly to clean out clogging debris from the filter, however. In fact I have even removed the filter on one pump since the water in the stream is very clear. The simplicity of the pump's mechanism seems to allow it to work fine without the filter. In these pictures you see a lower pool of water. In it is a Ponics pump and two aerator disks. The water is pumped from this downstream pool back up 80 feet to a third pool which you see in the second picture. The water comes in through a waterfall I have created on the left side of the picture and then flows through this pool, back down through a middle pool and finally down to the lower pool only to be pumped back upstream. Below the waterfall, if you look closely you can see a bucket in the water. This holds a second Ponics pump which sends the water from this pool further upstream another 70 feet to the beginning of a fourth pool of water. That water then flows downstream back to this pool to be recirculated again.

I have a bubble rock that is about 30" tall, atop a submerged, rock-filled reservoir. This pump resides in a 5-gallon bucket in the reservoir, so the total pumping height is perhaps 42" - 44", and it has to push the water through a few tees and some tubing to get to the inlet in the back of the rock.I love the long cord, which reaches all the way to the outlet on the front porch without an extension cord.The previous pump (also a PonicsPumps) served very well for several years, but I thought I wanted a bit more flow coming out of the top of the rock so I chose this model because it was one size larger. Now that I have it, I'm probably going to have to open up the pump well and turn it down a bit because the extra flow, while quite nice and not excessive at all, is still enough that some of the water is splashing off the rocks and I'm having to refill the reservoir much more often than in the past.Another aspect that I didn't consider was that because this pump is bigger, it requires more liquid depth to function fully, which means that I have to refill even sooner.Therefore, in retrospect, I sort of wish I had stayed with the smaller pump size and just been satisfied with it. But now I know.

This is my second pump. The first ran continuously in a 75 gallon turtle pond with a 3 ft lift to a small waterfall. It ran outdoors for 4 years. That's a good run for a pump of this size and price. That's why I replaced it with the same model. I'm pleased this model was still available and still the same price. The longer than average power cord is a bonus. Easy enough to clear debris from the intake, otherwise the flow rate is good. If it were in a filter enclosure the flow rate would drop but it would require less cleaning. My pond is too small to give up volume to a filter box.Anyway, it's a good pump and a good company selling it.

This is my second PonicsPump. The first one is still working after well over a year of constant use, but I wanted a larger capacity one, so bought the same brand. I have two yellow-bellied slider turtles, and if you have ever cared for turtles you know how dirty they are. I use a 165 gallon pond preformed pond for them with a bio filter made from a 32 gallon trash container. This pump keeps the water moving well. I have a small pre-filter that the pump sits in only because I don't want to keep removing debris from the pump front every day. The pre-filter needs cleaning about once every 3 weeks or so. The pump is easy to disassemble and put back together. Really great product.

It worked for 4 years then just... stopped. No sounds... nothing. I would expect pumps of good quality to last longer. It didn't, so my review reflects that experience.

Purchased to replace a 250 gph pump that was barely enough flow for my aquaponics system. This 530 gph pump did not have any more flow. Also, it sometimes gets stuck on startup. Then I need to turn on/off a couple times to get it working. One time it would not strat and I had to get it out of the sump, remove the impeller cover and jostle the impeller to get it running again. Not very good for my system if I am not around at the time - the pump is on a timer to shut off during the night. Also there is no threaded inlet under the cover for external use. I will be replacing this with another pump. Too bad its too late for returns.

So far this has been a good upgrade to our 300 gallon pond.I use it inside a filter box with the dome type fountain.It has kept the water crystal clear compared to our old 250GPH pump that ran non-stop for 5 years.The fish appear to be happy and more active since changing to this pump.It does require more cleaning of the filter media because of the increased water flow.All in all a great bargain compared to any of the big box store prices for this size of pump..