Replacement powerhead for an aquastyle 380

[brucef]

Hi, I recently picked up a sweet little 2nd hand aquastyle 380 tank. It has a top filter but the powerhead is missing and i don't want to use an internal filter. A replacement genuine aquaone powerhead will set me back at least AU$35 so I was wondering whether there are any aftermarket products online which would be cheaper?

Alternatively, would it make sense to get a submersible pump and plumb it into the filter?

The aquastyle 380 is a 38L tank and the genuine powerhead shifts 400L/h

 

[mikey11]

if your going to put a submersible pump in the tank, then why not just put a filter in the tank???

in a tank that small, all you need is a simple air powered sponge filter, they are cheap and last forever.....here is a random example.....

https://www.bigalspets.com/ca/seapora-breeder-sponge-filters.html?sku=4459

 

[fozziebear]

The easiest way is going to be to just replace the manufacturer part and use the in built filter system, less fuss overall really, and if you buy cheap you will always buy twice, stump up the $35AU and get the propper part for the tank, it will save you trouble and effort in the long run, internal filters are a nightmare to clean compared to an inbuilt or external filter system.

Mikeys fix is great for those on a propper tight budget, sponge filters are AMAZING things that cost next to nothing to run, so if you want to do a sort of DIY spend as little as possible, that would be the way to go.

 

[brucef]

Thanks for the advice guys. I wouldn't have minded paying $35 for the pump except that I paid $15 for the tank and my inner scrooge kicked in. I was hoping there would be a little competition among suppliers but I guess it is a pretty small market.

I do like the top filters - they are easy to clean and inconspicuous.