Can Aquarium/pond pumps be used for pool sand filters?

[Ramesh]

I have a great little sand filter on my 500g tank and I want to buy another one but they are $500@.
I looked on ebay and found this small sand filter and wanted to know if
I could use a flow biased pond pump like a submersible Laguna maxflo or an external pump like a Reeflo on this type a filter?

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/16-400mm-Poo...5634?pt=AU_Pool_Spa_Beach&hash=item4aa82bd862

This second pool filter also looks like another option although the pump consumes 400W and could maybe changed for a another external pump with better efficiency like a Reeflo.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/1500-gal-h-B...8253?pt=AU_Pool_Spa_Beach&hash=item588c37f02d

Does anyone have any experience with using pool sand filters on aquariums??
Could I use a pond pump with the correct flow but better energy consumption?

 

[kendragon]

I did it using a 1/15 Wave pump. Consumes little power for 3000gph. I have beads not sand in the filter.

 

[Ramesh]

Interesting, what type of beads?
Is it designed for beads?

 

[kendragon]

Interesting, what type of beads?
Is it designed for beads?

It's a homemade Ultima. K1 type bio media. Very low restriction so doesn't require a strong pump.

There's floating and sinking media.

 

[Ramesh]

It must do Bio only and very little machanical filtration.
I believe sand would do both for you with mech and bio but for surface area would be vastly greater than the beads.
I have an Ultima 4000 ready to be hooked up so I will see if it can really do both well.
What tank size and stocking is it filtering?

 

[kendragon]

It must do Bio only and very little machanical filtration.
I believe sand would do both for you with mech and bio but for surface area would be vastly greater than the beads.
I have an Ultima 4000 ready to be hooked up so I will see if it can really do both well.
What tank size and stocking is it filtering?

That's why I have a mechanical in front of it. Sand requires a strong pump and hard to backwash without a blower. The sand has known to compress the air in the water causing air bubble disease in kois.