Multiple 10gal tanks sharing the same water/filter?

[Number21]

I've been thinking about setting up 4 or 5 individual 10 gallon tanks, for different species that don't get along.

What I would like to do is have a system where water is pumped/sucked/drained into a central sump, where it is filtered and oxygenated, and then pumped back into the tanks. (just like the setup you see at most pet shops)

What exactly do I need to do to acomplish this? It's easy to pump water into a tank, but a bit harder for it to come out at the same time without overflowing something. My preliminary thinking is to drill a hole near the top of each tank to make a drain, and pump the same amount of water back in. But, I don't really want to drill a bunch of glass...anybody have a better idea? How do they do it at the pet shops?

[Mvjnz]

I wouldn't recommend doing that, for the simple reason that if one tank gets sick, then they all get sick. And you'd need a seperate quarantine tank.

[angelcakes]

I wouldn't recommend doing that, for the simple reason that if one tank gets sick, then they all get sick. And you'd need a seperate quarantine tank.
good advice:19:

[Northernguy]

Welcome to the AC!
I also agree with Mvjnz!
What kind of fish are going to raise in 10s anyway.

[cocoa_pleco]

honestly, it would just be easier to get a 40g long or 70g long and put in 4-5 glass dividers, with holes in the dividers covered with screens for flow, and get a canister filter

[Taurus]

I wouldn't recommend doing that, for the simple reason that if one tank gets sick, then they all get sick. And you'd need a seperate quarantine tank.

Yeah, a centralized filtration system for multiple tanks is not a good idea. Parasites or other illnesses would travel fast through all your tnaks instead of being isolated to one tank.

[Wild Turkey]

honestly, it would just be easier to get a 40g long or 70g long and put in 4-5 glass dividers, with holes in the dividers covered with screens for flow, and get a canister filter

Great advice.

Usually a central filtration system is reserved for the most eccentric of keepers, you will need to be confident that your fish will very, very rarely get sick and all the tanks should have been running for a long time before you try it imo.

You will also have to make sure all the fish in the tanks can survive in the same conditions, and can accpet all of the same medications and treatments, or you are in for some serious headaches.

Not worth it.

[cocoa_pleco]

yeah, central systems are best for stores and saltwater setups. in saltwater, having 10 tanks and 10 sumps would get costly when you factor in 10 small skimmers and everything, so youre forced to get one sump and a large skimmer

theres a store here i know of that has about 30 20g's, 30 10g's, 2 55g's, and 3 125g's as fish selling tanks and every tank has one or two aquaclear 110's, they dont want disease to ever spread so they invested in about 120 aquaclears

[Sasquatch]

It's doable, since I've done it, but as mentionned, the biggest problem will be preventing disease from spreading from one tank to another.

My system was 8 x 10g tanks, each drilled in the back with an overflow. The water would drain down into a 75g tank where it was filtered and oxygenated. I then pumped it back up into the 10g tanks, going through a UV sterilizer. The UV was there to control algae and disease. It's vital if you want multiple tanks setup to the same sump/reserve tank.

That being said, it's probably easier and more cost effective to buy a bunch of AC20s or 30s for each 10g tank.