how can a tank to tank filtration be setup?

[sinister_nation]

Looking at the title of this thread sounds like it doesn't belong here. But I do think it does. let me place an outline of what I want to achieve.

Two tanks that is involved are a 55 and a 38. Using a sump would be out of the question because of distant between the two tanks, this distant would be anywhere from 12' to 18'. I wonder using two identical size canister with input from 55 and the output to the 38, and with the 38 it would be input from it and the output to the 55. Both canister would receive maintenance on the same day.

some says it could work and some says it won't because eventually my floor will become a flooded from the 38.

So could this work, but need to considered other options to keep either tank from flooding. I had been thinking about this, and one idea is the output from the 55 to the 38 is increase the diameter of the exhaust pipe. No matter how i look at this, this mod would have to be done with PVC pipe.

As with everything there has to be a reason.

[REASON]

55 is the DT, it has a sand bed and tuffa rocks in it, and the ph is being buffered at 8.2 - 8.4 . the 38 is a nursery. Want to place pregnant females into the nursery without drip acclimate them to the nursery, and after they give birth to where i don't need to drip acclimate them back the the DT. So I want to maintain water chemistry between the 2 tanks so they are identical including PH. See the 38 will be bare bottom, so I don't want to use anything chemically to alter the ph like ph up or any type of powder buffers.

[END of REASON]

[Brhino]

you don't want to use two identical canister filters, or any other kind of pump, as your "to" and "from" transfer devices. They're supposed to have identical flow rates, but they won't, especially when their media starts getting a bit clogged. Even with a small difference one will outpace the other, and you'll wake up one morning with one tank empty and 30 gallons of water on the floor.

Are the tanks at the same level? Could you do something with a siphon?

[funkman262]

You never want to use pumps to circulate between tanks like that. Even if you use identical pumps, one will flow faster than the other causing one of the tanks to flood. It would be like using a pump instead of an overflow to send water from your display tank to your sump and then another pump to send the water back up from the sump to the display tank. You'll never see anyone doing it like that.

I don't understand why you think using two canister filters would work but using a sump is out of the question. You can rig up pvc overflows for both tanks to empy into a large sump somewhere inbetween the two tanks (placement really doesn't matter though) and then use a heavy-duty pump to direct the water back to the two tanks. You can use a ball valve to adjust the flow going to the two tanks. If designed correctly, if there's a power outtage, there won't be any flooding in the sump and if the overflow(s) fail, there won't be any flooding in the display tank. If you go this route, I can (and I'm sure others here can as well) assist you in the design.

[Fisharefriends27]

I agree. You can have something like a sponge filter or hob filter and just switch it between the tanks when you need it.

[Brhino]

I agree. You can have something like a sponge filter or hob filter and just switch it between the tanks when you need it.

well if he's looking to maintain identical water parameters with the tank that has pH buffering agents, he's going to need to do more than switch a filter around. There will need to be constant water exchange one way or another.

[sinister_nation]

well if he's looking to maintain identical water parameters with the tank that has pH buffering agents, he's going to need to do more than switch a filter around. There will need to be constant water exchange one way or another.

Brhino is right the buffering agents will be in one tank, and this is why I do need a constant water exchange.

Placing a sump someplace in between the 2 tanks can't be done, for 2 reasons there is a 75 SW tank on a DIY stand and it sets to the left of the 55 with a 8" gap between the two tanks and the 38 is of to the left of the 75 in front of it, and there will be like a 2' gap. and I can't place a sump there because I got to be able to open the door on the 75 to perform water tests and wc from the SW sump.

The plumbing between these two tanks has to go around behind the 75. Now the siphoning could work but how would i go about doing this. I was told from the LFS where i got my 55 that it can't be drilled because it was all tempered glass. so I would need to get a HOB overflow for it. But how would I push the water into each tank, if i do the siphoning technique.

[Brhino]

well, if you had a line with an unbroken siphon running between the two tanks (we'll call them tank A and tank B), then you set up a pump to pump water from A to B, the siphon (if large enough) would work to keep the tanks at the same level, so water would flow through it from B back to A. If you lost the siphon you'd be screwed, so maybe you could rig up a water level sensor on tank B to shut off the pump if the water level got too high.

[Fisharefriends27]

I have an idea but you probably won't like it. Yes there is a sump.
You can use the 38 as a sump with a refugium. Th refugium can be the 'tank'

[sinister_nation]

I have an idea but you probably won't like it. Yes there is a sump.
You can use the 38 as a sump with a refugium. Th refugium can be the 'tank'

38 is a nursery, when i take my 55 from brackish to freshwater, mollies will start breeding, so that's why the 38 is a nursery.

Well it sounds like that to achieve this setup, a sump is going have to be use. well if i go this route then the only place i can put this sump is in the 38 stand. What aquarium would fit within this dimension 12 x 36 x 13. The height i have to make sure i have room to perform maintenance, like water test and water change would be done for both tank. So now with the sump both tank will overflow into the sump and I have to make sure I get a strong enough pump to push the water over the distant it needs to go to the 55.

So let's talk sump layout.

NOTE :: size: 12 x 36 x 12 -- Not sure if there's any tanks that would fit this size. If not then I would have to build one from the ground up with acrylic.

1st Section - water inlet - water coming in from both tanks. how big does this chamber be minimum and maximum

2nd section - small section area where the water flow from section 1 to section 3. Need to setup this area to help to eliminate any micro bubbles that doesn't dissipate from chamber 1. For this chamber only probably setup bag of carbon.

3rd Section - this section could be used like a fuge to house live plants or whatever. this section probably should be bigger than section 1 & 5

4th section - same as section 2

5 section - this is where the heater and water pump will be at and any other equipment like a digital thermometer.

If anyone can draw up a plan for this type of sump it would be very helpful. It would be nice if there's multiple drawings so I can look at and go check them out.

[Brhino]

I don't know about the idea of one sump running to two tanks... seems like it would be difficult to achieve balance there.

Why can't you put the 38 (or another tank) under the 55, and use that tank as both a sump for the 55 and a nursery?

[sinister_nation]

I don't know about the idea of one sump running to two tanks... seems like it would be difficult to achieve balance there.

Why can't you put the 38 (or another tank) under the 55, and use that tank as both a sump for the 55 and a nursery?

the reason is the 38 I'll be using dividers have new born section section for a week to 1 month section for females and a section for males but the females and male section will take up half the tank while the other half is divided for the other 2 section. with the male/female sections give plenty room for grow out and when i net them it will be them and not any younger fry.

My 55 has 13 male mollies and 38 female, plan on buying one more female so the ratio will be at 1(male):3(female) exactly. So that's why for both tank tie into one sump, so that sump can handle filtration using carbon.

[funkman262]

It really wouldn't be difficult to acheive any kind of balance between the two tanks running a single sump for the two of them. As long as the overflows can handle the return water, then any water being sent to the display tank would go straight back down to the sump (which is exactly what we want to happen). The only problem I see is that you're going to need a fairly large sump in order to handle any excess water in the case of a power outtage. This is the reason that many people run their sumps below 50% of capacity.

[sinister_nation]

funkman I agree, it's just when it comes to sump size I can never estimate what size i would need. In this case a sump for a 55 and a 38. The sump I built for my 75 is a 55 tank with glass partitions and been told it was a bit overkill for my 75, but to me it's not.

back to this, I guess I need to check tank sizes that would be adequate. I might go down to my LFS and see what size can fit in the 38 stand and while I'm at it check sizes for the 55 stand. I might just put the sump under the 55 instead of the 38.