I want to connect a couple of tanks together but I don't think its feasible. is thew idea to run same tanks off on large sump? I don't have a basement or a place I would want to put one so to run separate sumps for each tank then somehow connect tanks would this still be an option or not worth doing?
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connecting tanks
- Thread starter reeferwanabe
- Start date
Like a lot of possible projects, the correct answer is, it depends.
Putting multiple tanks into a single system has advantages and disadvantages. The main advantages are a larger volume of water, all the water is the system is more or less the same, and you only have one system to deal with. The disadvantages are you can't maintain different water conditions, and if you have a disease problem it's in the whole system, and if the system fails you loose everything.
So you need to consider what you are trying to accomplish by building a common system.
It could work out very well where you want to have the livestock in one tank protected from the livestock in another. For example, if you wanted that parrot fish, but didn't want him munching on your SPS corals. It could also work out well where you wanted several smaller tanks connected. The smaller tanks might not justify large powerful skimmers, or reactors, but as a combined system, the costs would be manageable, and the water quality would be a lot higher.
Putting multiple tanks into a single system has advantages and disadvantages. The main advantages are a larger volume of water, all the water is the system is more or less the same, and you only have one system to deal with. The disadvantages are you can't maintain different water conditions, and if you have a disease problem it's in the whole system, and if the system fails you loose everything.
So you need to consider what you are trying to accomplish by building a common system.
It could work out very well where you want to have the livestock in one tank protected from the livestock in another. For example, if you wanted that parrot fish, but didn't want him munching on your SPS corals. It could also work out well where you wanted several smaller tanks connected. The smaller tanks might not justify large powerful skimmers, or reactors, but as a combined system, the costs would be manageable, and the water quality would be a lot higher.
If the tanks are in close proximity, you can use one pump/sump to feed both tanks. Both tanks would then overflow back to the common sump. It is considered a reeeaallly bad idea to try to feed one tank and then use a pump from that tank to feed another.
But lots of folks use one pump in a sump to feed two (or more) tanks.
But lots of folks use one pump in a sump to feed two (or more) tanks.
I have one return that feeds my 29 and my 120 ... works good for me so far.
my tanks are combined. one main pump. one skimmer. one chiller...
tanks are right next to each other the 55 gal. to the right I was thinking of putting a 30 gal. cube for seahorses and connect that with the 150 in the middle.
The thing is my sump is only one of those pro 200 wet dry w/o bioballs and pretty much takes up the entire space under the 150. with external pump. I'm feeling like I'd have to go with a larger sump. then a larger protein skimmer. the cube is not RR. either is the 55. I don't like the idea of those skimmer boxes but I might just be paranoid.
thanks phyl. That thought hit me also after thinking it out.