2 dt's on one sump

[Readywriter]

Im getting ready to set up my 75 and just picked up a 40 breeder for the sump. When I got home I looked at my 60 gal african cichlid tank and gears started turning. That tank had a die off over the summer, my ac broke during a hail storm and insurance didnt come through until after half the fish died from overheating and then the nastiest demasoni killed the rest and now Im "over it". I was thinking of tearing it down and doing a planted lizard tank but then it dawned on me, a 40 breeder is probably big enough to plumb a 75 reef and a 60 seahorse tank to if I plan it well.

Is this a terrible idea or could it work?

 

[piranhaman00]

Doing this right now with a 360 and 60 DT and a 150 sump. Yes possible.

 

[jda]

Separate pumps and separate drains and it works plenty well. Trying to have one display drain into another, or using one pump split between two tanks can be problematic.

 

[karsa]

I did this with a 75 gallon and 22 long. Ideally you’d have two return pumps but I didn’t have the room so tee’d it off and control flow with valves. Have to make sure one doesn’t back siphon into the other this way.

 

[Readywriter]

Ok sweet. Yea I assumed plumbing them on the same line would at best result in a constant headache. I just wasnt sure if Id still have a water level battle if they were plumbed separately.

 

[RocketEngineer]

For multiple displays on one common sump, it’s the pump chamber that would see fluctuations due to evaporation. Nothing else should change water level wise.