connected tanks

[Wantsomemora Acrapora]

I'm setting up a 180 and i want to put another tank under the stand with an exterior sump between the show and 2nd tank to allow for normal gravity feeding into the sump. My space is limited which is why I am considering this setup. Anyone try this? The main tank will be sps and the tank underneath with lps.

 

[Daddy-o]

my sump has 2 return lines. Each one feeds a 40 gallon tank and each 40 gravity flows into a separate 60 gallon which both gravity flow back to the sump.
Cheers! Mark

 

[Frey]

I also have something similar. I have a large sump. It feeds a 180 and then there is a separate pump that feeds a 90 display tank and a 65 gallon fuge. Been running like this for about 2 years. No issues and i like having more water volume all in a system except when dosing lol.

 

[Wantsomemora Acrapora]

I was considering adding a frag tank in the mix but thought that would be over-reaching but listening to you guys it appears that I have a long way to go!

 

[NanoDJS]

I am a super huge believer of combined systems for stability, I have an 80 DT (upstairs) a 40 frag ( basement) 30 frag basement all plumbed into the same sump. Been running this way for 4 years no issues.
( I have air gaps ) where the returns fall into the sump ( noise ) but helps naturally keep the ph like 8.2 -8.4

 

[Wantsomemora Acrapora]

I also have something similar. I have a large sump. It feeds a 180 and then there is a separate pump that feeds a 90 display tank and a 65 gallon fuge. Been running like this for about 2 years. No issues and i like having more water volume all in a system except when dosing lol.

How big is your sump? is it a conventional sump or custom? Can I see pics of your setup?

 

[Wantsomemora Acrapora]

I am a super huge believer of combined systems for stability, I have an 80 DT (upstairs) a 40 frag ( basement) 30 frag basement all plumbed into the same sump. Been running this way for 4 years no issues.
( I have air gaps ) where the returns fall into the sump ( noise ) but helps naturally keep the ph like 8.2 -8.4

( I have air gaps ) where the returns fall into the sump ( noise ) but helps naturally keep the ph like 8.2 -8.4
Hmm, I didn't know that. Will have to research, I may be following you.

 

[NanoDJS]

I used my old rs-75 and threw it into a 40 I drilled o hole in the return pump section of the rs-75 9" up so it dumps into the 40 then then I pump all three systems from that 40 which has the skimmer set @ 9 " water height. and aTo , I just use the rs-75 for filter sock / media / marine pure. Its a sump in a sump if you can picture that. Saved me alot of money since I already had the small sump for my 30g setup and got a used 40 breeder for free i think.

 

[Frey]

Sump is a ruby its the largest one they make. 60 gallons i think. I do not have overly large return pumps to the tanks just a lot of flow in the tanks. Vectra V1's for return pumps. I will get a photo at some point today and post but nothing special.

 

[maroun.c]

I run 5 tanks connected to same sump and adding 2 more tanks a d a second sump soon. One thing I'd worry about is height difference between lower tank and sump as if it's not.much higher u wont have a fast enough (gravity driven) drain to allow for too much circulation.

 

[Wantsomemora Acrapora]

Sump is a ruby its the largest one they make. 60 gallons i think. I do not have overly large return pumps to the tanks just a lot of flow in the tanks. Vectra V1's for return pumps. I will get a photo at some point today and post but nothing special.

I'm just looking for ideas before i have to commit. Your system sounds like what i want to reproduce.

 

[Wantsomemora Acrapora]

I run 5 tanks connected to same sump and adding 2 more tanks a d a second sump soon. One thing I'd worry about is height difference between lower tank and sump as if it's not.much higher u wont have a fast enough (gravity driven) drain to allow for too much circulation.

Great scott man! 5? That would scare me. I worried about the circulation also but I think that with a high flow in the tank and heavy export I can get around that...some what.

 

[ScottB]

Great scott man!

You called?

I have 3 tanks that overflow to 2 sumps that are themselves bridged together. I then "criss-cross" the returns so the water is always mixing between sumps and tanks. Six months, no issues. Time to push my luck with a third sump...I think.

 

[maroun.c]

Great scott man! 5? That would scare me. I worried about the circulation also but I think that with a high flow in the tank and heavy export I can get around that...some what.

As long as they all feed in the sump and that sump can handle.the backsyphone is flownisnturned off without flooding u will be ok. Mine was designed for 3 tanks and I added a small cube after and it could handle it but water is very close to the top. As I'm adding 2 more tanks I just decided to add one more sump at same height as mine and to connect to my sump. I can use that sump as an additional tank, or more sump space or just a frag tank.

 

[Devaji]

I totally see the appeal to this idea. just some thinks to conciser.
I few have be touched on

~like space in the sumps for all the water in the pipes when power in off. dont want a flood!
~dosing your SPS tank might need more than you LPS in other words you have to dose more to get X amountof ca,mag & alk not a big problem just know going into it it = more$$ in dosing ( maybe a CaRx might be an option? )

~pests they will share them like a joint being passed around at a collage party.

so there are por and cons to joining tanks I guess you just have to weigh them and see what you like.

love the idea I just wonder about if it the "best" way to go or not??

post some pics from those of you that are running a few together!

 

[maroun.c]

I totally see the appeal to this idea. just some thinks to conciser.
I few have be touched on

~like space in the sumps for all the water in the pipes when power in off. dont want a flood!
~dosing your SPS tank might need more than you LPS in other words you have to dose more to get X amountof ca,mag & alk not a big problem just know going into it it = more$$ in dosing ( maybe a CaRx might be an option? )

~pests they will share them like a joint being passed around at a collage party.

so there are por and cons to joining tanks I guess you just have to weigh them and see what you like.

love the idea I just wonder about if it the "best" way to go or not??

post some pics from those of you that are running a few together!

I tend to dose for the tanks volume and stop the circulation and leave it for 20-30 min for corals to feed then when turning on the circulation this leads to a bit less overall added nutrient concentration as the sump, water change system... were not dosed for.
Dosing will be equal to what ur corals consume not proportional to tanks number or added total volume, more space means more corals which use means more dosing but that's a good problem to have.
Pests are bad be it in o e tank or more, definitely multiple tanks will.make it more difficult to deal with pests if they get into the system so a strict at protocol is a must. On The other hand having separate multiple systems is more of a pain with multiple heating, chilling , dosing, testing filtering....

 

[Frey]

Here ya go didnt clean it up or anything for the photo so sorry for the mess. No fancy colored piping just two pumps one split for two smaller tanks and 4 returns plumbed down to 3 to enter the sump

 

[Frey]

Make sure you use check valves, and i also tested the back flow into the sump a few times to make sure it would handle it. I also put ball valves on ever return and drain in case of an emergency so i could shut everything down from everywhere if i needed too. It fills back up about 1.5" below the top of the sump. Also need to remember to turn your skimmer off before shutting down feed pumps and i have it on 15 min delay with apex if power is lost to give the sump plenty of time to empty to normal level but it only takes about a min.

 

[ScottB]

I totally see the appeal to this idea. just some thinks to conciser.
I few have be touched on

~like space in the sumps for all the water in the pipes when power in off. dont want a flood!
~dosing your SPS tank might need more than you LPS in other words you have to dose more to get X amountof ca,mag & alk not a big problem just know going into it it = more$$ in dosing ( maybe a CaRx might be an option? )

~pests they will share them like a joint being passed around at a collage party.

so there are por and cons to joining tanks I guess you just have to weigh them and see what you like.

love the idea I just wonder about if it the "best" way to go or not??

post some pics from those of you that are running a few together!

If I had it to do all over again from scratch, I might have considered a custom built 12 foot shallow raceway frag tank with a closed loop flow system and one enormous sump. But I kinda got into the frag stuff incrementally. Started with a 40B and a 20G sump, added an 80 shallow, then another 40G sump and another 80 shallow to reach 260G volume.

But this allows me to run 2 SPS (high light, high flow) tanks and one smaller LPS/SPS quarantine all on one water system and APEX system. Yeah, I have a lot of wiring and extra equipment, but that redundancy has been helpful a few times.

A picture of the whole, the "bridge" and the flow diagram.

 

[Wantsomemora Acrapora]

I totally see the appeal to this idea. just some thinks to conciser.
I few have be touched on

~like space in the sumps for all the water in the pipes when power in off. dont want a flood!
~dosing your SPS tank might need more than you LPS in other words you have to dose more to get X amountof ca,mag & alk not a big problem just know going into it it = more$$ in dosing ( maybe a CaRx might be an option? )

~pests they will share them like a joint being passed around at a collage party.

so there are por and cons to joining tanks I guess you just have to weigh them and see what you like.

love the idea I just wonder about if it the "best" way to go or not??

post some pics from those of you that are running a few together!

This setup is no different than 1 mixed reef, except you get to have a sand bed in the lps tank with reduced flow; the idea, or at least my idea is to have both types of tanks without compromising on light, flow, ect...all in the same footprint (except the sump) because i have space limitations..