Two tanks, one sump - who's doing it?

[Kyl]

Search hasn't shown much, but do we have any members running multiple tanks off of a larger, shared sump?

I'm in the planning stages of a pretty big upgrade hopefully this fall and seriously considering a shared sump to not only simplify dosing and equipment requirements, but provide a very stable water volume for a nano tank.

Main tank would be a ~130 gallon peninsula tank and planning for a ~50 gallon nano as well. I realise that most of the danger is if one tank goes, the other will too but the increased water quality versus what would be made available traditionally to small nano tank should be worth the risk.

Looking for some examples!

 

[BlueCursor]

I'm looking at this same question. I want to add a 300 gal tank to my 100 gal tank setup and run everything through a common filtration in my sump room. Thinking about the problem, I have come up with these obstacles I need to overcome somehow:

1. I will have a major cycle going on in my bigger tank. This will impact my smaller tank in a very negative way. THIS is my biggest concern.
2. My sump isn't big enough to accommodate both tank pumps being off at the same time, so I need a bigger sump to avoid overflows. I also need two holes in the sump because I need to have two separate pumps for returns. I don't want to have to turn flow off to both tanks everytime I need to turn it off for one tank.
3. My skimmer isn't big enough to handle both tanks. I need a bigger skimmer.
4. My heater won't support 400 gal. I need to add an additional heater to my sump.

I think I am going to swap my sump and skimmer while running just the 100 gal tank. I will put the old sump and skimmer under my new tank while cycling. 6+ months from now I will plumb the overflow to return to my common sump. In the interim, I will have no Apex for the cycling new tank, no ATO, etc. Everything will have to be manual until I can join the two tanks together with a common filtration and automation.

I have talked to a couple local people who have a common filtration for multiple tanks (often a frag tank) and they say they would never break their two tanks apart. They can't imagine doing 2 sets of water changes, 2 sets of testing parameters, etc.

 

[Kyl]

I have talked to a couple local people who have a common filtration for multiple tanks (often a frag tank) and they say they would never break their two tanks apart. They can't imagine doing 2 sets of water changes, 2 sets of testing parameters, etc.

That's my thought; two water changes, two tests, two dosing, two nutrient export, etc.. just have to up-size the sump and equipment for it. I know from ~18 months of nano ownership how fast things can change and how fine the line is to keep water quality versus the 65 that has a sump and 5x the water volume.

 

[OnlyTono]

I'm running a 125 with a 20-gallon display fuge, both connected to a sump. Not sure if that's what you're looking for but it's essentially what you talking about. The 20-gallon can be disconnected/isolated from the main system by simply closing the feeder line.

 

[AlexG]

The setup I am building is totaling over 1600 gallons with two displays tied together with a single sump system that also has multiple sump tanks. I think the system will gain a big advantage in stability since all water in the system is shared. Here is my build thread: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/alexgs-basement-plywood-build-2-displays-one-system.209737/

 

[markfmvl]

I currently have a20 gal frag tank a 40 gal and a 60 connected to the same sump. These are all in my fish room. at some point in the process i will add a 180 or a 220 display tank on the other side of the wall. It is running but not fully finished. still working out the details for filter socks, ato, etc. the sump is a 70 gal tub. I have two quarantine tanks separate from the system I will probably add another.

 

[Kyl]

The tanks I'm thinking of will be a 66 x 22 x 20 peninsula (72" long stand) and a 48 x 16 x 16 "nano". The sump will go under the peninsula, roughly 60 x 18 x 18, for around 40-45 gallons of water in it at normal operation and a max of 80ish gallons emergency. I figure that leaves the entire area under the 4' nano for the electronics, dosing vessels and my dry goods. The only question would be ATO, should it be built into the sump structure at roughly 10 gallon capacity, or elsewhere.

Always endless decisions with this hobby.

 

[Ian M]

I'm set up with two 75 gal, two 40 gal connected to a 55 refug and 40 gal sump, all tanks are plumbed to be separated by valves if any maintenance is needed. My thoughts are that there is no real difference then running one 230 gal, just can't put in the fish a large tank could hold. I run pumps, skimmer and reactors needed for a 300+ gal which gives me the option to expand or to swap out for one large tank.
One nicety is that I can get fish that do not get along but house them in separate tanks, and create a region specific environment's.

 

[Stugots]

I am in the design phase of an MTOS (multi-tank one sump) build with three tanks: frag, SPS dominated reef, FO. The sump and skimmer will be Large, enough to handle all three overflows. My plan is to use very little live rock and have no refugium per se. Biofiltration and nutrient export via Marinepure blocks in sump and rocks in display, biopellets, macroalgae reactor. Possibly run Thieling roller mat. Definitely run Ca reactor, carbon and UV sterilizer post-cycling. Total water capacity of 400g-500g. I hope to get by with one powerful pump running returns to all three tanks and manifold. I think the Abyzz A200 can handle it. This will be the sockless, topless and bare bottom system of the century (for me, anyway)! Now to figure out that plumbing . . .

On point thread. Thanks all!

 

[Kyl]

One nicety is that I can get fish that do not get along but house them in separate tanks, and create a region specific environment's.

I love my nano tank fish stock, but fear they wouldn't handle well in a larger community tank or I'd rarely see them (tailspot blenny, pinkstreaked wrasse, golden assessor and soon to be greenbanded gobies). There are also hosted clowns, but I want to get some corals out of it that just get too large, maybe even a turn it towards rockflower anemones.

I didn't think about the possibility of a calcium reactor, total water volume would be hovering around 180-200 gallons with rocks. I wonder if the cost scale is break even at that point or even in favour of a reactor. Anyway, thanks for the examples and more ideas!

 

[Shaun Sweeney]

I have two 140 gallon "1/2 pipe" tanks connected to a single sump system in the basement and ... so far so good. I use twin pumps that are plumbed in such a way as to allow the system to function if one breaks down. After the build, I discovered that the main sump tank wasn't big enough so a 2nd tank is connected via a water bridge which has functioned flawlessly since I first activated it. My main Vertex 250 skimmer has a dedicated skimmer tank and two additional skimmers are running on the system. Drain water arrives simultaneously in 3 tanks; primary filtration tank, Vertex skimmer tank and shallow algae farm tank. Bringing both tanks on line was a real challenge as the older original one had a flatworm infestation but I think I pulled it off. No sign of the little jerks ... yet.

 

[Saltyanimals]

I do the same as OnlyTono's picture. Plumb it in a way where you can isolate the tanks as needed effectively making it two independent tanks if the situation arises.

 

[Kyl]

Question of the overflow is should I just run dedicated lines from each tank (6 total), or up-size the sump entry bulkheads to something like 2" ( from 1-1/2" & 1") and combine each bean-animal line with a Y fitting. Thinking the former might be better, and potentially quieter. Going to go with two return pumps just because I've had nothing but fiddling required with running a manifold off the return lines to keep the overflow quiet, at least with the two-outet herbie setup. Gurgling is definitely a big no-go for this overall build.

 

[Shaun Sweeney]

I do the same as OnlyTono's picture. Plumb it in a way where you can isolate the tanks as needed effectively making it two independent tanks if the situation arises.

I'm not really able to isolate my tanks as they both depend on the same sump / skimmer system but I can operate with only one pump.

 

[ReeferDave01]

I'm running one. Main tank 220g mixed reef. 60g mostly fish only (smaller fish). 80g fuge. Main tank - I have 2 overflows running down into 2 socks being returned by vectra M1 pump. Smaller tank - I have 1 overflow running into 1 sock. I have second pump returning water to smaller tank which has a Y splitter. Most of water gets returned to small tank. The split routes water through my chiller and returns water to sump. I'm running led, ho, uv, ozone, apex, etc.

 

[HeulittSalmi]

Tagging along to see what people say. I currently have a 10 gallon, a 30, a hopeful 40B and a 45 Frag system.

 

[Kyl]

Yep, more examples means more ideas! I never really thought about it till reflecting a few days ago that every weekend I need to do the same thing on two tanks, and thinking back to some visits with local guys that run frag systems off their display. Really no different than running two displays, so why not.

 

[vlangel]

I even did it on a small scale so that I could have a seahorse tank but keep my LPS reef tank. Even with hang on the back overflows I never had a problem. Here's my thread:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dawns-30g-xh-coral-pony-corral.159967/

 

[Terry4505]

I have my 180 peninsula plumbed to my 25 gal cube with a shared sump. I also have a frag tank plumbed in. For all the reasons you mentioned. Ease of managing one volume of water, dosing, skimming etc.


https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/terrys-180-sps-peninsula-upgrade.218181/

 

[Kyl]

So I've done some sketching and would like some thoughts on running a shared sump design like this.


newtanks by Kyl Aquaria, on Flickr

Far left on the sump starts with 6x fixed bulkhead connections for both sets of bean-animal overflow lines, feeding into an overflow for dual 7" filter socks. Then the traditional skimmer section, wide refugium / whatever area and baffling before the return section, which is large enough to hold dual pumps. 40-45 gallon volume during use, around 80 gallon capacity total to account for both returns being off.

Not a fan of manifolds and the constant adjustment attention they seem to require from build up in the pipes. Thinking about the possibility of connecting both return lines near the source via ball valve, but leaving it closed so there's some form of pump redundancy to somewhat drive both tanks if a failure occurs. Maybe I should just start a 'future' build thread at this point..