Connecting multiple systems/Tanks

[Flexin]

I have two tanks. One grows everything well with the exception the nitrates get higher much quicker. I have a second system in the same room, only 10 feet apart, that has ultra low nitrates. For this reason or others, what type of success have people had connecting two or more tanks together, or, simply what advise or comments would people have on this.

I would be able to leverage a large body of water by connecting with my 32 gallon bio cube (which grows well) with my 65 display/18 sump and leverage the refugium and large skimmer. I was thinking of using a pump to pass and draw at the same rate between the tanks.

Any advise or thoughts are extremely welcome...

 

[JaimeAdams]

I would drain one to the other and simply return pump to it. Two equal pumps never work out long term. Biofilm, mulm, strait up pump failure.

 

[Ron Reefman]

I had two 2 tank systems. Run both drains into the single sump and make a manifold for the return pump. Put gate valves (better than ball valves) on both return lines and you can control the flow. It's not that hard. These two share a sump/refugium under the 120g tank.

20170223_155902 by Ron Lindensmith, on Flickr

It's a bit complicated, but this is my return manifold. From the return pump there are 4 outlets with gate valves. From L to R they are reactor, main tank, chiller and 50g cube.

P8270002 by Ron Lindensmith, on Flickr

 

[flowflezy]

Following

 

[Flexin]

I had two 2 tank systems. Run both drains into the single sump and make a manifold for the return pump. Put gate valves (better than ball valves) on both return lines and you can control the flow. It's not that hard. These two share a sump/refugium under the 120g tank.

20170223_155902 by Ron Lindensmith, on Flickr

It's a bit complicated, but this is my return manifold. From the return pump there are 4 outlets with gate valves. From L to R they are reactor, main tank, chiller and 50g cube.

P8270002 by Ron Lindensmith, on Flickr

Is the second grey tube from the top from another overflow?

 

[Ron Reefman]

Is the second grey tube from the top from another overflow?

The white (PVC) line in the center is the main drain and runs over to the left and into filter socks. The transparent green tube is the emergency drain.

Just to try and be clear, on the manifold at the very far left is a ball valve and that is just an extra and gets used with a hose to pull water from the system during water changes. The 2nd red handle from the left is a gate valve and the dark hose behind it goes to the reactor and the second dark hose is the outflow from the reactor. BTW, I almost never run anything in the reactor unless there is a problem.

Does that clear up my 'mess-o-pipes'? :D

 

[Flexin]

NO mess, it's a work of art. I will have more comments tomorrow, the family is about to put me on the stove if I don't feed them, lol

 

[Flexin]

The emergency drain, is that drawing from both tanks just one?

Using the overflow is interesting. I wish I’d thought of that before where I could’ve had two tanks side-by-side on the same stand. I guess if I was going to do that I might’ve gotten a bigger tank to :-). I like this idea .

Initially I was thinking of using a DOS pump but I did not think about one side clogging. I wonder if Neptune will know that one side is clogged or that the output is less. Im thinking it wont.

I knew it would be extremely difficult to try to get to pumps to match without an emergency overflow. I did not want to drill the bio cube but I like the idea of both tanks overflowing into the sump.

 

[litenyaup]

My new build is going to have a frag tank that will be tied in with display. One single sump and return will have a manifold.

 

[Ron Reefman]

The emergency drain, is that drawing from both tanks just one?

Using the overflow is interesting. I wish I’d thought of that before where I could’ve had two tanks side-by-side on the same stand. I guess if I was going to do that I might’ve gotten a bigger tank to :). I like this idea .

Initially I was thinking of using a DOS pump but I did not think about one side clogging. I wonder if Neptune will know that one side is clogged or that the output is less. Im thinking it wont.

I knew it would be extremely difficult to try to get to pumps to match without an emergency overflow. I did not want to drill the bio cube but I like the idea of both tanks overflowing into the sump.

Unfortunately only the 125g had an emergency overflow. I've since sold the 120g and replumbed the 50g cube with an emergency drain and added an over the back return and built a new 40g sump/refugium. Below is my current build. The old DIY 50g cube and stand with a new stand and a DIY sump/refugium. The system isn't quite done yet, but the 50g cube is about as full of corals as I can fit in (mostly frags from the old 120g tank). ;Shamefullyembarrased

I like the 2 tanks better than one big one because I can keep certain corals, fish and other critters in one tank that would be serious problems in the other tank. So one water system but 2 different social environments.

 

[Flexin]

@Ron Reefman and now you have me looking around this room deciding where I can put a third tank, lol

In the background I think I hear my wife changing the locks on the house... Oh yes, and that's definitely a duffel bag being filled with my stuff.

I also like the idea of doing something completely different in a second tank, maybe fish only...

Did you have an incident by not having the other overflow?

 

[Ron Reefman]

@Ron Reefman and now you have me looking around this room deciding where I can put a third tank, lol

In the background I think I hear my wife changing the locks on the house... Oh yes, and that's definitely a duffel bag being filled with my stuff.

I also like the idea of doing something completely different in a second tank, maybe fish only...

Did you have an incident by not having the other overflow?

Have your wife call my wife, I had 2 systems that each had 2 tanks at the same time (600+ gallons of saltwater in the house). One in the great room and one in a spare bedroom (also known as The Reef Room). And we don't have basements down here so our 'above ground basement', previously sold to us as an attached 2 car garage, was full of shelving with spare parts and plumbing and a 500+ gpd RO/DI, a 45g storage tank for RO/DI water and a 200g cistern for reject water that I use to do the laundry! Oh, and the bathtub in the hall bathroom had a shelf unit for the stuff I used more regularly or didn't want to keep in the garage! I wish I had a photo. Since I've downsized the bathroom is back to being 100% bathroom!

Over time I used the 2nd tank as a Gorgonian tank along with Flamingo Tongue snails (photo below), an anemone tank, a butterfly tank, a clown harem tank and a display refugium tank. The Flamingo Tongue was great fun to keep, I only know of one other person who ever kept one. The trick is, the ONLY think they eat are gorgonian corals (which I could collect in the Keys).

You asked if I had an incident... I love it! If you call a snail getting into the drain and slowing the flow so the 50g cube slowly over filled and gently spilled 10 gallons of water on the floor an incident. Oh, and I discovered it at 3am when the return pump started making slurping noises due to drawing in air!

But my wife took that pretty well in stride. You see, 3 years ago my 180g tank sprang a leak where the back glass meets the bottom, and dead center from either side. Leaking 30+ gph and unstoppable, discovered at 6am. I spent 5+ hours setting up Brute garbage cans, spare 5, 10, 20 and 40 gallon tanks and a few 7g buckets to keep the corals, fish, inverts, rocks, etc. in while using the shop vac to suck water up from inside the monster towel levee I built around the tank on the floor! We got a bathroom remodel due to that one. The water went under the wall behind the tank and into the bathroom. The cabinet sat in a shallow hole due to the ceramic tile done around the cabinet by the previous owner. The cheap particleboard cabinet sucked up water and practically fell apart!

BTW, I am my wife's 3rd husband and she is my 3rd wife. We've been together for 18 years now, longer than any of the 4 previous marriages) and we've only had one 'raise your voice' argument in all of that 18 years! Her response to the 'incidents' was,"What can I do to help?" I can't begin to tell you how much I love her! :D

 

[Flexin]

That is an awsome story!!

 

[Muttley000]

Do not try to pump into and out of the tank. I have 6 displays and 2 fuges that are all the same system. Plumbing to a common sump is the easiest, but if you stacked you could pump to the top and let it drain to the bottom. I use a hammerhead gold to provide return water via a manifold also

 

[Flexin]

Do not try to pump into and out of the tank. I have 6 displays and 2 fuges that are all the same system. Plumbing to a common sump is the easiest, but if you stacked you could pump to the top and let it drain to the bottom. I use a hammerhead gold to provide return water via a manifold also

Hi Muttley, do you have any pics or a build thread?

 

[maroun.c]

I'd just drain them all to the same sump. I cureently Run one tank at home and 4 other tanks/frag tanks in the basement they all drain in one sump and 3 pumps return the water to different tanks. Just need to make sure sump is big enough to contain the added water that syphons back when u turn off flow.

 

[Muttley000]

Oops, double post

 

[Muttley000]

oops again sorry

 

[Centerline]

I actually have three tanks connected together. It was a serious pain . Some advice I would consider is to be sure your return pump can handle the head pressure for the return rate you are shooting for. Lastly, measure twice... I had a bunch of redos.

 

[Flexin]

I actually have three tanks connected together. It was a serious pain . Some advice I would consider is to be sure your return pump can handle the head pressure for the return rate you are shooting for. Lastly, measure twice... I had a bunch of redos.

Where is the Jaw-drop emoji!!! The layout is very nice, the center tank display, on a separate note, is breathtaking!!

So you have one return pump, I was thinking having one per system and did not think to plump and have one. I am assuming designing it was something else.