Connecting Two Aquarium Systems With Separate Sumps

[Amateur Reefer]

Hi all, I'm pretty new to reefing--have had a 14g biocube for a year or so. Decided to make a small 7 gallon sump and it's running great! Of course as soon as I did that I fell into a used 55 gallon aquarium with a pro clear sump. Good news is I have room for the new aquarium right to next to the biocube. Neither my DIY 7 gallon sump nor the pro clear will be big enough to run a combined ~95 gallon system.

How can I connect the two systems? Each will be on its own stand and I don't think drilling my DIY 7 gallon sump is an option--I would have to tear it down and start over and then have pipes going through the two stands.

Any ideas?

 

[RamsReef]

My suggestion would be to make a stand to put both aquariums on top and then just have a different sump below them.

 

[S-t-r-e-t-c-h]

You can use bulkheads and pvc to connect the two sumps, but this is a complicated solution. By the time you try to make the current equipment work, you might have wound up saving a ton of time and money by just buying something larger that works for both.

The more complication that you add trying to make it work, the more potential points of failure you add too...

Just running the two tanks separately is also a perfectly valid option...

 

[MSB123]

You can use bulkheads and pvc to connect the two sumps, but this is a complicated solution. By the time you try to make the current equipment work, you might have wound up saving a ton of time and money by just buying something larger that works for both.

The more complication that you add trying to make it work, the more potential points of failure you add too...

Just running the two tanks separately is also a perfectly valid option...

I used bulkheads and flex tubing. Made it super easy.

 

[alanbetiger]

I have one tank and two sumps. I already had both when I bought a bigger tank so figured might as well use them
My simple solution is to have the smaller sump on a 4inch 2x4 stand. I drilled one side high and just have a horizontal tube then a 90 degree with a downspout so the smaller sump just cascades down into the bigger sump and return pumps are only in the big sump. Kind of like it's a remote refugium
I was too scared to attempt to truly plumb them together with bulkheads because of the horror stories to hear about a few months down the line when pump vibrations wiggles something loose. I have a 350 gallon display and about 450 total volume so that's a lot of water on the floor..

 

[MSB123]

I have one tank and two sumps. I already had both when I bought a bigger tank so figured might as well use them
My simple solution is to have the smaller sump on a 4inch 2x4 stand. I drilled one side high and just have a horizontal tube then a 90 degree with a downspout so the smaller sump just cascades down into the bigger sump and return pumps are only in the big sump. Kind of like it's a remote refugium
I was too scared to attempt to truly plumb them together with bulkheads because of the horror stories to hear about a few months down the line when pump vibrations wiggles something loose. I have a 350 gallon display and about 450 total volume so that's a lot of water on the floor..

I was too. I used glue to permanently attach and seal the bulkheads.

 

[Erica-Renee]

Can you post some pics of the two tanks next to each other..

My thinking is have the Drain from the bio cube and 55 gallon tank drop into a Larger size drain with a Y Fitting or manifold then into the Single Sump , A manifold on a single Return pump with ball valves to adjust the correct water flow up to each of the two tanks . This is how i have my multi tank system Connected.

The Issue you have to overcome is Drain Down during a power outage. You can minimize this with having your Returns at the top of the water in each of the tanks with anti siphon holes at the top most position , Making your Drains and returns as short as possible and Keeping a lower sump water running level with a GOOD ATO Solution..

I have about 35 gallons of Drain back with tank off Due to a Large Distance from my Basement sump and the Display tanks. One of the tanks is 30 feet from the sump...

Hope this helps and Good Luck....

 

[Amateur Reefer]

I like the one stand idea. That could work. What if I simply cross plumbed the tanks? Have the biocube drain to both the 7 gallon sump and the pro clear sump; have the 55 gallon drain to both sumps; split the return lines from each sump to each tank?

 

[Amateur Reefer]

Can you post some pics of the two tanks next to each other..

My thinking is have the Drain from the bio cube and 55 gallon tank drop into a Larger size drain with a Y Fitting or manifold then into the Single Sump , A manifold on a single Return pump with ball valves to adjust the correct water flow up to each of the two tanks . This is how i have my multi tank system Connected.

The Issue you have to overcome is Drain Down during a power outage. You can minimize this with having your Returns at the top of the water in each of the tanks with anti siphon holes at the top most position , Making your Drains and returns as short as possible and Keeping a lower sump water running level with a GOOD ATO Solution..

I have about 35 gallons of Drain back with tank off Due to a Large Distance from my Basement sump and the Display tanks. One of the tanks is 30 feet from the sump...

Hope this helps and Good Luck....

I think this is kind of what I was thinking. I can't post a pic of the two tanks next to each other as the second tank has yet to be set up. Here is a pic of the BioCube, sump and the (in process) qt tank. My thought is to put the 55 gallon next to the biocube. I got it with a stand and a sump.

 

[dantimdad]

I was about to do something like this and changed my mind last night.

It's just not worth the risk of multiple points of failure.

My two tanks are across a 12 foot span from each other. But the principle would have been the same.

My suggestion is to just use the one sump. until you can afford a larger one then replace it.

 

[Amateur Reefer]

You all convinced me. I am going to plumb it all into one sump and abandon the 7gallon I built. I started a build thread and looking forward to everyone's advice!

 

[RamsReef]

Good call.