Linking fish tanks to same sump?

[Cooper32803]

So here is my idea.

I am thinking of putting a tank in the garage for a frag tank as I have said in a previous post. Is it possible to put a 40 gallon breeder as the frag tank and maybe a 20g high as a quarantine on the same sump filtration system? How would one do that? Would the 20 gallon high drain into the 40 gallon breeder somehow and then have the water go to the sump from the breeder and return to the 20 gallon high? I am thinking this since it is a good idea to have a quarantine (as I have recently lost a fish I think. It has disappeared in my tank) and I would have to buy a chiller anyway for the garage so why not link it to two tanks.

 

[Loki]

No. Don't put your quarantine system with another. It needs to be its own setup because if you need to dose copper you will kill your inverts in your main tank.

 

[Rockadile]

well you wont want a QT tank connected to your main system. Kind of negates the purpose of a qt tank.

 

[Loki]

My qt is a tank with nothing but water and PVC fittings in it. No gravel or rocks. That way if I have To dose with some weird med I can dispose of everything in it.

 

[wysiwyg]

yeah as stated already your qt has to be on its own so you can dose it with medicine that would kill corals and other inverts

 

[Cooper32803]

Oh yeah, forgot corals would be considered an invert. Never said I was the brightest bulb in the chandelier :roll:LOL Well there goes that idea... Im just thinking of a way to keep multiple tanks without upping my power bill all that much more... I was thinking of plumbing my display tank through the wall into my garage and then I could put the frag tank on that same sump right? But then again I am not the handy person to be doing such a thing. Haha

 

[Rockadile]

It is not only the medication you may need to dose in a QT tank but also the fact the reason you are QT. You do not want whatever that fish may have in your main display

 

[Cooper32803]

Right I wasnt talking about linking to the main display tank... I was talking about linking to a frag tank which I now realize in my stupidity are inverts and copper kills inverts... that is a big "Duh" on my part... I guess I wasn't thinking about it long enough before deciding to type out the question and look like a dummy... haha

 

[Reef Breeders]

LOL, it's okay. Really all you need for qt is an hob filter and a powerhead for detritus. Personally, I use my frag tank as a qt, especially when I get reef safe with caution fish, just to be sure. To treat a fish, I catch it, and move it to a seperate system.

 

[Cooper32803]

Now that could be an idea... I could keep new fish in the frag tank once I get it and should a fish need to be treated I can just put it in another tank and treat it there? and have a HOB filter on it like, say, an aquaclear filter? Just remove the carbon from it so it doesnt kill the medicine right? and lighting wouldnt have to be a big deal on that tank so I could get away with running a standard flourescent on it a few hours a day? Also how would that treating tank cycle? since there would be no substrate or rock in it, what would the bacteria hold on to?

 

[Steelerfan747]

well you wont want a QT tank connected to your main system. Kind of negates the purpose of a qt tank.

+1, seems like a good idea for a dt and a frag but not a qt

 

[Young Frankenstein]

No. Don't put your quarantine system with another. It needs to be its own setup because if you need to dose copper you will kill your inverts in your main tank.

+1 I also have many tanks connected NP

 

[Degener8]

Now that could be an idea... I could keep new fish in the frag tank once I get it and should a fish need to be treated I can just put it in another tank and treat it there? and have a HOB filter on it like, say, an aquaclear filter? Just remove the carbon from it so it doesnt kill the medicine right? and lighting wouldnt have to be a big deal on that tank so I could get away with running a standard flourescent on it a few hours a day? Also how would that treating tank cycle? since there would be no substrate or rock in it, what would the bacteria hold on to?

Yes you could just move the fish to the hospital tank if needed. Really you don't need to keep a setup/cycled hospital tank. If the fish you have set aside in the frag system needs tratment move the fish and enough water for the QT/Hospital tank together this way your not causing any undue stress with changed water chemistry.

A standard flourescent a few hours a day or atleast while feeding is all thats needed.

As far as the bacteria and what it would hoold on to.. just keep a sponge in the sump and move it to the HOB filter if the QT/Hospital tank is needed. But really you will rely more in water changes to keep your water fish safe.

HTH

 

[Cooper32803]

Definitely helped... Thanks! All these ideas in my head and I have yet to get a display tank... LOL

 

[Retired_AF]

Of course, you COULD keep a piece of rock or a decoration in the qt for the bacteria to grow on, but that means leaving it to run continuously. Not really cost effective unless you plan to use it frequently. One thing I decided to do when I built my qt was to add a shelter sold for reptiles (but aquarium safe) inside the tank for the fish to hide in to help reduce their stress. This gives bacteria a place to grow as well. Of course I would never put it or anything else from the qt into the dt. That way I wont contaminate my dt.