Aquarium design

[bherbstm]

I'm interested in buying or building a tank setup that has three tanks with the first one over flowing into the second and the second overflowing into the third.
My goal here is to have 3 different tank setups and combinations of fish but only having one aquarium system to maintain.
Does anyone know what this type of system is actually called or have any idea where I might be able to get some good ideas about how to get one?

 

[the_deeb]

An LFS near me used to have their aquatic plants set up in a display like this. It was a waterfall setup and each tank had a large "lip" that poured water into the next one. It was a cool looking display. You're probably looking at custom acrylic fabrication for something like this.

If you don't care about incorporating the actual waterfalls into the display then it'll be much easier to set up - you could just have PVC overflows linking each tank to the next one. I think Rallysman had a series of tanks set up this way with his autowater change system:

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80209

If you all you care about are 3 separate setups with a linked water supply it might be easiest to just install an overflow in each one and have them share a single sump with the return line from your sump pump split over the 3 tanks.

 

[bherbstm]

I think I kind like the waterfall concept but I would worry about smaller fish taking a ride.