Fishroom & Centralized Filtration

[palotz]

I have 7 tanks set up in a small room in my basement. I was thinking of going with some sort of centralized filter and heating station. All fish basically need the same water quality & I am aware that diease can spread to all tanks with this method. I don't want to go the air/sponge route because I would still need to heat the water separately in each tank.

I will drain water from tanks using gravity and a hanging on side overflow method. All tanks will drain into a pvc pipe that will run thru a wall into a closet which will house the filter.

Question:

I would need a set up in the closet that would be low to ground ( as some of the tanks are fairly low to ground ) . I could collect water into a tub and then pump it up to a filter, but I would prefer to pass it thru a filter and heater and then pump it back up thru the closet wall and into tank.

Does anyone have any ideas ? or pics of a similar type set up ?


cheers,


Anthony

 

[thamunsta]

out of curiosity, what are the tnak sizes

 

[palotz]

4 - 30 gal
2 - 60 gal
1 - 40 gal

I also have 2 - 125 gal tanks thant wont be in the system.

 

[TheUnhappiest]

That would actually be a nice system if it works out.

 

[gomezladdams]

Im working on something like that now.Will have pics up in a month or two search around in the diy forum lots of info on this topic there

 

[ChickenTeeth]

Im working on something like that now.Will have pics up in a month or two search around in the diy forum lots of info on this topic there

I tink u will have a problem as u say cuz ur bottom tanks ar to low to return water to the sump properly. If ur collection pipe is on the floor, and u had no bottom tanks, ur hydrostatic head is the distance from ur overflow to the top of ur filter tower minus the distance from the collection pipe on the floor to the top of ur filter tower. If u now only consider the bottom tanks ur hydrostatic head is almost zero depending how much lower the sump is. Cuz ur return pipe is on the floor. Water will travel from ur overflow to lowest point in the collection pipe on the floor, which now has to travel up to the filter tower!!!

 

[ChickenTeeth]

I tink u will have a problem as u say cuz ur bottom tanks ar to low to return water to the sump properly. If ur collection pipe is on the floor, and u had no bottom tanks, ur hydrostatic head is the distance from ur overflow to the top of ur filter tower minus the distance from the collection pipe on the floor to the top of ur filter tower. If u now only consider the bottom tanks ur hydrostatic head is almost zero depending how much lower the sump is. Cuz ur return pipe is on the floor. Water will travel from ur overflow to lowest point in the collection pipe on the floor, which now has to travel up to the filter tower!!!

Dis means ur hydrostatic head on the lower tanks is equal to the height of the overflow in the lower tanks minus the height of the top of the filter tower. Dis maybe only a few inches, in which case the flow to the sump will be extremely weak. Not to mention that cuz u drain the top tanks to to floor pipe instead of directly to the top of the filtertower u will lose alot of hydrosatic head der too. Altogether ur system design is very poor. u can save urself grief by raising ur shelf so the bottom tanks ar at least above ur filter tower on the sump. I would like to draw u a diagram but I don't know how to post pictures or diagrams.

 

[ChickenTeeth]

Dis means ur hydrostatic head on the lower tanks is equal to the height of the overflow in the lower tanks minus the height of the top of the filter tower. Dis maybe only a few inches, in which case the flow to the sump will be extremely weak. Not to mention that cuz u drain the top tanks to to floor pipe instead of directly to the top of the filtertower u will lose alot of hydrosatic head der too. Altogether ur system design is very poor. u can save urself grief by raising ur shelf so the bottom tanks ar at least above ur filter tower on the sump. I would like to draw u a diagram but I don't know how to post pictures or diagrams.

I myself have a centralized drip system. Der ar 48 tanks plumb together. I use 2x150gal water tubs as reserviors daily, just for water changes. Water changes occur twice daily, each time using 1x150gal. Before i put dis system together i read AQUATIC SYSTEMS ENGINEERING by P.R. Escobal and used his CD to calculate all the pipe sizes etc. CD does all the work all u do is put in numbers it askes u for.

Have fun!!!

 

[Roy L.]

I would place the sump on the floor - no problem as I see it.

 

[ChickenTeeth]

I would place the sump on the floor - no problem as I see it.

Dat would be ok. But he wants to have overflows go to a collection pipe on the floor first. Then have the collection pipe go to the filter tower over the sump....Dat is a problem...