help with 2 tank filtration setup

[Dave Longo]

Hello list members, this is my first post here and need some advice.

I currently have a 300g in my living room and the past year have been in the middle of preparing to set up another 130g in the basement. I am using another 130g as the filtration for the 300g but want to combine this filter for both tanks as a double-circulatory system.

The 300g upstairs I'm dedicating to predator fish, the 130g in the basement, I'm dedicating to reef fish. Right below the 130g reef is the 130g filter. I am currently designing the filter with glass/acrylic partitions to use for mechanical and biological medium and was interested if there were any ideal designs to use. Perhaps images of someone's setup if anything familiar would be of great assistance.

I have bio balls, skimmer, flosses, sponges etc; don't know if I should do one large chamber for the bio balls or 2 smaller ones with water rising to overflow into chambers etc, etc.

Another problem I have had is using hose over plastic fittings, the hoses keep falling off from pressure and I cannot think of a fastener other than hose clamps(metal) to use to keep them on. Unless I found fittings with screw on sleeves ?!?

Look forward to any thoughts on this...

Regards,
Dave

 

[Thow428]

I take it the 300g is saltwater as well? If not... You may run into some problems, lol

 

[q_fish]

300g= predator fish 130g= reef? like thow428 said, is it going to be both salt?

 

[bgcoop8784]

not really sure if this would work but if you took a float style valve, kinda like on a toilet, on both tanks on the output from the filter the water flow on that particular tank would slow down or even stop at your pre-set water level that way if one tank didn't drain as fast as the other the slower tank wouldn't overflow. just an idea if you are wanting to use one filter/pump for both tanks.

 

[Dave Longo]

Hi again, I was going to use 2 pumps out of the filtration, one per tank. The 300g has overflow boxes so will drain as quick as water comes in. The reef, still sorting out my options for outputs, considering overhang box, don't really want to drill the tank if I can avoid it.

No the laws of nature do not cease to exist in my home so yes both tanks will be salt :^)

 

[Dave Longo]

The other option I considered last year which just came to me now that I will most likely still do is ... I am going to use gravity from the upstairs tank to drain from the overflows into the reef downstairs, (with filtration media somewhere in between) then the reef into the filter below so I only use one pump.

 

[alcohologist]

that sounds best. what are you running on your 300g currently?
what i'd do is have two sumps, one drilled, and have one next to each tank. makes it possible to run the tanks separately if you need to.