Safety of a multitank sump

[CHOMPERS]

I've never had a bad experience with a shared system. Just because 1 fish gets sick doesn't mean the others will. 1 fish will get sick for a specific reason, usually because it's weak. It's rare for the others to be weak at the same time. Not only is it easier, but you can actually use 1 large efficient pump for all of the tanks. Just use ball valves to divide the flow.

I love my central system. I wouldn't go back to individual filters for anything. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think if you take care of things properly then sickness shouldn't be much of a concern .


Edit: I feel that UV is not necessary and can cause harm. I've had more problems with UV than without. If the fish has nothing to fight off, what will happen if it needs to? It's a lot like humans building a tolerance/building their immune systems IMO. If you don't give your immune system practice, then it's worthless.

Good post. I always enjoy a post with good information and detailed reasoning.

Keeping a system maintained is good medicine. It allows the fish's immune systems to be at their peak. Likewise, when a fish has to regularly tolerate nitrate poisioning and high dissolved organics (bacteria coctail), the result is a supressed immune system and frequent disease.

i would stick with indivisuals

By following rallysman's post, that was intellectually painful




.

 

[nfored]

So one single sump it will be, thank you. I was thinking of using two 55 gallon barrels, one to hold the bio media, and one to hold just water. I like the single sup idea because there are less point of failure, and also cuts down on water testing and water changes.

I sure hope my babies will be ok, Until I got my R/O last week, they where constantly forced to withstand up to .50 ammonia and up to .50 nitrite. for about 2 days of every week.

I felt like such a horrible pet owner, for putting them through that, but now I have R/O water, and thanks to the MFK's I have the right chems for the R/O

 

[chesterthehero]

single sump is good... as long as you ALWAYS quarantine yer fish on a seperate system... just think of it as one big tank with lots of small pathways that have spinning blades of death in them