Two tanks, 1 filter.

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
duanes said:
Your idea is basically the same as using a sump, just using a weak pump to pump uphill and small compartment to hold media. If you have fish that don't mind slight water movement, it should work
Although canisters are made to pump to tank height, that height is maybe 4 or 5 ft, a fairly low head pressure, compared to most pumps used in sumps.
And... using a sump does not require matching flows. I use 3 or more tanks on each sump, and the flow can be lower to one tank and higher in another.
Flow rate from the pump determines the gravity flow to the sump, I like to use 2000gph or higher pumps for multiple tanks. But I keep riverine cichlids that come from moderate, to high flow areas.

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Another thing to think of is that with simpler or diy setups you are at the mercy of equipment. A pressurized impeller pump system will can be heavily modified as long as they stay primed. Overall flow might be diminished but if air cant get in and water can't escape they will continue to operate without damaging the pump until the electric components overheat. Setting things up yourself as I have done and how the op suggests can be harder than plumbing a sump. My rule is, "could I leave the house for a weekend and not worry?". If the answer is yes then my new tangent continues, if not I reevaluate.

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I like the idea because it doubles the total gallons in the system for things like ammonia swings. like having one big tank. if I where you I would get a BP1500 Bio-Active Pressure Filter and a pond pump. though that will be way over kill for that small of a tank.
 
JonY3k said:
I like the idea because it doubles the total gallons in the system for things like ammonia swings. like having one big tank. if I where you I would get a BP1500 Bio-Active Pressure Filter and a pond pump. though that will be way over kill for that small of a tank.
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It is nice for this; more dispersement and it allows you to keep amounts of acclimated, cycled water on hand. As others have said it also means catastrophe strikes multiple tanks together should it happen. Anything from ich to a tank blowing out. As for a permanent setup sump systems like the one outlined above is ideal but if you're like me and tinker with diy stuff there are always options.

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SpinalFan said:
Canister instructions say to be placed under tank :/ therefore pumping up hill.
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Yoimbrian said:
It's not uphill, no different than any canister under a tank.
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Nope. A canister with intake and return in the same tank is a closed loop, the height won't effect the flow as the water being pushed up is offset by gravity assisting the water coming in from the tank. If your return is above the water level of the tank then the head height is the distance between the top of the water and the return, regardless of how far below the tank the canister is. Go ahead and experiment, put your canister on the floor then put it on a table at the same height as the tank, there will be no difference in flow. And while it is sitting on the table at tank height, try taking the return out and hold it up as high as possible, and see how that affects the flow.

You could have a canister 10' below the tank and it wouldn't make a difference (ok slight difference due to the friction loss with the longer hoses, but the vertical distance is irrelevant).
 
David R said:
Nope. A canister with intake and return in the same tank is a closed loop, the height won't effect the flow as the water being pushed up is offset by gravity assisting the water coming in from the tank. If your return is above the water level of the tank then the head height is the distance between the top of the water and the return, regardless of how far below the tank the canister is. Go ahead and experiment, put your canister on the floor then put it on a table at the same height as the tank, there will be no difference in flow. And while it is sitting on the table at tank height, try taking the return out and hold it up as high as possible, and see how that affects the flow.

You could have a canister 10' below the tank and it wouldn't make a difference (ok slight difference due to the friction loss with the longer hoses, but the vertical distance is irrelevant).
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This is more or less what I was going to post. Canister filters are not meant to handle head height. They need the same return and intake height to function properly, they basically accelerate a siphon. If you try to use a canister filter to run a sump in a stack, you may melt you impeller.

If you want to link tanks in a stack you need an overflow on the top tank and a pump that is rated for the head height
 
Look up old posts by a guy called Rallysman who had a filter referred to as Frankenfilter.

Both are legend.


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