Want to know how to filter tanks in tiers

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
S

StingraySteve

Gambusia
MFK Member
Mar 20, 2013
545
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16
Australia
After some measuring and sketching I came up with a preliminary design for my new racks. Hopefully the picture comes out OK.



IMG.jpg

The blue arrows depict the direction of water flow. Tanks will be (4) 3x2x2 (LxWxH) or 3x2x1.5 each divided into 3 equal sections
Dotted lines represent egg crate material so as to maintain water flow throughout the tanks
My proposed sump is 4 x 1.5 x 1.5

The tanks and sump are drawn to scale - pipework not so much. My main question is: Is this an efficient way to filter tiered tanks? I don't mind increasing the size of my sump or even changing the design entirely. But I'm not too keen on resorting to a bunch of internal sponge filters.

I would like to hear all sorts of success/failure stories regarding this style or even other designs that have been used.

IMG.jpg
 
I would use a filter sock on each side of the sump as mechanical filtration, that could be rinsed out with every water change. I have 3 banks of tanks, (4-6 tanks on each sump)and rinse the socks every other day, while changing 30% of water every other day.
And I don't know if you plan on having drilled tanks, or siphon type overflows.
If it were me, I'd invest in a glass drill bit, and drill all tanks (not the sump).
I have some siphon overflows, and some drilled. I only learned to drill tanks of late, and wish I'd done it years ago. I have drilled 6 tanks in the last few months, and in the end want all 20 drilled.
The drilled tanks are much less prone to overflow, than siphon types.
 
definitely drilled. I don't have much faith in those siphon-style overflow boxes
 
I tried setting up a huge gravity filter with sump and it was kind of a hassle. There is definitely a trick to getting everything sized right. Basically, make sure you test all worst case scenarios; that overflows work and keep up with flow if/when filter material starts to clog... and things even out okay when pump stops during a power failure.

Even after all this, these arrangements are also great for adding a ton of moisture to the air of your house, are usually noisy and might have other weird issues. For example the one I had seemed to have a propensity for foam generating... which when really bad would cause it to overflow the foam all over the place.

It was a relief to finally switch to a couple canisters after my debacles. Super quiet, and **** stops moving the second the pumps are off. My sump system would continue to flow up to 5 minutes after the pumps were shut off. Things like this mean you have to err on the gigantic side for your sump size compared to your tank.

This was just my experience with them.. they're supposed to be great for aeration filtering if you can manage their cons.
 
Central systems can work if set up properly and you are maintaining fish with the same water requirements. Just make sure you quarantine all new fish before adding them to the system. Otherwise disease will spread to all the tanks. Main thing is to design the system so that your sump doesn't overflow when the power goes off.
 
It's going in the garage so noise is no issue. Also, aside from well-fitting lids and a dehumidifier, are there any other ways to help limit moisture/evaporation?
 
I was considering perforating the downpipes a bit to help collect suspended matter but the thought of flooding during a power outage is too much of a concern. It's all a balancing act with these types of setups which is why I've asked for people's thoughts before I make the same mistakes so many other people have.
 
I'm thinking of putting an overflow box that spans the entire width of each tank rather than a perforated piece of pvc.
 
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