Plumbing Two Tanks 15ft Apart

[inkblue]

... Jawwad and I were trying to figure this out last nite.

Let's say I have two (2) tanks, 1-72G and the other a 65G. If I place these two tanks 10-15ft. apart, is there any way I can connect the two and both share one sump/fuge?

We know we can, but how, what kind pump, and will one tank have to be lower than the other? How do you get the water to go around from one tank to the other and back again using one pump.

The 65G, is from Jung, drilled and all, but the 72G is not.

Any solutions, thoughts :scratchch :happysad:

 

[Deanos]

You're not acting like a bargain hunter with all these complicated ideas. You'd need alot of this, however:

 

[inkblue]

...yeah, guEss who you caN blame for that (jhale, nypd...) i know i need a bunch of that, buT hoW do i pLumb it... need equipment ideas and a deskription of wat to d0 k: i figure i caN do 2 biotopes with one set of water... :smoker:

 

[pmui]

2 options: You need both tanks to empty into one sump. I would use over flows on both tanks. and use (2) separate return pumps, one for each tanks.

anothr option is 1 sump, overflows in both tanks, and 1 return pump to one of the tanks (this thank has to be higher in height), the over from the higher tank to the lower tank (you need a rigid pipe that will slope toward the second tank) and the second tank will empty into the sump. wow..too much thinking in the morning.

 

[House of Laughter]

Ib

I would plum them together by using a 50g long from aga with 4 baffles - I would use only one drain from each into the sump, but have the returns split some way (perhaps using a Y)to the tanks. You can further split each single return using either a OM Squirt or SCWD. The size of the pump would be defied on what you wanted to do -

Lets say you wanted an SPS dominated shelf biotope, then I would also include ball valves after the Y so that you can dial down or open up the return depending on what you want to keep in there. I would also make sure (and think it's critical) that you have a pressure rated pump so that you don't have any head pressure/distance traveled issues.

Hope this helps.

House

 

[bad coffee]

Just like everyone else said, just make sure you have LOTS of extra room in your sump for a power outtage. You'll have 2 tanks draining to the sump, not just one. Plus, one will be 15 feet away and that's a bit of water as well.

B

 

[inkblue]

If the sump is critical, due to an outage, is it safer to go with 2 sumps? :question:

 

[pmui]

i have a feeling of "flood"

 

[inkblue]

That's why am asking expert opinion, to avoid a tsunami :usa1:

 

[House of Laughter]

you can have two smaller sumps and actually plumb them together and have the return come off those two in a "T"

and the return can T as well.

House

 

[inkblue]

Ahhhh... the light is getting brighter :cool3: interesting...pRobably a better idea...

 

[House of Laughter]

Ib, I have a 180, a 29 and a 20 long all plumbed into the same sump (65g) and it doesn't overflow when it all turns off.

Hope that helps.

House

 

[inkblue]

Do you have a pic? Is it in your gallerY? k:

 

[Deanos]

Multiple tanks

#2

:sigh1:

 

[inkblue]

:tired: ... am a visuAL person... no pictures :tongue1:

 

[Deanos]

Sorry IB! All of reefing's problems can't be answered simply with pictures.

 

[inkblue]

hmmm... this couLd be a market niche for me... :cool3: illustrating your reefing needS might actually dweLL on this

 

[House of Laughter]

its in my gallery - but you'd have to come see it to understand it.

Wish I had CAD

House

 

[jhale]

it's hard to take a picture of plumbing, it's kind of something you need to see.
for instance Jims plumbing, I've seen it three times, and every time I see it I notice something new. when you start connecting multiple tanks like BC said make sure you have room in the sump for the water to drain into.

depending where the sump is you may be moving water through 15' - 25' of plumbing with elbows etc. this will take a good sized pump for even a medium amount of flow through the sump. be prepared to spend money to run at minimum a 140 watt pump 24/7.
you can save though by having one protein skimmer, and one top off system to handle the two tanks. in the end it may come out to be even.

 

[inkblue]

Sketch it out and send it to me, i'll draw it foR you... this is my new market reef design ... put it in After Effects and you can see it with water, and in 3D... or iF you really want, we can put particles and have realistic wateR