needing a roughting diagram for 2 canister filters on a 48" long 55 gallon tank

[coffeetwitch]

needing a routing diagram for 2 canister filters on a 48" long 55 gallon tank

hello all,

short time reader first time poster... i have found myself on this web site several times just doing searches on google. so i figured it was time to join. i have searched both web and this site for an answer but not really finding an answer. so here is my long drawn out question and some back story....


im a mechanic and do well enough with diagrams. i am also a fan of redundancy when it comes to my fish's aquariums. i am going to be upgrading (arguably) to canister filters. 2 per tank. what is the best placement for the pick-up tubes and output spouts? more info... all of the tanks are 48" long, on my cichlid tank ive got the typical rocks. on my tropical community, ive got fake greenery on the back wall. all of my tanks have or are being fitted with 18" bubble wands.

thank you for your time

 

[coffeetwitch]

ok, so i suppose im just going to put the two return spouts in the middle and the pick ups in each of the corners. that will keep the hoses the shortest and the same length for the in and outs.

 

[Tracie6283]

I think that sounds like a good plan

 

[reflex1]

Probably like coffeetwitch said - or vice versa. BUT - why two canister filters - one will work great if it's the proper size!

 

[mfdrookie516]

I prefer 2 canisters as well. On a tank with 2 canisters, I usually put the intake for the filter about 1/3 from the outside... meaning there's an equal spacing between the side and the first intake... the first intake and the second intake, and the second intake and the other side. I run a spray bar across the whole back of the tank. Just how I prefer it, but what you're planning sounds ok too

 

[Crepe]

If you mean running them in parallel always connect outlets and run two inlets. The pulling from two different sides will stress each motor head and they'll heat up and fail sooner.

 

[coffeetwitch]

hey reflex
no rhyme or reason other than it gives me something to tinker with. also i really like the benefits of redundancy. oh and the "if one is good, two is better" mentality. besides ive read time and again that one cannot have too much filtration. sure i could put a fluval fx5 on my 55 gallon tank but once i get one on it i would still want two... its a vicious cycle for me.

mfdrookie516, i like your preference. i do not have a spray bar but i can always make one. i like the idea of the spray bar, especially since you can plum both returns to one bar. i have bubble sticks in the middle of the tank on the back wall at the bottom which will interfere with the suction. im concerned that the bubbles would be problematic. sure i could move them but they are the generic green colour and really not aesthetically pleasing.

 

[mfdrookie516]

i wouldn't run both canisters to the same spray bar... that would be kind of hard to deal with if one went down, or if you needed to turn one off for maintenance. It would be easier to make two spray bars that are almost half the tank lenth. Just a piece of PVC with holes drilled every 3/4" or so with a cap on the end would work fine.

 

[coffeetwitch]

thank you for the advice thus far.

 

[coffeetwitch]

Just an update while im logged in.

Currently i have a 75 gallon with twin 405's and a 55 with twin 305's. On both tanks i have the pickups in the corners and the coreaponding returns right beside them. Ive pointed them at the middle of the front of the tank. So far im happy with the results.