Running 2 filters in series. Will it work?

[ReefManik]

Ok so ive decided i want to add another filter to my 60g tropical. I want to get another external filter as internal filters take up abit of room and look abit unsightly in the tank.
However my tank came pre-drilled with an inlet and outlet tube for the external filter to attach to underneath the tank in the cabinet meaning the gaps for cables and such like at the back are very narrow meaning i cannot bring the filter tubes round the back of my tank then down into it.

I came up with a plan to run my filters in "series" if you will. By this i mean bringing the water from the aquarium into filter one, then pumping that onto filter two then back through the outlet into the tank.
Would this work at all or am i just asking a dumb question.
Heres a paint drawing to show what i mean.

Any help appreciated
Thanks

 

[neilanh]

I think it will work, but it will be inefficient and probably cause a lot of wear on the motor in the filters.

IMO you'd be better of T'ing the inlet to each filter separately (assuming the size of the plumbing accommodates enough water throughput for both filters). Same thing on the outlet.

I think you'd be better off just running a single, larger canister filter rather than 2 in series.

 

[Mark Hewitt]

It will work in so much that it will pull the water through ok. However, the filtration process works by using oxygen present in the water to bind with ammonia (I'm hazy on the chemistry but I think thats the general idea) and create nitrites and nitrates, the problem is that once the water has been through one filter the oxygen will be pretty much used up, so passing through the second filter won't do any good and worse it could go anerobic which can create some nasty substances!

So as said above the best idea is if both filters are fed with 'fresh' water from the tank using a T on the pipe, any plumbing supply shop should have the bits you need.

My advice, just buy a bigger filter and transfer the media! Saves a lot of stress!

 

[BigJim]

+1 for neilanh. You'll be creating major head pressure and filter number one will really be stressed.