Connecting tanks together

[Tim Wheatley]

Hi,

I have a 29 and 55 gallon at about the same level. The 55 is slightly higher water level, but I would be willing to put the 55 water level down to the top of the 29 water level. I'd probably lose about 7-8 gallons, but gain obviously the 29.

I want to buy a Fluval FX5, the same as I have on my 75, and have the intake in one and the output in the other, how could I connect them so the water will flow between the two? Is there a process known for doing this? Would I have to drill and fit a simple pipe between the two? Any other ideas?

I am completely unfamiliar with sumps, how gravity works (hehe), etc but I'd really like to be able to cut out the HOB filters I use on my 55 and one of the 29s in favor of another FX5.

I have full battery backups on all my tanks to keep them running during power cuts, so I am not that worried about flooding due to that specifically, but if you do have any ideas please note the likelihood of floods if power was to be cut.

The main issue is that one of the tank contains aggressive fish which cannot be mixed with the contents of the other one. The water parameters are always shared between my tanks anyway as I use the same type of wood, plants, etc in most of them. So I guess I'd just need a straining material over the piping.

Thanks.

[mfdrookie516]

What exactly are you trying to accomplish? You definitely don't want to use a canister to pump from one to another. Are you wanting to make the 29g a sump for the 55g?

[mr_X]

you would need a 3rd tank as a common sump for the two to do it the right way, then you won't have to lower the 55's water level.
you can do it like you say, but then you would need a HOb overflow box (or drill the taller tank), and then let that empty into the 29, which would make a lot of bubbles, and make the tank look quite ugly IMO.

[Tim Wheatley]

Probably right, I can wait.

Originally Posted by mfdrookie516

What exactly are you trying to accomplish? You definitely don't want to use a canister to pump from one to another. Are you wanting to make the 29g a sump for the 55g?

Wanted to use a single filtration system.

[BigJim]

You would have to set up a U-tube siphon that is capable of flowing at the same rate as your canister filter.

It would go something like this: -> canister return-> 55g -> U-tube siphon -> 29g -> canister intake ->

The canister will lower the water level in the 29g.
Water pressure will try to even out the water levels in the tanks causing water to flow from the 55g to the 29g.
The canister returns water to the 55g, thus completing the loop.

An overflow box might be a better option than a U-tube to maintain the siphon if the water level drops.

The major drawback to this systems is the increased chance of flooding. If the siphon is broken, the 55g will overflow and the 29g will be drained in the scenario I detailed.

[Tim Wheatley]

I think I'll wait until we get a house and then do what I was thinking (build my own filtration system), which is to have a two bulkheads with a grill (to stop fish) at the water level I want to maintain, let gravity do the work and pump back up. As long as the bulkheads and downward hosing is big enough to allow more water to flow than is being pumped back in then the water level should always remain at the bulkhead level. I should be able to feed multiple tanks in and out of the same filter system, which I think I'll actually build from a 55 gallon. As long as the unused space in the 55 gallon is less than the tanks above can possibly fill it with then flooding should be impossible unless the bulkheads both clogged... Mind you, if I do go for that 130x24x25 340 gallon tank I have my eye on that better be a really large filter tank... lol

Ah, decisions, decisions... I think I am at least a year or more away from being in a position to make that happen, but it's good to be thinking about it. I can live with HOB filters for now.

[uscamaro]

waterfall!