Sump Question....

[beachbumtx]

HIya!,
I am sure I know the answer (no), but I thought I would still ask to get some opinions. I have a 20 gal sump for my 55gal. I am currently building a stand to house a 10gal and 20Lgal to be used as fragging tanks...is it acceptable to run those two smaller tanks on the same sump system? Have one pump for the 55gal, another for the 10gal & 20Lgal, and a pump for the skimmer? Is the 20gal sump not big enough for all the tanks? Should I get a seperate sump system for the smaller tanks? Can I stick with the back pack filters that are on them currently?
Thoughts on this?

 

[reefsoe]

IMO I would prefer to run them all together on one system....
Unless calcium becomes very hard to maintain I would rather one system. If calcium gets real hard to keep high then seperate the systems. I just like the no acclimating when I frag something.

 

[maroonclownfan]

I don't see any problem running all tanks from one sump. Only potential down side is that whatever happens to one tank happens to all tanks. But on the positive, the extra volume of water should help keep things more stable.
Balance of water into the sump and out of the sump will be the key.
Good luck............

 

[arjayl]

Very interesting...Can you elaborate with some possible drawings of what this would look like. Very good idea:yes:

 

[beachbumtx]

HIya!,
Here is the plan thus far. I have been assured that I can do this with one pump. The arrows point the direction of the flow. There will be one prefilter and it will be on the 10gal. Thoughts on this?

 

[fishkiller]

Should work just fine IMO!:yes:

 

[arjayl]

Do you have the three tanks (55,20,10) equal in height. Meaning are you "shimming" up the 20 and 10 gallon so the height of the smaller tanks are the same as the 55? If not, how will you prevent overflow in the smaller tanks?
Are the tanks drilled?....How are they connected together?
:notsure:

 

[masterreef]

Alos, if you cascade your tanks like that and your flow rate is good for the 55, your 10 might become a "wind tunnel". A common sump is fine but with seperate overflow and return lines IMO.

 

[masterreef]

Also . . . LOL

 

[beachbumtx]

Hiya!,
Well, the more I think about it, I am going to eliminate the 10gal from the system and run it seperately so I can have a hospital tank.
The 20Lgal will have the over flow (prefilter) to send the water to the sump. The 55gal will have a hole drillied at the max water line. As water enters the 55gal the the extra will go out the hole into the 20Lgal. The same amount coming into the 20gal exits out of the prefilter box and into the sump.
Right now, I plan to keep them at uneven levels (top of tank uneven).
Are there flaws with this thinking? I plan to get my 55gal drilled next week.

 

[arjayl]

Is the hole that you plan to get drilled in the 55 at the height of the 20 gal? If the water level will be higher in the 55 than the 20 (because of tank height) then I think the laws of gravity will take over and overflow the 20??? Duno:notsure:

 

[beachbumtx]

Hiya!,
The hole is going to 2 inches below the max waterline of the 55gal (which is about 8 inches above the max water line for the 20gal). On that hole, there will be an elbow with pvc pipe sticking out that can be adjusted buy twisting the elbow joint. The same amount of water coming in the 55gal should exit into the 20gal. Same amount of water coming in the 20gal should exit the overflow (prefilter) into the sump.
The idea came from my lfs where I work at. We have runway type tanks that are at three different levels. Water is pumped to the top tank at one end and a overflow at the other end sends it to the next lower level and it works to the other side and the over flow sends it to the bottom level where it works to the other side. Then it drains into the sump.