# Anybody run 1 canister filter for 2 tanks?



## DR1V3N (Apr 22, 2010)

Is this even possible or is my imagination running wild?

I'm thinking if the flow rates are even slightly off this will cause flooding and eventually lead to my first premature aneurysm 

I could be wrong though, there must be valves out there to control this. Might not be so cost-effective though.

Anyhow suggestions and comments welcome from the macgyvers of this community.


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

You would have to link the two aquariums somehow. If they were connected reliably then you could draw from one and pump to the other with no problem. Ideally they would have to be linked with bulkheads.


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## AWW (Apr 22, 2010)

if tanks are both level, and you split the intake and out put. Make sure the tops of the tanks are level, and you can conect the tanks together with 2" tubing that is completly full of water and the water levels should stay the same


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## Aquaman (Apr 21, 2010)

martialid10t said:


> Is this even possible or is my imagination running wild?
> 
> I'm thinking if the flow rates are even slightly off this will cause flooding and eventually lead to my first premature aneurysm


Well .....LOL...why? and yes your imagination is running wild.
you could stack the tanks and have the top one slightley tiped to run into the bottom tank...put the outlet in the top one and inlet in the bottom one....LOL but why .......almost time for an ole cat scan....here fluffy .


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## DR1V3N (Apr 22, 2010)

AWW said:


> if tanks are both level, and you split the intake and out put. Make sure the tops of the tanks are level, and you can conect the tanks together with 2" tubing that is completly full of water and the water levels should stay the same


I like where you're going. The hoses that split the intake/outake would need to be the same length too.


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## DR1V3N (Apr 22, 2010)

Rastapus said:


> You would have to link the two aquariums somehow. If they were connected reliably then you could draw from one and pump to the other with no problem. Ideally they would have to be linked with bulkheads.


Didn't even think of that. I was focused on keeping the tanks separate for breeding purpose but I could always just net the bulkheads too.


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## DR1V3N (Apr 22, 2010)

Aquaman said:


> Well .....LOL...why? and yes your imagination is running wild.
> you could stack the tanks and have the top one slightley tiped to run into the bottom tank...put the outlet in the top one and inlet in the bottom one....LOL but why .......almost time for an ole cat scan....here fluffy .


Wow that does sound like a job for Macgyver . I was toying with the idea as I'm setting these 2 tanks up as a breeder setup and I wanted both tanks to have identical water params at all times if that makes sense.


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## ninez (Apr 21, 2010)

martialid10t said:


> Wow that does sound like a job for Macgyver . I was toying with the idea as I'm setting these 2 tanks up as a breeder setup and I wanted both tanks to have identical water params at all times if that makes sense.


get a big tank and use a divider? 
then you can use only one filter and have identical water params at all times.


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## DR1V3N (Apr 22, 2010)

ninez said:


> get a big tank and use a divider?
> then you can use only one filter and have identical water params at all times.


ha so true.. Well I was hoping to keep these tanks as they are rimless and I've spent so much time planting and scaping them and I'm on thin ice with my wife-to-be as it is. A 4th tank might make her flip but that's nothing compared to a leak right..? Maybe that's the angle I'll take to explain the necessity for a 4th


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## jkam (Apr 21, 2010)

drill both the tanks and run a sump? make sure the return pumps are rated less than the flow of the drain pipe though.


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## Kitsune (Jul 17, 2010)

If you directly connect the two tanks together, like Rastapus says, then you would be ok. But if you don't do it and for some reason one of the tubes fails (clogs or some) then you risk emptying out one tank and overflowing the other one.

Drawing from both and dumping into both (in a typical canister style) is super risky because the flows have to be 100% equal. You can use an overflow pipe too to reduce the risk...

Go to the aquarium stores, they all do what you want to do. But realistically you would have to drill both tanks to make it work.


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## DR1V3N (Apr 22, 2010)

Kitsune said:


> If you directly connect the two tanks together, like Rastapus says, then you would be ok. But if you don't do it and for some reason one of the tubes fails (clogs or some) then you risk emptying out one tank and overflowing the other one.
> 
> Drawing from both and dumping into both (in a typical canister style) is super risky because the flows have to be 100% equal. You can use an overflow pipe too to reduce the risk...
> 
> Go to the aquarium stores, they all do what you want to do. But realistically you would have to drill both tanks to make it work.


Thanks for the input. All things considered it confirms what I was suspecting might happen if I try to do this without drilling

I think the simpler method to hit my goal of getting my water parameters almost identical in both tanks would be to use 2 canister (eheims) and connect them in a series.


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## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

Good luck with the acrobatic Aaron. I smell disaster.

siphon between two tank could work as long as air bubble does not accumulate in the siphon. Otherwise. I think your best bet will be to stack the tanks and allow the top one to overflow to the lower one either by drilling the top one or use overflow box which will require a decent flow to avoid the chance of air trap in the siphon.

Drill the two tank and connecting them make good sense. I am setting up a bank of 3 25g tall. May be thatis what I will do.


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## DR1V3N (Apr 22, 2010)

gklaw said:


> Good luck with the acrobatic Aaron. I smell disaster.
> 
> siphon between two tank could work as long as air bubble does not accumulate in the siphon. Otherwise. I think your best bet will be to stack the tanks and allow the top one to overflow to the lower one either by drilling the top one or use overflow box which will require a decent flow to avoid the chance of air trap in the siphon.
> 
> Drill the two tank and connecting them make good sense. I am setting up a bank of 3 25g tall. May be thatis what I will do.


Thanks Gordon. I think I'll go the safe route this time and just grab two filters that I can connect in series. Too much at stake and I'd rather be able to sleep at night.

Down the road I'm planning to try to raise OEBT or other interesting shrimps just to see if I can . Tough cause they need such stable params while I want to keep my tanks as presentable as possible too.

See u tomorrow btw.


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## jkam (Apr 21, 2010)

Even if you run in series you still run the risk of flooding. I'm assuming you have an intake in one tank and the outtake in the other tank and the same thing with the other canister so that it goes in a circle.

If the flow on one of the filters slows down then you're screwed. One filter will pump water faster into the other tank and it will overflow.

Personally I think the easiest way to do this is to have an overflow box going into a sump and then have two separate pumps bringing the water back into the tanks.


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