Best way to connect three tanks on two different floors?

[FrontosaTony]

I'm looking for the best way to connect three tanks on two different floors?

 

125gal in basement with 30gal Sump & 2 24/28 Gal nanos on 1st floor.

 

Peristaltic pump? other type of pump?

 

Thanks!

 

Tony

[YHSublime]

Sounds like a lot of trouble, why do you want to do it?

[AlanM]

Get a big return pump and pull from a central sump to all three tanks through a manifold, have them all drain into the same sump.  If the sump is your lowest point in the system you can still have just one ATO sensor down there and run them all at the same salinity and parameters.

[FrontosaTony]

Isaac - To free me up of buckets, give greater stability to my Nanos with larger amounts of water, and ease my ability to care of tanks on vacations.

 

Great, what kind of pump? Suggestion?

[AlanM]

Rubbermaid stock tank probably for sump to be able to hold the back-siphon if you shut off the return pump and a pump that can push upstairs with enough head pressure to give the amount of flow you need for whatever flow rate you want in those tanks. No single answer without you doing some calculations for head height. There's a calculator at Reef Central for doing head height, then add it all up and buy a pump that can do that much flow.

[gmerek2]

If you are ever in Frederick you can stop over to see how I do it. I have elevated sump to save on a little power, less head. It's so worth the trouble. Plus my display tank has free storage under it now!!

[Djplus1]

Get a big return pump and pull from a central sump to all three tanks through a manifold, have them all drain into the same sump.  If the sump is your lowest point in the system you can still have just one ATO sensor down there and run them all at the same salinity and parameters.

I think this set up is a little weird. I don't think he can get away with one return pump since there are two SMALL tanks upstairs and the main tank and sump down. The amount of pressure needed to get upstairs, but not completely destroy the those tanks' flow rate AND feed the main large tank seems unlikely.

 

I'm thinking you would be better off with a somewhat smaller pump capable of feeding the two small tanks and a separate return pump for the main tank, but all three still draining into the same sump, This set up would be pretty simple if the 2 small tanks were in the basement along with the sump and the main tank were on the 1st floor.

[FrontosaTony]

DJplus - I was thinking I needed two pumps also.  Think peristaltic would be good too, to handle any head pressure. Concern is reliability of that pump to constantly run.

 

 

gmerek - thanks for the offer! I would seriously love to come see.  I have an empty 90 I was going to make a QT tank, I probable could do the elevated thing with it - turning it into my sump.  problem is then another pump to get the water into the 90 from the 125.  What pump and what size lines do you use? I would really like to be able to use 1/8 airline due to the head, distance and ease of getting it through the floor/wall to get it upstairs. - hence me thinking peristaltic pumps.

 

I was also considering elevated sump the 90 and only attach the two upstairs tanks. Less distance less head, one pump and two overflows? or two pumps - one in one out. dang - I cant wrap my head around it and ought to be able to. Seeing may be the answer. Id totally come down for a looks see.

 

Also, any one  near Arlington have a setup like Im talkng that I could take a look at / discuss with? Isaac?

 

Thanks for the help / suggestions!!!!! Love WAMAS!!!!! and the folks on here.

[Rob A]

It depends on how much flow you want to send to the various display tanks but also what you feel is a sufficient flow rate for your sump to accomplish your filtration needs (skim, algae/nutrient export, etc). Too much flow in the sump and maybe the skimmer and algae won't work efficiently. Too slow and maybe the sump works fine but you aren't getting waste out of the displays fast enough... If your big tank is set up with good flow through the sump then the smaller amount of flow to the nanos should be fine, and you can throttle flow to the big tank if you have to compensate for flow to/from the nanos.

I think you should decide how much flow you want to go to the nanos, then you can look at some sizing charts for tube/pipe size and look at some pump curves of whatever pump you might be interested in to see if it can handle the flow at whatever your head/height is.

[Marc Weaver]

Tony-

 

Peristaltic pumps are not for running tanks, they're for dosing and other low-volume needs.  1/4" tubing is not large enough to run your nanos from (or any other tank for that matter.)  

 

You will likely need a pressure-rated pump, such as a PanWorld 50PX, to run both tanks upstairs.  I have never done a long run like this, so others may chime in that have done it, but a likely scenario would be one 3/4" PVC feed line and one 1" PVC drain line running from sump to tanks.  You should be able to split it upstairs, especially if the tanks are close together, and share a common drain line (the 1" PVC) upstairs. 

[YHSublime]

Tony,

 

So I'm no expert, by any means, but I would really weight out the pros and cons here. To make things easier is certainly a pro, water stability is also a pro. I imagine a water change is not a huge deal on your 30 gallons or so, at least IMO. If you think you can make it happen, safely, then WAMAS is the team to help you do it, but consider if it's your best option.

 

I would consider condensing all my tanks into one, but I'm sure you've probably thought about that, and there is a reason that you're not going that route.

That being said, I have a 20 gallon plumbed into my display. It rests on my sump cover, and it's over flow is a straight drop, and return is a straight up with about 3ft of travel. I use a mag 5, and 1.5" bulkheads, the pressure is low to say the least. It makes me uneasy adding 20+ gallons to my sump and being in an apartment, but even if everything drained down, it would still hold in my sump.

 

You're welcome to come by and check it out, but it's nothing fancy, I assure you.

[Jason Rhoads]

One more question to ask, are you OK with drilling through the floor/wall for the plumbing used with these tanks? 

 

I would, as others have suggested, go with two pumps. One dedicated to the 125, and the other running into nano#1 which gravity feeds nano#2 (if this is possible), which in turn will send its water down to the sump. If you split the return line between the two nanos you will loose even more head pressure. 

[gmerek2]

It's ok as long as you do it when the wife isn't around. I took out some drywall behind a stand and ran it through the rafters then was able to take out some drop ceiling tiles in basement. That won't work if you are running it on a load bearing wall so just be sure to plan and see what your house will let you do. Buy extra heaters. I thought I had some cushion but didn't.

[gmerek2]

I used flexible pipe which made things simple.

[AlanM]

Hey, pex with plastic couplers could work to snake plumbing through the wall cavities.  Brass couplers probably not so much.

[FrontosaTony]

I think I can convince the wife as long as they are not too big. She like the idea of me not being away from her. :0) I like the idea of pex. Wll have to do some planning. Thanks for the ideas