Two Wet/Dry Trickle Filters?

[JpNuss]

I am in the midst of upgrading my tank size from a 40g to a 120g. I have drilled two overflows in the new 120g, but I wanted to know if it was possible to run two trickle filters. My thought was to have one trickle filter for each overflow that was drilled. I have two trickle filters in my house now and both filters are rated for 75g and I was hoping to consolidate. Is this possible, or a rookie mistake?

[Jon Lazar]

Most folks don't recommend a trickle filter for a reef tank with corals.

 

How do you plan to return the water from the trickle filters to the display tank? I would connect the two trickle filters so that they drain into a single body of water, and have a single pump return the water.

[JpNuss]

I actually have removed all bio-balls and the old bio-ball area is now a refugium, on both filters. I was thinking of having each filter have its own return pump. So, I would have two overflows down to separate filters and the water would return from two separate return pumps.

 

I never thought about connecting the filters though. How is that done?

[scott711]

If they are acrylic it would be easy. Take a hole saw and drill through each and connect them with either rigid or flex pvc. Just like how your tank was expertly drilled

[Coral Hind]

Can you just use the 40g as your sump and sell the two old filters?

[Glenn]

[snip] I was thinking of having each filter have its own return pump. So, I would have two overflows down to separate filters and the water would return from two separate return pumps.

 

And if one pump should quit or become clogged, the other pump will continue to pump water up, the water will overflow into BOTH sumps, and the one with the malfunctioning pump will overflow --- don't do it this way.

[Coral Hind]

I agree, unless the sumps are tied together I would not use two seperate pumps.

[jason the filter freak]

just use the 40 as a sump

[JpNuss]

I understood and have just used my old 40g as a sump. I do not have partitions in it. Is this a problem? Also, does anyone know how much water two 1.5 inch bulkheads will let in per hour?

[Coral Hind]

I'm glad you used the 40g as a sump and not having partitions is fine. I don't have any partitions in any of my sumps.

 

 

1 ½ inch bulkhead will flow approximately 975 GPH

 

info taken from: http://www.wetwebmed...dFloRateArt.htm

Edited July 10, 2010 by Coral Hind

[JpNuss]

Also, I'm finding it hard to regulate the water that comes into the sump. I turn the ball valve one way, the water in the sump raises. I minutely turn it the other way, the water falls. Is this normal? I'm talking about sitting for hours trying to regulate this. This doesn't seem right.

 

Also, if one of my pump were to malfunction, wouldn't my sump overflow?

[Jon Lazar]

Also, I'm finding it hard to regulate the water that comes into the sump. I turn the ball valve one way, the water in the sump raises. I minutely turn it the other way, the water falls. Is this normal? I'm talking about sitting for hours trying to regulate this. This doesn't seem right.

 

Also, if one of my pump were to malfunction, wouldn't my sump overflow?

 

 

If I understand your setup correctly, you went with a single sump (a 40 tank). I'm also assuming you have some type of overflow in your display tank that will let some water into the sump, but at some point the display water stops draining because the water level falls below the lip of the drain.

 

If this is the case, you should be able to leave the ball valve open and let the water from the overflow find equiplibrium. If the water level in your sump is too high with the ball valve all the way open, you have too much water in your tank/sump and need to drain some out.

 

With a typical tank/sump setup, the water level in the sump will usually whenwver the return pump is off. So it's pretty important that you leave enough room in the sump to accomodate this extra water.

 

Jon

[JpNuss]

If I understand your setup correctly, you went with a single sump (a 40 tank). I'm also assuming you have some type of overflow in your display tank that will let some water into the sump, but at some point the display water stops draining because the water level falls below the lip of the drain.

 

If this is the case, you should be able to leave the ball valve open and let the water from the overflow find equiplibrium. If the water level in your sump is too high with the ball valve all the way open, you have too much water in your tank/sump and need to drain some out.

 

With a typical tank/sump setup, the water level in the sump will usually whenwver the return pump is off. So it's pretty important that you leave enough room in the sump to accomodate this extra water.

 

Jon

 

Jon, I am running two 1.5 inch bulkheads. No overflow.

[JpNuss]

If they are acrylic it would be easy. Take a hole saw and drill through each and connect them with either rigid or flex pvc. Just like how your tank was expertly drilled

 

Haha. There is no doubt it was drilled by a pro. What pump do you have returning water to your DT, Scott?