Two tanks on one Sump

[HelifaxNZ]

Hi, has anyone had 2 tanks on one sump with two return pumps in the sump?

I'm thinking of setting up a little tank (with seahorses) next to my little bigger tank and maybe utilising the sump.

Cheers

[chimera]

two options (both require SINGLE return pump)

1. the overflow of the first display tank flows into the top of second display tank then to sump and return back to first.

2. have a gruntier return pump that has Y plumbing to split pipe off to each tank. so long as the sump has enough capacity for both display tanks when the return pump is running and switched off, it'll be fine

i would not use 2 return pumps

[HelifaxNZ]

two options (both require SINGLE return pump)

1. the overflow of the first display tank flows into the top of second display tank then to sump and return back to first.

2. have a gruntier return pump that has Y plumbing to split pipe off to each tank. so long as the sump has enough capacity for both display tanks when the return pump is running and switched off, it'll be fine

i would not use 2 return pumps

Interesting points. If I had setup both tanks at the same time I would be able to do the overflow from the first tank to the second. In order to do this now, the first tank will need to be taller than the second to use gravity to move the water. Can anyone think of other solutions?

[chimera]

option 2!

[Feelers]

You could have the water level in the second tanks overflow lower than that of the first - and pipe straight into its overflow from the back? All you'd need to do would be change the pipe hight that feeds the sump.

[cookie extreme]

i used to run 2 tanks on the same sump (3 footer and 4 footer) i did have two return pumps and it never gave me any problems. just make sure your sump can take all the water from the tanks in case of a power failure.

[ghostface]

i had "option 2" running a second tank, worked fine. i just tee'd off my main return, and plumbed 2nd tank overflow into the sump.