Linking 2 Tanks Together

I am planning on linking my 54 gallon to my 90 gallon tank once I get the water perfect in my 90. Can anyone provide a link to information about the process? I have a Mag 12, so I'm thinking of running both tanks off that. I'm also planning to add a 10-20 gallon Mangrove tank with a sand bed in between the two tanks. If anyone has some advice, please share as much as you can. My 54 is doing really well, so I will definitely not be rushing into this, but I'd like to do it as soon as possible.
 
To do it properly both tanks need to share the same sump.

The feed could be the same pump with a T and two ball valves to get proper distribution. Both would then drain to the same sump.
 
They will be sharing the same sump, I'm just not sure how to do the plumbing - mainly from the pump, to maximize pump efficiency.
 
Just put a T fitting on the return pump also ad some ball valves to control the flow and a T fitting on the overflow into the sump.
 
How far apart are the displays? If they are only several feet away, you can have both displays drain into the same sump. Have your Mag return water to both displays by using a tee'd connection, with flow valves for each tank so you can fine tune the flow.
 
All tanks drain to the common sump. You can use 1 pump t'd or multiple pumps to different tanks. You can have elaborate configurations as long as they share the lowest point.
 
I am worried about the transition. I have been testing the water in the 90 gallon tank and it is almost perfect, but I'm just worried about the 54 gallon since it's been set up for over 4 years and the 90 has only been set up completely for a couple weeks. I will definitely wait one or two more weeks just to be sure the water quality is perfect, but I'm worried that it will be too much of a giant water change.

Have any suggestions about how to make the linking as stress-free as possible?
 
Its really not that hard. All you do is run the PVC for the overflows to one spot. If you connect the overfows remember to widen the PVC.( Ex go from 1.5" to 2") That way the water wont build up. Then take the return from the sump put 3 ball vavles 1 ball vavle leaving the pump before the T-vavle, then put the others on the returns going to each of the tanks. Its really not hard. Its always good to make the overfow pvc bigger as they go along.
 
Thank you everyone for the info on the plumbing, I think that doesn't sound too difficult at all. I'm really more worried about the actual moment (well, moments) following the linking of the tanks. All I can really do is match the pH, temp, alk, sg, and everything as much as possible and hope for the best I guess. Any suggestions/tips?
 
I would, if this were my project, start the 90 gallon on the 54 system drip slow if possibe overnight. The reason for overnight is that you are going to be tempted to turn up the flow during the day. Also adding 90g to the 54g is like doing a massive water change all at once. Slow is better in this case. Less shock, less stress.
 
Math:
46080 drops = 1 gallon
4147200 drops = 90 gallon

24hrs * 60min * 60sec = 86400 seconds in a day.

4147200 drips / 86400 seconds = 48 drips / sec

Hmmm thats no good.

How about:
90 gal = 11520 ounces
24hrs * 60min * 60sec = 86400 seconds in a day.
86400 / 11520 = .133 oz/sec

1 sec / .133 oz = 7.5 sec for 1oz.

Set the flow to measure 1oz in a measuring cup in 7.5 sec and your tank conversion will take 24 hrs.

or
1oz in ~3sec will take 12 hrs.
 
Thanks Pmolan!! That was some very nice math. I'm not sure I totally understand how it will work though. I will drip the 90 gallons into the 54, but where will all that water go? I could switch the 54 over to the new sump...but I still don't really get it. The 90 has to have water in it, there is a fish and shrimp and some GSP in there now...The new sump is only about 35 gallons. I feel like there must be something here that I'm just missing...it was a REALLY long day at work!!
 
I misunderstood what you were doing... I guess the point would be, you dont want to crash the 54. So get the 54 going with the new sump first. Let that run for a little while. Then start up the 90 from the same sump at a super slow rate. This way in 24hrs they will have mixed completely.
 
How big is your sump? I would guess that's it's probably >50gal since it's shared between two tanks. I would just dump 20 gal (or what ever you can fit in the sump) of the new salt water, mix it up between the 54 gal and the sump for a while until it's all mixed up, and then reroute it back into the 90gal. Just take your time, do this a few of times and all the water should be well mixed in the end. If you're concern about large water changes, then use smaller volumes. It'll just take you longer, eventually the old water will be diluted with the new water.
 
First, drain 10 gallons of the 54 out and replace it with 10 gallons from the 90 (like doing a 20% water change) and put 10 gallons fresh in the 90. Do that 2 or 3 times over the course of a week, and when the majority of the 55's water is from the 90, the shock shouldn't be bad at all, assuming the parameters were similar to begin with (salinity, PH...).

Rick
 
rjkrejci - that sounds like a good plan.
Thank you everyoone for your input.
chem-e My sump is only about 35 gallons, but I will have a seperate refugium.
 
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