Plumbing Multiple Tanks

[cayenne]

I am planning an additional ~ 40 gal. look down tank installation in our dining room, and we are hoping to plump this into the main water system of our 150 gal. reef. Maybe being an engineer, I am over thinking this, but every design I have come up with so far results in the potential of major flooding.

Both tanks are on the same floor of our house at opposing ends of the house. I though about pumping from the "look down" to the reef and then pumping back from the reef to the "look down", but if one pump fails or power fails on one circuit we are going to have a sump that overflows.

Who has some ideas? I have googled for hours and only come up with dismal results. I have also thought about designing a system similar to Double-J's TOTM where he is using dosing pumps to complete a partial W/C everyday and maintains a second tank without filtration that way.

 

[iamwhatiam52]

I would not pump water OUT of a tank. It could lead to draining that tank. Use water from overflows.

Do you have a sump?
If each tank has an overflow and there is a sump in the there somewhere, no tank can overflow as long as the sump can hold all the overflow when all pumps are off.

 

[waynem]

I agree with iamwhatim, it could be a disaster waiting to happen.

The sumps would save you having that as a major concern.

 

[cayenne]

Okay, I didn't explain as well as I should have. There are sumps on both ends, and overflows on both ends... The problem I am having is pumping from the one small sump on the 40 gal. to the large sump. Basically I need to create a recirculation loop.

The issue is not when both pumps are off, it is when only one of them fails, as far as I can tell.

 

[rockworm]

I run four tanks off one pump. I use a common sump/fuge. I split the return line to feed each display tank. Each DT's overflow runs to the common sump. I have three tanks in one room, 1 tank in another room and the sump system in the basement.

You might consider just using a single sump. Have the overflow from each tank go to one sump (say the 150) and split the return back to both tanks. The only thing you have to be careful of is the extra flow back from two tanks if the power is shut off. You want to leave sufficient room in the sump to allow for this.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14531338#post14531338 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cayenne
Okay, I didn't explain as well as I should have. There are sumps on both ends, and overflows on both ends... The problem I am having is pumping from the one small sump on the 40 gal. to the large sump. Basically I need to create a recirculation loop.

The issue is not when both pumps are off, it is when only one of them fails, as far as I can tell.

 

[cayenne]

I think the common sump would be the easiest solutiion, but I can't see anyway to drain from one room to the other when they are on the same floor and elevation.

unfortunately basement access is out of the question at this point.

 

[Atomikk]

Do a single sump, with two pumps (pressure rated) to feed individual tanks. Either one fails, one can still pump without any worry of an overflow (as long as the syphon is normal).

My current system is setup like that. I have tried every possible method to see if it can flood, and it cannot.

 

[fizbin84]

I recently ran into the same issue. Two full tank set ups (main and sump each) These were right next to each other in my living room. I had to remove one sump from the system and plumb both tanks to a common sump with one pump each. Everything works fine now and is blackout proof. (I live in SoCal so it has to be). I tried about 6 variations in pluming over the past 4 months to make it work and it came out to trying to match the output of two different pumps and the problem if one pump fails (or gets cloged). I found no way to make it right...

 

[jwilliams229]

would a check valve help? or did you already think of that...

 

[Chandlerpelhams]

Can you place a common sump on the floor than have the 2nd 40 gallon tank on as high of a stand as would be appropriate and maybe you will have enough elevation for the overflow to work properly.

I recently had a similar problem, I added a 20 gallon frag tank into my system and placed in in a sunken garage. I had to make a really tall stand and still had to cut way back on the gph from the return pump.

On a 40 gallon tank you shouldn't need more than 200 gph max from your return pump, that would give you a 5x turnover ratio which should be plenty.

Good luck and post some pics when your done!

 

[r-balljunkie]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14542208#post14542208 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jwilliams229
would a check valve help? or did you already think of that...

Check valves are a big no no. You want more reassurance of fail safe; you will not get that with a check valve. These valves are plumber grade, not marine duty, they will wear eventually.

Best to rely on siphons, and gravity, and not a massed produced plumbing part.
Last time I checked, gravity is still works 100% of the time, 24/7, 365


c