Waterbridge for multitank filtration

[Rwhite8278]

I have 4 10 gal tanks in the garage that I use for growing feeders, hospital etc. I have them run with four seperate filters. Could I use the waterbridge idea and link them all together then use one filter for all four?
If so, what would be the pitfalls of this? Besides cross contamination issues???

[JSchmidt]

If you're using these tanks for hospital tanks, I presume cross-contamination isn't a small issue. Why would you want a range of tanks connected with injured or ailing fish? Seems like you'd compound your problems...

Anyway, you surely could hook together a number of tanks and filter them with one large filter instead of several small filters. Problems might include the risk of filter failure (if you lost your single large filter, all the tanks might crash), the need for mulitple U-tubes connecting each tank (to guard against clogging or airlock in any single tube, which would interfere with circulation from one tank to another, and the additional hassle of maintaining the siphon from one tank to another during partial water changes (unless you plan to use a large sump and change water out of it, instead.

I'd be more willing to use this on tanks with healthy, previously-quarantined fish. One of the advantage of Q-tanks and hospital tanks is the ability to sterilize them after use. I'm not sure that would be so easy in the setup you describe.

Jim

[chefkeith]

One filter, like a canister, will be good for only the biological filteration for multiple tanks. You'll still need a mechanical filter for each tank unless you plan on gravel vacing often.
Most of the tanks will have very little water circulation. You'd probably want to add an airstone or a sponge filter to each tank to break the film that will build-up on the water's surface.

Advantages of the multi-tank filteration-
Heats the tanks with fewer heaters.
Water parameters will be much more STABLE. :)


The advantages outweight the disadvantages IMO. You can always add more tanks too, without having to cycle them.

Think of how your LFS sets up their tanks.

[JSchmidt]

I'm not sure I'd hold up the average LFS as a model of quality fishkeeping practices.... they usually go for whatever's the least work to maintain. Low maintenance isn't always synonymous with what's best for the fish...

Jim

[chefkeith]

Originally posted by JSchmidt
I'm not sure I'd hold up the average LFS as a model of quality fishkeeping practices.... they usually go for whatever's the least work to maintain. Low maintenance isn't always synonymous with what's best for the fish...

Jim


My only point is the more volume of water you have, the more stable your water conditions will be. The reason why an LFS can have a rediculus amount of fish in a small tank is because of the central filteration and/or a large reservoir. I'm not promoting the LFS's overstocking of the tanks and letting the dead fish rot away though.:D

When I quarantine fish in my 6 g eclipse, I often connect that tank to a 25 gallon reservoir (a rubermaid container) because keeping the water parameters stable in that 6g tank is impossible. Unless I want to do water changes 2x daily, thats the best way to do it.

[JSchmidt]

Well, that's true to a point... any tank (or series of tanks) connected to a sump or reservoir that greatly increases it volume will help, but that's true ONLY if the volume of water is much larger (with the sump) relative to the number of fish.

One of the common myths is that larger tanks (or a series of tanks) are inherently more stable than smaller tanks. That's only true if the larger tank is stocked more lightly per gallon than the smaller tank. For example, a 10 gallon tank with 10 fish is no less stable than a 100 gallon tank with 100 fish (assuming the same type and size of fish in both tanks). If you increase the water volume of either tank by 50%, you'll of course have a tank that is less heavily stocked and more stable.

Simply connecting a set of tanks togetter in a range, though, doesn't make those tanks any more stable unless the central filtration system greatly increases the volume of the system. Connecting four tanks and filtering with a simple canister, such that the filter inlet is at one end of the range and the outlet is at the opposite, won't make for a more stable setup. It will increase the chances for cross-contamination, though.

I guess it really depends why you want to set up a multitank system. I think it's a lousy idea if you're housing sick or quarantined fish. I think it's an acceptable idea if all the tanks are known to be disease-free and you're wanting to centralize filtration, but if you're not using a large sump or reservoir I think the hassle factor outweighs any benefits. If you're working with known-healthy tanks and you have a central reservoir that dramatically increases the water volume, it's probably a good idea.

I'm not taking into account the 'fun factor' of getting something like this to work, though. That would be a big positive, for many of us, I suppose...

Just my $.02.

Jim

[chefkeith]

I agree with everything you said there.

The tanks will be used for growing feeders and as a hospital tank. I suspect he wants this hospital tank for injured feeders since he's raising feeders. (I just assume that his fish eating the feeders won't fit in a 10g tank.) He also mentioned cross contamination wasn't the issue.

I think raising your own feeders is a great way to eliminate those nasty diseases and avoid fish illnesses. LFS feeders can't even be compared to your own home raised feeders.

Would you want to check the water parameters on each of those 10g feeder tanks? I think linking them tanks together is the only way to go. I like the idea of adding a resevoir to these tanks too, but that will be up to him.

[JSchmidt]

I think it's really a toss up... I wonder what sort of central filtration set up would be cheaper than for simple HOB filters. A sump based system would help with the water volume issue, but it seems like a lot of hassle for 4 10 gallon tanks.

Jim

[chefkeith]

I never thought about $.
If it were my set-up, I would keep the HOB's on each tank for mechanical filteration, link the tanks together and add a canister filter for the biological filteration, then add a 40 to 55g reservior to the system(a 55gg rubbermaid trashcan).

I could talk filteration all night. Its probably my favorite subject right now. I still have lots to learn though.

[RTR]

Since I have such a system, really a dual-path circulating range, with 10 (7 in one loop, 3 in the other, total about 290 gallons) tanks, I do have some experience here. Such systems can simplify your life - water changes are a snap. But they also complicate it markedly - QT is the most rigid and rigorous possible, and if there is the faintest doubt, fish are not added to the system. I have never had disease there, but cannot imagine dealing with such. All tanks have independent mechanical filtration (internal canisters), the system has a twin-tower W/D, 3 external Eheims (really not needed, but holding cycle), two FBF, and 3 veggie filters (2 reversed light cycle, 1 with the displays). The tanks are 20s, 30s, & 40s.

Whether the pluses outweigh the minuses depends on just how anal you are. If you ever "just give it a shot", do not go central. Remember, whatever can go wrong, will. If you are not compulsive about checking the doubly or tripley redundant U-tubes and the constant-level siphons for air, and the sump for proper level, don't go central. Remember that whatever can go wrong, will. If you are not willing to pay for professional tank-sitters when you are away for a weekend, don't go central.

But if you can deal with the minutia, you can have as many tanks as you care to engineer all in the same water and that water super-clean with much less total attention/chore time than that number of independent tanks.

Know thyself first. Then think about the tanks.

Cheaper? Maybe, but maybe not. That was not part of my consideration.

HTH

[JSchmidt]

So with your systems, Robert, the circulation across the range mainly yields centralized biofiltration and an easier avenue for water changes? What are the most likely problems (for example, what sorts of things do you hope to guard against by having a weekend fish-sitter)?

These systems always sound interesting to me from a 'could-I-get-it-to-work?' perspective, but they sound awfully fiddly to me...

Jim

[RTR]

It is mainly the maintenance that is speeded and eased. Biofiltration is not a heavy requirement in the system as currenly set, as nine of the ten tanks are planted, but not all are heavily planted. Bioload are definitely there, but none are heavy/crowded. Testing if done requires only a single test for the whole system.

Fish sitters handle routine feeding (every other day generally, all premeasured and tank-labeled), monitor by visual scan the flow through the system (no water build-up/back-up anywhere) and correct if needed (rare), and top up the sump/overflow (high evaporation, all tanks are open-topped) to maintain flow and water volume. If I am away more than 72 hours, they do partials (pretested aged water, simple process).

The feeding is trivial, the top-up and water flow monitoring is not. A day is nothing, every-other day is important, every third day at least is critical and involves risk.

As they are also dog sitters; they are at least twice daily, one generally stays here overnight. They tend all the tanks, system or independent, pick up the mail, have all the emergency #s, and tend the plants (house and tank) on extended absences. They and their firm are bonded, both work for our vet. as their real job. Cheap insurance for me. But if only I am away, they still do the tanks (and part of the hound duties) as my wife does not do tank work.

Edit: The system is really not high-attention or adjustment. It has been running >15 years and is pretty fail-safe. It is watched just in case. Java Moss was once an issue, as it can block siphons/intakes so easily. Only two tanks in the system have masses of it now, for just that reason. The W/D was switched to drip plates from spinning spray bars for the same reason - the original spinners required more attention. The super cautious QT fits my nature and attitude, so is a non-issue for me - I do the same for stand-alone. I have reduced my bioloads markedly in recent history, so run many fewer sumps/veggie filters than I used to do. Many of those are still in place, serving as aging reservoirs only rather than active components of the stand-alone tanks. In power failures the only thing I do is dump the canister biomedia into shallow trays after a few hours downtime. The trays are kept on a shelf in the tank room, immediately at hand. But I had connected tank systems even at the old house, it is all normal ops to me.

[Rwhite8278]

WOW! Thanks for all the advice. Ill have to read it a few more times to absorb it all........Ryan

[Rwhite8278]

To clarify my original post...The "hospital tank" is curently used for a convict that got beat up in my 55g. I would not put any fish in the system that were diseased or not previously quarantined.