Linking a 40 gal with a 5 gal

[laxdude]

so i have a challenge for the more creative people on this site. I want to link the water of my main tank (40g breeder) to a small 5 gallon fluval tank i'm not currently using. I have a sump filtration system for the 40g and plenty of room to spare for pumps and returns of necessary. I want to do this to bypass the nightmare of keeping water parameters in a small tank, and make it an easier and more effective quarantine. Any ideas for how this could be done in a relatively simple way?

Here are some pics for reference

 

[OrionGirl]

Same plumbing as is used for the 40 to get in and out of the sump. You can put a T on the return line, with a smaller line going to the 5 to reduce the flow rate. I've run 2 65's and a 50 all plumbed in to the same sump.

Other option if the tanks are set close enough together and the top is the same height, is to have a U-tube going from the 40 into the 5 and an overflow leading to the sump. That allows you to control the water flow a little better.

I'm not sure what you mean by a more effective quarantine, though. If the 5 is your quarantine, this will mean you are not quarantining at all....anything put in the 5 will contaminate the entire system.

 

[laxdude]

my mistake, i meant some alltogether different from the aquarist's definition of quarantine. i would like to have a dedicated area to separate injured or aggressive fish. i feel that having this would reduce the stress of acclimation. i'm not talking at all about introduction of fish.

 

[OrionGirl]

Aha, so a hospital tank, I'd still prefer to have the water isolated, since you wouldn't be able to medicate just the affected fish, and would also have to use the much higher water volume.

A better option to avoid acclimation issues would be to keep the filtration media in the sump for the main tank, and then, as needed, fill the 5 with water from the 40 and set it up with the media from the sump. It's a water change for the 40, which is no big deal, and allows you to target treat the injured/sick fish if needed.