Tanks aren't going to be drilled it will come over the back....
My drawing skill on the computer suck....
My drawing skill on the computer suck....
New 2 Tank stacked setup
- Thread starter Sounguru
- Start date
OK maybe I am not undersatnding something.
A check valve controls the direction of flowing water.
they are used to control backflush..
Maybe you are looking for something like a soleniod valve..
You could utilize something intended for underground sprinkler systems.
then you will need a power supply to operate them. I think they run on 24 volts
A check valve controls the direction of flowing water.
they are used to control backflush..
Maybe you are looking for something like a soleniod valve..
You could utilize something intended for underground sprinkler systems.
then you will need a power supply to operate them. I think they run on 24 volts
A check valve is a one way valve if the water starts to flow in the wrong direction it will close. They are a manual and don't require power.
Only problem is they will not auto open if the power comes back on so the canister could run dry but is my theory is correct the weight of the water from the top tank should be enough to start a natural siphon and will then start a siphon in the bottom tank restarting the system. It is a theory I have to put to the test but at less than $5 each for the valves it will be no loss if they don't work.
I plan on setting this up in a rough format to test before building the cabinet to house it since I have shelving I can use to simulate the difference in height of the tanks.
Here is an image of one that has a clear housing so you can see how it works...
Only problem is they will not auto open if the power comes back on so the canister could run dry but is my theory is correct the weight of the water from the top tank should be enough to start a natural siphon and will then start a siphon in the bottom tank restarting the system. It is a theory I have to put to the test but at less than $5 each for the valves it will be no loss if they don't work.
I plan on setting this up in a rough format to test before building the cabinet to house it since I have shelving I can use to simulate the difference in height of the tanks.
Here is an image of one that has a clear housing so you can see how it works...
Also if the valve only closes when the power is off what happens when the pump in the filter quits or there is a leak some where but the power is still on? The water will continue to siphon hence the need for some sort of siphon brake as mentioned before or a hole drilled in all the pipe a couple inches below water lvl to allow air in to break the siphon when the water reaches that lvl.
That is a good suggestion my SUN SUN canister filter come with a surface skimmer and I can use that same concept to create a siphon break. Ahh the ideas keep rolling in.
Okay now with surface skimmers and lighting ballast added in looking at running 2 to 3 t5HO over each tank with timers on each ballast to allow the lights to go on and off in a cycle. There will also probably bee moon lights too:laugh:
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there is alot easyier way to do this and that is a sump and overflow otherwise there are way too many problems to overcome .
drain top tank to bottom and bottom to sump , sump pump then puts water back into th top system ok yes top waste is going into bottom tank but the water will be running on a single canister so effectivly it will be anyway . a cnister doesnt clean the water perfectly every time so u will get waste coming thought the two tanks that was from the other any way .
just my oppinion but that is the ONLY way this can be done without causing serious problems and serious cost. i have a similar plan but running on four tanks and have tried in on a small setup.
drain top tank to bottom and bottom to sump , sump pump then puts water back into th top system ok yes top waste is going into bottom tank but the water will be running on a single canister so effectivly it will be anyway . a cnister doesnt clean the water perfectly every time so u will get waste coming thought the two tanks that was from the other any way .
just my oppinion but that is the ONLY way this can be done without causing serious problems and serious cost. i have a similar plan but running on four tanks and have tried in on a small setup.
I don't see the problems as being that much of a big deal and as far as cost this will be a lot cheaper since I already have 95% of the needed supplies. A canister filter does a darn spankin job of keeping my tanks clean and I will not just be moving waste from one tank to another.
Both tank are gonna have 3d backgrounds hiding the intake and the outflow. Because of the way I'm designing the back grounds a standard overflow would not work nor will a standard output..
Besides if no one was willing to overcome the harder problems we would still be using corner box filters as our main form of filtration...
Another thing is the fact that I just prefer a closed system over an open one. I have used sumps in the past and they do have their uses but over time I have moved to canisters for their ease and how nice and clean they stay along with the inside of the cabinets.
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lol; i moved to sumps for that same reason
imho the main problem you have is the input to the canister if u have a blck out and one of those valve even has a small link the bottom tank will over flow (unless u have more valves) and whne the pump restarts the top tank will over flow
another problem with running the canister over 2 tanks is getting even flow if will be a nightmare as the 2 tanks have differant head hights so they will need seperate valves on both input and output.
i agree that problems always have solutions but its your decision wether its worthe the effort and if you think it is the good luck dude. ppl tell me all the time my plans wont work but guess what if u see my tanks u will see that they do.
