How to connect more than 1 tank to a single canister filter

[FF_Guest1439]

Hi, I'm wondering if it is possible to connect 2 or more tanks to one pump that's powerful enough to be used. I know you can make a bridge, but that prevents you from having tanks in different places in your room. I don't want to do any drilling.

 

[goldfish_is_orange]

Hello and welcome to TFF!
Something like this might work. I googled "air pump splitter"

 

[FF_Guest1439]

Hi, thanks for commenting

I more looking at actual pumps. Like Fluval FX4 to 3 or 4 other tanks.

 

[goldfish_is_orange]

Hi, thanks for commenting

I more looking at actual pumps. Like Fluval FX4 to 3 or 4 other tanks.

ohh water pump.. oops.. sorry, can't help with that.

 

[Metalhead88]

I'm sure it's possible, but it's likely more trouble than its worth.

If something goes wrong, or one outlet is sending water out faster than the other, you'll overflow one tank.

If you have multiple tanks and want to take the cheaper option, sponge filters is the way to go.

 

[FF_Guest1439]

Yeah, i do see the problems that could happen. But was hoping there was a solution for a canister filter.

Sponge filters, don't really hold a candle to a canister filter. That and I'm not a fan of the tank noises, so I like quiet tanks.

 

[eatyourpeas]

Also, if one of your tanks gets a disease, you'll be spreading it to all with no backup to help you treat the problem. This may be a situation of "penny wise but pound foolish". The separate solution allows you to have different fish with different parameter requirements as well.

 

[FF_Guest1439]

That's where a UV light would come in handy

 

[Colin_T]

You can do it but you need a pipe joining both tanks together so the water level in them remains even.

Both tanks need to be next to each other and exactly the same height.

Make a U shape out of pvc pipe and fill it with water. Put an end cap on both ends and then put one end in each tank with the ends caps under water. Remove the end caps and you have an upside down U joining the 2 tanks together. This will let both water levels remain the same.

Put the filter intake in one tank and the outlet in the other tank. The water will flow thru both.

When you do water changes, you need to refill the U shape and make sure it doesn't get air in because air will make it stop working.

 

[FF_Guest1439]

I've seen the youtube vids on that way of doing it. But I can't have tanks next to each other unless they are on the ground floor. Would likely be too much weight as I plan on having 4 tanks. I'm looking for another way of setting this up. A way that the outtake pipe shuts off if the water lvl gets too high and thus would send the water to another tank

 

[Colin_T]

there isn't another way, either the tanks are next to each other or you run them individually.

 

[FF_Guest1439]

So no pre-made equipment that works as a valve, that shuts off one hose and keeps the flow in the others.

 

[Fishmanic]

How big are the tanks?

 

[mcordelia]

there is nothing that says in order for a water bridge to function that the tanks have to be right next to each other. They just have to be 100% at the same water level. A siphon will work over any distance, as long as the resistance of the tube itself isn't so high that the water will not flow in the amount of time required. It would look really jank, but you could easily drape multiple vinyl tubes all over your walls, and as long as you have a true siphon (aka, all tubes are primed with water), you will maintain equal water levels in both tanks (Again assuming that your losses are being overcome by the collective diameter of the tubes). I would not recommend, but certainly can be done, and relatively cheaply too....

 

[mcordelia]

oh and I guess I should add that you can't put the tube so high that gravity overcomes the cohesive force of the water / pressure inside the tanks due to water must be roughly equal (aka siphons need to be at same relative depth). Physics! aargh!