I’m not taking the plunge!

[gaya]

I’ll make this a running commentary as I go a long and will take pics to show you what I’m doing. Though any advice is definitely welcome.

I moved the tank last night about a foot from where the other tank is to make the bridge. One tank is on a shorter stand than the other and I thought this was going to be a problem but once I had it set up I thought it looked cool. I decided to adjust the bridge instead of the stand.
The parts I have right now is a clear pvc tube and white pvc fittings. I could get my hand on clear pvc fittings but they are so expensive!!! So I’ll do this for now and upgrade later. I went to home depot and quite a few people gave me advice as to what they think will work ok. I will use aquarium sealant on the fittings for extra security measures.
As you can see in my diagram there will be three elbows with fittings. The fittings that are in the aquariums will be threaded so I can cap them when I need to either remove or put the bridge in. Well I think this is how I will do it rather than the fill and flip method. I will test it in my bathtub b4 I try.
Now I need to build some kind of base that will support the bridge on both tanks. I know I will need brackets for support and I was also thinking of getting a round clamp to fasten around both ends of the bridge and then fasten the clamp to the aquarium with different clamps. Any ideas about this from you builders?

 

[Daveo]

first of all i suggest that you level out the aquariums(so they are level with eachother)

 

[gaya]

that's what I originally planned. But have you seen the fish highway pics? The highways run all over this guys house and bend and turn all over the place. So I thought this was somewhat doable.

 

[gaya]

here's the link
check out all the pics...it's so cool!!!!

http/www.fishighway.com/

 

[Tolak]

It is doable, but you have to remember that water seeks it's own level, meaning that the surface of all the tanks will level themselves out to each other. You could do all sorts of crazy things as far as the layout of the tubing, but once it is full of water it will act like a syphon, leveling out the surface of any tanks it is connected to.

In your sketch the top tank would drain into the bottom tank, causing it to overflow. It would stop around half empty, when the level is the same as the top of the lower tank.

Tolak

 

[sunflower]

In your sketch the top tank would drain into the bottom tank, causing it to overflow.

Thats what I thought. What will stop the lower tank from overflowing?

 

[isu_guy]

As it is now- the water pressure will act like a syphon pushing the top tanks water into the other. That would be bad news, cause it'd probably overflow the bottom tank.

 

[Daveo]

well then buy the book

 

[gaya]

Well the pics on that site show how the tanks are not level but don't overflow. hmm, i guess i will just try it in the bathroom and see what happens. I'll keep you posted.

 

[gaya]

well you guys are right. I just tried it in my bathroom and it acts like a siphon. dam!!!

maybe i will get the book. it's 9.95. that's not too bad. i really don't want to move this tank again. plus i like the uneven look to it. all well.

 

[Great Lakes]

As you have found, yes the tanks all do need to be at the same level.
I always thought this was a fascinating way to make the most of the fish hobby.

But I wonder just how much water ends up on the floor when you get the eventual siphon break. Cause you just know it has to happen sooner or later.

Not to mention that some of those larger bridges must be started with one heck of a vacuum pump at some point.

GL

 

[dirtydogg]

might be silly, but you could try to do an overflow type filter on the lower tank that pumps back into the upper tank.

 

[gaya]

As you have found, yes the tanks all do need to be at the same level.
I always thought this was a fascinating way to make the most of the fish hobby.

I've been thinking about it forever!!! Went out and did the shopping for all the stuff, what a waste. I guess I could do it with other tanks but i'm really trying to keep my tank numbers down. Had nine and now I have only three set up.

But I wonder just how much water ends up on the floor when you get the eventual siphon break. Cause you just know it has to happen sooner or later.

I would be in so much trouble if that ever happened. These tank are near like five grand worth of equipment and I know I shouldn't have them there at all and my husband isn't too happy about it anyway. Took alot of convincing.


I guess if I really want it I will just have to level the tanks out and make a simple water bridge. There should be a crying Emoticon

 

[Daveo]

this is what your tank would look like

your tanks

daveo

 

[sakaspuds]

i added a comment on the tank pictures, but to expand further, i'd put failsafes in, like an over flow on the top tank that runs into the lower one (just a tube/hose nothing special) then you need an overflow on the lower tank,

i'm not 100% sure how you can do this, but i would have a thing very much like how a toilet works, a cistern, where when the water gets so high, it activates a secondary pump that pumps the water back up to the top tank, this one would only switch on if an overflow happened

sounds complicated
but it would basicly be a pingpong ball in a tube the water rises pushing the ball up onto a switch that turns the pump on, water goes down the switch goes off