Looking For Inspiration.

[emj0341]

Hey all, I am looking for a little inspiration and any pointers as I am now planning my "piece de resistance" I am thinking of building a custom tank stand/ cabinet that would house three tanks, probably 20-29 gallons apiece. My rough idea would be to have them arranged in a fashion that would allow them to cascade into each other, or something along those lines. Budget is not a concern as I will be building this over the next 6-9 months.

If anyone has an unusual tank setup, or has a link to one, please share, I will keep everyone updated with pictures and descriptions, and hopefully, with everyones help, I will have a beautiful setup to share with everyone.

also any advice about problems or thinks to look out for will be much appreciated.

thanks in advance,

 

[SkiFletch]

Controlled overflow is your main concern. Basically you need to control the volume of water flowing from the top tank down to the bottom so that it does not overwhelm the pump's capabilities to overcome the head pressure. This is commonly tackled via overflow boxes or drilled tanks. Overflow boxes are non-invasive, but take up a lot of space while drilled tanks are harder to actually make (drilling tempered glass is not easy). Also, you'll need to invest in a large external pump to push water up the probably 6 feet or so from the bottom tank to the top at a high flowrate. Something like an Iwaki would be advisable. You're basically designing a tank with 2 sumps below it, so check out This link to see how a gravity fed sump setup works.

 

[emj0341]

I just stumbled onto that site between when i posted and when you replied, I really like that concept, its just one of a few ideas I had. I really am just trying to get ideas about the most practical way to group some tanks together, I am an accomplished woodworker, so the building of the frame, etc, I can do, but i need to draw on the experience of everyone here to solve the tank/waterflow/etc type of issues.

thanks for the reply!

 

[SkiFletch]

Anytime . Dont overlook the drilling option as it really is quite prudent in some situations. Also, if you're starting new, you can buy pre-drilled tanks nowadays