Central Filtration without drilling tanks

[cichlidmaster]

OK! Here is one for all you up to date technical people.

Since I am from the "old school" and use nothing but inside box filters and sponge filters I have a question....

I am contemplating setting up a central filtration unit usin commercial size rainbow life guard moduals, but I don't want to drill my tanks.

I have 6 90 gallon tanks (three racks two rows each) My question....

Could I not use PVC piping for all connections (discharge and returns).

This would basically be the same as using bulk heads in drilled tanks, but the output and intakes would hang on and in the tanks.

If this is a viable idea, what size pump do you think would be needed, or should I use two...one for discharge and one for return?

CM

 

[semper fi]

i have been toying around with thi idea for the future fishroom that i am planning on. don't have the details down pat just yet. i have the wet dry that my 180 is hooked up to. thought of increasing the sump size of the wet dry to a 55 gallon tank atleast. running two rows of pvc one about a foot off the ground for the discharge water from the tanks into the wet dry. the other at ceiling height for the return from the wet dry to the aquariumusxing the pvc on the wall and ceiling only and flexible clear hosing for the connections from the pvc to the tanks with rigid pvc at the ends just to hang on the tanks. the connections at the pvc to flexible hosing would be the lever type to control the flow of water. also the heighth of the pvc lines would use gravity to distribute water. don't know if it would work or not. here is a good site for the larger pumps that you would need for this set up. especially if you need to cycle 1620 gph for the 6 - 90 gallons that you would want to do.

www.DrsFosterSmith.com

hth

maggie

 

[Danny - the lost soul---]

hummm,
Before you to go out and spend all this $$$$ and Think about one main factor.
Having all the tanks together means if 1 fish gets sick or catchs a disese they all do. Thats the main resson i never did it. Plus if you are keeping fish for conservation from a zoo or conservation program SSP. They preffer / kinda insist it not be a central system or if so to have it broken down or a few seperate tanks. Now again the rules have change alot and things are being done diff. I see since I got back. ???


Now back to a good way to set this up.

There are a few ways this can be done. You can tie all tanks together using pvc made into j-tubes. Best if you use a larger size pipe. 2" is ideal 1 /14 may work . This will depend also on the return pump size.

For this method tanks must be close enough to work in sequence type. You will need to set a tube from tank to tank. To get the air out you will need a piece of airline and must literaly suck the air out of the j-tube. Still with me ?
What you want to do is get the circulation going in one direction. return on one side or starting tank and discharge the the opp. end or last tank. This will work just like the overfloew on a sump.

Once you have tanks tied together with the j-tubes and the lines run for the return / discharge you can run the pump. ( size depends on amount of tanks and length of run.) What you are doing is filling one tank and the j-tubes use gravity to pull the water out of the tank being filled from one to another. The last tank will be connected to a piece of pvc to the last j-tube going to thge sump. 55 g plastic drum will work good here. Putting your sump pump in there the return will be drawing the water that gravity has pulled from tank to tank.

Now I know I lost you 2 because I lost myself.

Another would be how maggs has planned only no need to go ceiling hight. Use the same concept as with the gravity tubes but with return lines directly off the pump. Using shut off valves you cann control the amnount of water and preasure to each tank. Only thing here is you will need a stronger pump to pump water into each tank depending on the amount of tanks with good enough presure to give good circulation.

This method will work best but will require more pipe and a stronger pump. Pipes can be flex. pipe for return as long as NOT much presure is going through pipe. For overflow or discharge you want to use a solid pipe not clear soft hose. I know, I know thats what you said I just had to refrsh to make sure I was on the same page.

If you get an idea i could better explain on paper or I will explain it better when I talk to either one on the horn.

CM we should be speaking REALLY soon about fish so I could run a few suggestions then.

Maggs I got you # also and will call your fishie self when you got time to yak. That way I could save all this typing and typos for people who really need help with fish. You 2 know better than to ask these questions. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL Gotta love it , I could harass you both on one post... Hahahahahahahahaha .............

But still ya both. Just don't let it get to your fins alright. .
Danny

 

[semper fi]

well that is one of the problems that i considered when thinking of doing this. if one tank goes bad they all do. but on the other hand i thought that i could also heat all of the tanks off one heater without raising the temp in the house to 300 degrees like cm does. i don't look as good in a tank top and shorts as he does! i have not had problems with my tanks as of yet. knock on danny's head! heehee devil made me say it! the biggest problem is trying to cut down on the electric bill before the hubby starts complaining about the tanks. no sense of humor there! i mean what else do i send him off to work every day for! more fish! and fish stuff! also thought of converting the sump of the central into a planted display tank.

maggie

 

[Danny - the lost soul---]

ROTFLOL

Gonna call and tell your hubby what you said.. That you are making him go ( Will Work For Fish. ).. LOLOLOL


That does sound like a winner both the planted tank idea and the one central heater instead of heating the house to 300*.
I do remember something about CM and his steam house. LOLOL Going to move in his fishroom to stay warm though It's to darn cold here now... Wait,
you guys get snow... NO< NO< NO< forget that idea then.Danny don't do snow. Will freeze and be found like a prehestoric caveman only holding bags of fish when snow thaws.
Danny

 

[semper fi]

hey i was nice about it! even made him a cardboard sign that says "will work for fish". got a nicce corner picked out for him also.

thought about using a waterbed heater to heat the tanks but do not think that will work. thought that i could set the tanks on the heater. got to cut down on the electric bill, edison is sending me thank you cards with my bills!

maggie

 

[cichlidmaster]

Great posts you two, but.......

This is NOT going to be a wet/dry application!!!!

Rainbow Lifeguard Modules are basicall the same as canister filters, only they have seperate modules for chemical, mechanical and biological filtration.

They also have modules for heaters and the such.

No sump would be used. When using this system in a single tank application, a single water pump is used. It's a closed system meaning all the modules are linked via PVC, then this is linked to the pump and then returned to the tank.

In a nutshell the same way a canister filter works, only better!!!

I know, I know, now your confussed.

While I am not a proponent of central systems, it was just a thought to see what everyones opinion was...

CM

 

[semper fi]

well stop thinking you are making my head hurt! do you got a map to go with that one? gl might be a good brain to pick on this one, or macquatic.

maggie

 

[Danny - the lost soul---]

I see, but what I meant really isn't a wet dry. Kinda though, now I know though since we spoke and ya expalined it.

Actually to CM central systems would be better used in fry / young sp. tanks . I tied a few 10g together which are used as hatcheries, So far so good. But, I know and am still expecting that dreaded worse.

danny

 

[Great Lakes]

Ok ok, I'm still trying to catch up from the holidays.

Larry, without drilled tanks. the only way to go is with the siphon boxes on the back of the tank. If you just use a J setup as Danny suggested, it will work fine, until you lose power to the pump for some reason. The J tube will keep siphoning until the water level is down below it and it will run dry. Then when the power comes back on, all the tanks overfill because the siphon has been lost. Then your pricey pump burns up! The boxes are designed to keep their siphon intact until water flow is resumed.

I would have a sump/resevoir with your system. You can add your top off water there. The levels of the 90s will never drop with the siphon box, but I would guess you will evap close to 5 gallons a day from a setup that large.

My overflow box easily handles the 1200gph I run through it. You really shouldn't need to many control valves on the return lines. Maybe just one each for the upper and lower rows.

The 55gal drum may be a good idea, but I don't know how high your bottom row of tanks are. You cant siphon up remember. You could even use a rubbermaid feed trough. Whatever you use, just attach your canister with a bulkhead fitting to the sump. I would also put a simple inexpensive float switch in the sump to cut power to the pump if it gets low for some reason.

I am sure you will have more questions now...