Filtration ideas for my multi-tank system

FRED0 · 05/09/2011, 05:23 PM

Hello I'm setting up a multi-tank system and I'm looking for some help and/or ideas. Right now I have a well established 90 gallon reef tank with about a 15 gal sump and about a 15 gal refugium. I also have a 55 gal and a 20 gal both with just live rock in my basement. I want to add a 37 gal cube tank next to my 90 gal that I would eventually like to put seahorses in. In addition I would like to pipe all these tanks together and put all the filtration in the basement. I might keep a small refugium right under the 90 so the pods may have a better chance of survival rather than being pumped all the way up from the basement. I'd like to stick with natural filtration and skimmers. I also have a few empty 10 gal's, a 20 gal, a 3'x1'x2' refugium, HH pumps, and a ton of other stuff I can use lying around my basement. Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

FRED0 · 05/18/2011, 01:36 PM

here's what I've done so far.

I drilled 2 holes in my 37gal cube and one hole in my 90gal. In the 37gal water gos into the sump via the overflow which draws water from the 90gal. Also in the pic is what will be my return which will go into both tanks.

In my basement I have a sump which has a pump piped to my chiller. Then half the water goes underneath to my large refugium and half goes into my dark refugium then into my large refugium. I'm kinda experimenting with the dark refugium. Its basicly a 10gal tank full of large sea shells. That give it a lot of surface area to grow sponges tube worms and what not. I went with the shells instead of plastic egg crate because I figure it will help with the PH too. There will be a third smaller pump coming from the large refugium that will connect my 55gal, two 10gal's and maybe a 20gal. I'm not sure what I'm going to use those tanks for yet. I might use the 55gal for fish that I can't put in my reef tank. I might make one of them a QT that I can isolate and hook it up to a UV sterilizer. I figure with this setup I can add a lot of fish to my 90gal without over populating the system. Let me know what you think. Any pointers would still be greatly appreciated. I still need some ideas for my other tanks. Maybe some sorta partial water change system or something.

krshlln300 · 11/29/2011, 07:54 PM

WIth how prone seahorses are to infection, I would first suggest that the water go in reverse of what you have. I do not think it would be a good idea to have water from a poulated (and fully established) 90 gallon going into the seahorse tank without UV sterilization. Also you may want to consider the low temps at which seahorses need to be kept, they do best in the low 70's where corals prefer the high upper 70's. I am not trying to discourage you or anything, just don't want to see you have the same issues I did when i tried keeping my seahorses.

05/09/2011, 05:23 PM	#1
FRED0 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 9	Filtration ideas for my multi-tank system Hello I'm setting up a multi-tank system and I'm looking for some help and/or ideas. Right now I have a well established 90 gallon reef tank with about a 15 gal sump and about a 15 gal refugium. I also have a 55 gal and a 20 gal both with just live rock in my basement. I want to add a 37 gal cube tank next to my 90 gal that I would eventually like to put seahorses in. In addition I would like to pipe all these tanks together and put all the filtration in the basement. I might keep a small refugium right under the 90 so the pods may have a better chance of survival rather than being pumped all the way up from the basement. I'd like to stick with natural filtration and skimmers. I also have a few empty 10 gal's, a 20 gal, a 3'x1'x2' refugium, HH pumps, and a ton of other stuff I can use lying around my basement. Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

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05/18/2011, 01:36 PM	#2
FRED0 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 9	here's what I've done so far. I drilled 2 holes in my 37gal cube and one hole in my 90gal. In the 37gal water gos into the sump via the overflow which draws water from the 90gal. Also in the pic is what will be my return which will go into both tanks. In my basement I have a sump which has a pump piped to my chiller. Then half the water goes underneath to my large refugium and half goes into my dark refugium then into my large refugium. I'm kinda experimenting with the dark refugium. Its basicly a 10gal tank full of large sea shells. That give it a lot of surface area to grow sponges tube worms and what not. I went with the shells instead of plastic egg crate because I figure it will help with the PH too. There will be a third smaller pump coming from the large refugium that will connect my 55gal, two 10gal's and maybe a 20gal. I'm not sure what I'm going to use those tanks for yet. I might use the 55gal for fish that I can't put in my reef tank. I might make one of them a QT that I can isolate and hook it up to a UV sterilizer. I figure with this setup I can add a lot of fish to my 90gal without over populating the system. Let me know what you think. Any pointers would still be greatly appreciated. I still need some ideas for my other tanks. Maybe some sorta partial water change system or something.

11/29/2011, 07:54 PM	#3
krshlln300 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Oakdale, PA Posts: 397	WIth how prone seahorses are to infection, I would first suggest that the water go in reverse of what you have. I do not think it would be a good idea to have water from a poulated (and fully established) 90 gallon going into the seahorse tank without UV sterilization. Also you may want to consider the low temps at which seahorses need to be kept, they do best in the low 70's where corals prefer the high upper 70's. I am not trying to discourage you or anything, just don't want to see you have the same issues I did when i tried keeping my seahorses.