Am I making this complicated

[Toby_H]

I'm in the process of setting up a few large tanks, and the ones that stack above one another I'm choosing to plumb together (plumbed essentially like a sump, but both will be proper aquariums). There are pros and cons to this approach.

In my situation I can unplug one pump and they become separate systems. In the Original Posters situation here, he could turn off the pump and install a couple caps on the connecting pipes. Which is a good point to come up here as a reminder to have those connections in such a way that a cap or plug can easily be installed.

Question to those of you with Auto Water Change systems: When I do a manual water change, I use this as an opportunity to target waste in the tank that the filter does not pick up. Do you guys still siphon out waste? Or do you improve your filtration to the point it rarely misses much?

 

[Flaring Afro]

I'm in the process of setting up a few large tanks, and the ones that stack above one another I'm choosing to plumb together (plumbed essentially like a sump, but both will be proper aquariums). There are pros and cons to this approach.

In my situation I can unplug one pump and they become separate systems. In the Original Posters situation here, he could turn off the pump and install a couple caps on the connecting pipes. Which is a good point to come up here as a reminder to have those connections in such a way that a cap or plug can easily be installed.

Question to those of you with Auto Water Change systems: When I do a manual water change, I use this as an opportunity to target waste in the tank that the filter does not pick up. Do you guys still siphon out waste? Or do you improve your filtration to the point it rarely misses much?

I do not because I have about 1" of sand and an adult red ear slider that stirs it up herself. I'm guessing big fish would often do the same even if they aren't the kind of fish that likes to dig through the sand looking for food.

 

[Charney]

IMO it's easier to just have two separate tanks each with an auto water change/continuous flush system. If you don't have to perform water changes yourself then it isn't any more work to have them separate, and you'll be able to treat the aba aba in its own tank if it gets sick without dosing the others.

i agree. I am leaning towards this

 

[duanes]

Just as an example
in my much smaller system (in total 300 gallons), I combine 2 tanks, and take advantage of gravity every chance I get.
1 tank with moderate size cichlids that don't tolerate rooted plants, and the other is heavily planted, and because they share water, those plants provide nitrate reduction for both tanks, to the tune of undetectable in both.


The difference in height is between the 2 is about 2 ft, water surface to surface.

I always add water to the planted tank 1st during water changes to buffer any water plant anomaly, as I did in the states to buffer temps, or chemical aberrations.
The single 1500 gph gal pump is located in a small corner of the planted tank, where a porrett foam wall divides. the mechanics, and also mechanically fillers as an entire wall the height and width of the 6 ft long tank.
A population of Shrimp, snails, and small fish inhabit the planted tank and basically take care of the algae, and detritus maintenance, those the cichlids would make a meal of.
I haven't needed to vacuum either tank, in a couple years. (I still do regular water changes) but the plants have reduced the need for as many as before.

The main tank also uses terrestrial plants that help with nitrate.