# Adjusting 1 canister filter for 2 tanks?



## fresh.salty (Jul 2, 2010)

Top tank would need to overflow into the bottom one. Bulkhead towards the top of the top tank. But it would need to be a good size bulkhead and very little restriction at the opening. When they are towards the top of the tank they won't handle much flow. Another possibility is a hang on back over flow with u-tube. But it would probably cost more than the two tanks combined.

No way you can split input/output between two tanks and have it perfectly balanced. One or both will either overflow or go dry.


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

Cost effectively? No....


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

I think I will just use it in the tank with the Apistos and glo-lights. The other tank has Danios and they can live in a pond, thus I will just use a sponge filter in that tank.

Thanks for the responses.


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## mattycakesclark (Jun 11, 2010)

If you want to split the incoming flow, not to blow everything around, you could do the bulk head like fish.salty said, on the top tank, but on the inside of the bulkhead use a "T" to draw water subsurface to keep floating material from clogging, although I would check it quite often. Have that drop down to the bottom tank. 
To cut the velocity, use a spraybar uptop, and maybe one down below with larger diameter holes and a cap not glued in the end (make out of PVC), so you can take the cap off and flush it. Or have that to a "T" and help break up the velocity a bit. Dunno, plant debris is gonna be tough.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

If the tanks were positioned next to each other and at the same height, all you would need to do is use an aquarium "u tube" to connect the two tanks, and have the filter input in one take, and the output in the other.


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

CL said:


> If the tanks were positioned next to each other and at the same height, all you would need to do is use an aquarium "u tube" to connect the two tanks, and have the filter input in one take, and the output in the other.


So input in 1st tank and out put in second tank? Seems I bit chancy, for no guarantee that the over flow from 1st tank will go into the U tube.


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

mattycakesclark said:


> If you want to split the incoming flow you could do the bulk head on the top tank, but on the inside of the bulkhead use a "T" to draw water.
> Dunno, plant debris is gonna be tough.


Well only 1 tank has some plants (anubias and ferns) thus no plant debris. What is a bulkhead?


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## wearsbunnyslippers (Dec 6, 2007)

Hilde said:


> So input in 1st tank and out put in second tank? Seems I bit chancy, for no guarantee that the over flow from 1st tank will go into the U tube.


the water level will remain the same in both tanks. water always wants to be at equilibrium.

try it with a small piece of airpipe and two glasses. it works like a siphon.

as long as there are no air bubbles in the tube, if you take water out the one glass, water will automatically flow through the tube from the second glass until they are the same level. if you then add water to either glass, it will flow through the tube to fill the other glass until they are level.


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## fresh.salty (Jul 2, 2010)

Hilde said:


> What is a bulkhead?


Bulkhead is installed into a hole drilled in the tank walls or bottom.


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

wearsbunnyslippers said:


> the water level will remain the same in both tanks. water always wants to be at equilibrium. Try it with a small piece of airpipe and two glasses. it works like a siphon.


I shall experiment with this. Unfortunately I don't have room in my small apartment to put them side by side. When I move though I will make room to do this. For it will take me some time to get the 29 gallon ready for fish since it is exhausting bending down into the tank to scape the plants.



fresh.salty said:


> Bulkhead is installed into a hole drilled in the tank walls or bottom.]


Well I don't have tools for that so that idea won't work for me.


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## mattycakesclark (Jun 11, 2010)

Yah, a bulk head does not rely on a siphon effect. If your top tank is not planted, then this would be simular to the saltwater guys and their sumps. You can get most of the stuff you need at a homedepot, or seach some SW forums on where and what to get.


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

The top tank is planted for it gets some indirect light. The bottom 1 is plant less.


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## IWANNAGOFAST (Jan 14, 2008)

I think if this is just a temporary solution and you will be moving the fish back to the 29 gal soon, you should just hook the filter up to the tank with the apistos and do water changes or hook up a small filter on the other tank.

That is, if this is temporary.


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## fresh.salty (Jul 2, 2010)

Hilde said:


> Well I don't have tools for that so that idea won't work for me.


I wouldn't use a standard 10 gallon tank that was drilled anyway. The glass is so thin that much pressure on the plumbing lines can lead to a cracked tank. Saw it happen when a bank of 10 were all plumbed to a common pump and sump. Luckily they where on a stand over the sumps. lol


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## Hilde (May 19, 2008)

IWANNAGOFAST said:


> I think if this is just a temporary solution and you will be moving the fish back to the 29 gal soon, you should just hook the filter up to the tank with the apistos and do water changes or hook up a small filter on the other tank.
> That is, if this is temporary.


Yeh, the set up is just temporary. This is something I was thinking of doing when I move though so I thought I would try it out. I am slow at unpacking thus will try the canister filter with the tanks side by side.


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## chaso (Jul 24, 2018)

*I have done it!*

Hey There, I was looking here to find out how to split 1 canister filter between two tanks...and with no luck (besides drilling, overflow etc.) I decided to figure it out on my own. I have found the solution: So I have 2 tanks, I believe both are 30L in volume, one is a long horizontal tank, and one is a taller tank. So anyway, I contacted my good mate that works with piping at his job, and he told me what I wanted to do, in theory will work fine. First I bought two pvc hose splitters (said for washing machine hoses on packaging) along with 4 longer, screw on pvc directional pipes to point into both tanks. On the input, I superglued on longer pvc pipes, with mesh on the bottoms so that my mollies wouldn't get stuck. I have both tanks next to each other at the moment, So I hung both fixtures in-between the tanks on the edges. These fit very securely. Then I primed the unit and turned it on. This system works great, provided nothing gets stuck to the mesh and restricts intake. After thinking more about this, I am going to set up some pvc pipes with a u bend and hang over in both tanks as well, this will make a vacuum seal and will keep the water levels at the same height, It just means I have about 6 litres less in my taller tank. Water has to be kept the same level at the moment anyway, as if the power is cut, the splitters (if the output has been under the water in both tanks) forms the same kind of vacuum seal (kind of like how you can only siphon if the waters lower than tank etc.) and will even out and if 1 tank had more than the other, it would overflow. All in all this solution works great, at least in till I get my bigger tank at the end of this year. I will post the link of the YouTube Video of my setup here next week!


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