# 2 Canisters Connected in Parallel



## cggorman (May 9, 2009)

I do it. Works fine. Make sure the hoses after the "Y" are larger than the lines connected to the filters. If the filters are 5/8", the Y should go to at least 3/4"


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## Jeff5614 (Dec 29, 2005)

cggorman said:


> I do it. Works fine. Make sure the hoses after the "Y" are larger than the lines connected to the filters. If the filters are 5/8", the Y should go to at least 3/4"


Thanks, I was wondering if the tubing size would need to be increased, especially on the inlet which also has me thinking if it would be better just to go with two inlets and only combine the outlet.


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## xmas_one (Feb 5, 2010)

Why? I'm a bit confused on the whole over filtration fad that seems to run rampant on this forum...


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## Jeff5614 (Dec 29, 2005)

xmas_one said:


> Why? I'm a bit confused on the whole over filtration fad that seems to run rampant on this forum...


Guess I'm a fad follower and not a trend setter . A bit more seriously I have that old unused canister in the basement, a bit too much time to think and then suddenly what seem like great ideas start to fill my head, lol.


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## IWANNAGOFAST (Jan 14, 2008)

I like to over filter my tanks so that I get enough flow in the tank without using powerheads. That way I can throw lily pipes on and have minimal equipment in the tank


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## cggorman (May 9, 2009)

Generally the suction side would want to be larger than the pressure side.

...and...what constitutes over filtration? RO/DI water would certainly be overly filtered, but we're obviously not recirculating tank water thru RO membranes...I hope...


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## eser21 (Apr 19, 2011)

better to have it and not need it etc......
hmmm i run 2 canisters and 2 in/ 2 out is annoying..... liking your thinking!!
i feel a little project brewing


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## Jeffww (Aug 6, 2010)

cggorman said:


> Generally the suction side would want to be larger than the pressure side.
> 
> ...and...what constitutes over filtration? RO/DI water would certainly be overly filtered, but we're obviously not recirculating tank water thru RO membranes...I hope...


CRAP! *hides equipment* I think it should work fine...although I don't understand why you would want to do that unless the tank is too small for the outlets.


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

You can hook them in a chain. Inflow hanging in tank, going to filter 1, output of filter 1 going into input of filter 2, output of filter 2 going into the tank. unplug filter 1, and plug in filter 2, voila, twice the media.


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## Surgeon (Jun 17, 2011)

mordalphus said:


> You can hook them in a chain. Inflow hanging in tank, going to filter 1, output of filter 1 going into input of filter 2, output of filter 2 going into the tank. unplug filter 1, and plug in filter 2, voila, twice the media.


About half the flow though.


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## robbowal (Mar 27, 2011)

mordalphus said:


> You can hook them in a chain. Inflow hanging in tank, going to filter 1, output of filter 1 going into input of filter 2, output of filter 2 going into the tank. unplug filter 1, and plug in filter 2, voila, twice the media.


To run this powered you need two identical filters or you risk burning out the motor of the weaker one, also this will not increase flow just media volume. IMO this is a waste of time just get a bigger filter.

To the OP
I have in the past run two different strength filters using Y connections in both configurations 2 inlet 1 outlet (works well no pipe increase needed) and 1 inlet 1 outlet (need to increase pipe dimensions from tank only up to the Y's) the only thing is that these kind of set ups are a pig to prime after filter cleaning. also install shut of taps to isolate an individual filter if needed.

Hope this helps
Robert


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## ReefkprZ (Aug 21, 2010)

xmas_one said:


> Why? I'm a bit confused on the whole over filtration fad that seems to run rampant on this forum...


for myself I would rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it....


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## soc200 (Feb 26, 2011)

robbowal said:


> To run this powered you need two identical filters or you risk burning out the motor of the weaker one, also this will not increase flow just media volume. IMO this is a waste of time just get a bigger filter.


This is clearly an opinion based off what you have read...not what you've seen. There are a TON of people that have this common setup...and they aren't "burning out motors" like you describe. I actually believe that one of the filters has the motor off...but don't quote me on that part. But I know for a fact that this is common practice for some breeders. And you most certainly do NOT need identical filters. The times I have seen this done...different filters are purposely used because one had great mechanical filtration...and the other bio. If I were running two canisters like the OP described...I would would definitely keep the set up described by mordalphus.


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## robbowal (Mar 27, 2011)

soc200 said:


> This is clearly an opinion based off what you have read...not what you've seen. There are a TON of people that have this common setup...and they aren't "burning out motors" like you describe. I actually believe that one of the filters has the motor off...but don't quote me on that part. But I know for a fact that this is common practice for some breeders. And you most certainly do NOT need identical filters. The times I have seen this done...different filters are purposely used because one had great mechanical filtration...and the other bio. If I were running two canisters like the OP described...I would would definitely keep the set up described by mordalphus.


Soc200
You of course are entitled to your opinion but we are discussing use on planted tanks and not breeding. I believe i did say "if you want to run this powered" ,I also should have been a little clearer in stating the same flow rate as to avoid one canister doing all the work and possibly damaging the motor rather than taking a short cut and using "burning out motors". There are dedicated modular filters for this purpose which would no doubt do the job better and more cost effectivly in the long run.


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## soc200 (Feb 26, 2011)

robbowal said:


> Soc200
> You of course are entitled to your opinion but we are discussing use on planted tanks and not breeding. I believe i did say "if you want to run this powered" ,I also should have been a little clearer in stating the same flow rate as to avoid one canister doing all the work and possibly damaging the motor rather than taking a short cut and using "burning out motors". There are dedicated modular filters for this purpose which would no doubt do the job better and more cost effectivly in the long run.


Robbowal,
I'll respond to this and let it die...you can get the last word if you choose. You are clearly arguing semantics. Whether this is a planted tank, breeding tank, or both (which is most often the case when running dual filters)...we are discussing the mechanics of a filtration setup. Mucking up the discussion by arguing planted vs. breeding has no bearing on how you line up your filters...unless you are trying to debate flow (which you weren't...but will probably fall back on). 

My objection is mainly that they have to be the same filter and that you are going to damage them. I've discussed the differences in filtration with several Taipei friends (they do it very different than myself)...and I'm certain that you are regurgitating something you read...not something you have tested. And in this hobby...myths, theories, etc run rampant...and more than most are 110% wrong. I'm am saying that you have never tried the setup mordalphus explained. Calling it a "short cut" is folly. Many people would call it a high quality filtration system. 

To the OP...running 2 canisters certainly isn't necessary as I'm sure you know...but many people do it with very good results (and less filter maintenance). I realize I'm just one opinion...but I can tell you I've seen it first person on tanks that have been running for years and years.


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

+1 for a separate media tank being fed by cann. My cerge reactor has c-media rings.


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## Jeff5614 (Dec 29, 2005)

I see the thread has stirred up a bit of discussion. I used 2 canisters on my 75 for a couple of years and I liked having the filtration capacity of two filters, but wasn't crazy about the appearance of two spray bars and two intakes no matter how well I managed to hide them. I've recently changed over to one filter that has enough flow, IMO, for the tank but less capacity than the two filters I was using. I'm one of those who thinks you can't have enough filtration so I started trying to think of a way to use one of my old filters in conjunction with the current one while not adding things back into the tank. 

Running the filters in series was a thought. I'm not sure I buy into a stronger motor burning out the weaker. As long as there's enough water in the impeller housing I don't think it's going to happen since these pumps are just for circulation and aren't pressure rated. I would be more concerned with flow being affected due to clogging so for that reason running them in parallel ( sharing a common output ) seemed better. 

My biggest concern running them either way is with priming. It seems, as was mentioned earlier, that could be a problem.

Of course, I could be wrong with all of my suppositions which is why I wanted to hear everyone's opinions. So feel free to toss out some more.


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## shrimpnmoss (Apr 8, 2011)

I had two canisters in line with one input and one output, however only one was turned on. It would have been easy to turn both on if flow was deemed insufficient. There are quite a few shrimp keepers that daisy chain canisters in Asia.

Here's my daisy chained canisters. The output of one canister is connected to the intake of the second canister. I have since dropped back down to one canister but using prefilter canisters instead. 

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/t...hrimpnmoss-60p-shrimp-tank-shrimps-added.html


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## robbowal (Mar 27, 2011)

jeff 5614 

Priming is not a problem if you place a tap in line on the output of each canister before they combine that way you can prime them individually. when I ran mine two out and one return I did not have this tap and it was a pig to prime but i never got around to fitting one at the time.
Robert


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## Jeff5614 (Dec 29, 2005)

robbowal said:


> jeff 5614
> 
> Priming is not a problem if you place a tap in line on the output of each canister before they combine that way you can prime them individually. when I ran mine two out and one return I did not have this tap and it was a pig to prime but i never got around to fitting one at the time.
> Robert


Thanks!


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

I had a hell of a time priming my single canister filters for a while, but learned the turkey baster method and haven't looked back. 

As far as worrying about chained canisters... The method has been used for years, either with all filters running, or only one running, chains with up to 3 canisters. When running just one filter to pull through another one, the impeller isn't struggling all that much, and the loss of flow isn't too bad. The best part about cleaning is, the first canister in the lineup would have coarse and fine polishing pads which would guard the second canister with bio media, so you'd only be cleaning the first filter when flow is impeded. It's not a bad idea, and it wont wear out your motor. The impeller might last a month or two less than usual, but if you're using two of the same filter, just use the impeller of the one turned off in your workhorse when it comes time. I had a cheap jebo canister filter on my 50 gallon, and when it finally died after a few years, I bought another one and had them linked for a long time. When I decided on pressurized co2, I had to get rid of one of them for room in the cabinet, but it worked like a charm on a canister that is about as cheap as you can get.

I'm not going to refute the fact that obviously if you hook up a canister in a chain the IMPELLER works harder (the motor works regardless, there's no gears that are going to wear out, just the magnetic impeller), but it's a 10 dollar part, and who gives a darn? The canisters work great in a chain, and it's not going to kill your filters. Like shrimpnmoss and soc200 have said, people in asia have been doing this for a long time with awesome results, you don't need to worry.


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## Jeff5614 (Dec 29, 2005)

I appreciate all the responses. I think I'm going to give daisy chaining them a try unless for whatever reason I change my mind between now and the end of the week. That's a long time for me to mull things over, but it seems a bit simpler in my mind. It will be the end of the week before I get to it and I'll post something when I'm done and possibly include a pic.


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