# Connecting big tanks together with waste pipes



## Progen (18 Apr 2017)

Now I'm in the midst of planning a move to somewhere with a bigger compound for the dogs' sake and the lady and I spend most of our nights looking at the 4 foot tank beside our bed.

Is it possible to use something like the connector below to join two 4 foot tanks? I was thinking of something flexible because the tank's will be at 90° to each other, one at the side of the bed and another at the head. If things work, maybe even a third one at the other side. The tank's will be at the same horizontal level, maybe 6" from the floor.







What I have in mind is to get someone to cut holes in the glass and use industry standard fittings so that it's easy to find end caps should the idea not work out and I need to seal the ends quickly.

My dream is to have one tank scaped like a jungle, the next an Iwagumi and the next a mountain / cliffscape. Put in about 100 small fishes and they can check out the different scapes by going through the tubes.


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## kadoxu (18 Apr 2017)

Have you checked @zozo posts on Mission Bathtub lately? You don't need to cut holes in the glass to use waste pipes as a connection between tanks.


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## Progen (19 Apr 2017)

I'll go take a look. Thanks.


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## zozo (19 Apr 2017)




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## Progen (19 Apr 2017)

Have seen Zozo's. What I have in mind, other than the flexible waste pipe, is a lot more elegant though and meant to surround my bed on 3 sides. Tanks will be fairly large 50 - 55G 4 footers so if waste piping connections are watertight enough, then it'll definitely be a go. The two tanks on the sides will have their own canister filtration. Maybe the Iwagumi can have a HOB if needed but what's for sure will be small wavemakers to create water movement and gentle surface agitation.

Basically, the tank's are connected but there's no gravity created flow from one to the other because they're all on the same level.

Another idea is to have the left tank at 1.5' off the ground, the center one at 1' and the last, a riparium to act as a sump where the water goes through a powerful canister filter to a chiller and then to the left tank again. Connecting holes will be at just 3 - 4" from their respective waterlines so that in case if a power outage, the last tank can still accommodate the overflow from the other two. Will also have shutoff valves on each connection so that I can do water changes at only one tank or isolate them in case of emergencies where I'm around to take action.


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## Progen (19 Apr 2017)

This was what I had in mind. The reason I wanted flexible hosing is so that any movement or vibrations at one tank will not be transmitted to the others or weaken the connecting points on the glass.


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## zozo (19 Apr 2017)

Basicaly if you drill the glas you need bulkheads to connect them.
https://www.plumbingsupply.com/bulkhead.html

But then flexible tube indeed is a pre, because if you wuold use rigid tubing than any movement creates friction on the glas and this will rip a panel. This movement only needs to be minor temperature expansion and retraction of materials can be enough. For example the coefficient of expansion from PVC is far greater than glas, so with a rigid pvc to glas connection your at great risk of snapping a glas panel along the line. A flexible connection will be a bit wobbly it will need some kind of construction to straighten it out. It only will hang if you don't.

The idea with vacuum water bridges is much safer and easier to apply. These will be loos connection not applying any friction on the tanks.. You could use clear PVC pipes.. The more easthitic you want to make it the more expensive it is going to be.


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## zozo (19 Apr 2017)

Other things you need to think about is maintenance.. Any clear tubing will develop algae, if the water in the pipes doesn't have sufficient flow, debri will accumulate and sink to the bottom side of the pipe. Water also contains gasses, any pottential air pockets will accumulate the gasses depleting from the water, thus air/gass pockets will devellop and these will not be nice clear bublles, it will get brown and foamy.. Completely filled it might look clear, but aquarium water is very dirty despite how clear it looks. There is more in it than you think.

I've tried a few of these fun concepts, above pond vacuum aquarium, water bridges etc. It is fun and interesting.. And all the videos you'll find around all are showing it at their best. Most of them during or right after it is build and installed.. Yet i've not found one showing an update after few weeks in use.. I doubt they all had it long enough in use. Becauseif it'l become an unsightly mess requiring a lot of work to keep it easthetically clean.

Even if you use unclear pipes, than you'll see nothing, but after a few months a lot of debri has collected in the pipes.. So not seeing doesn't say it doesn't need maintenance. If you do not want to much debri collecting it needs a lot of flow through.

Just a few things to get your mind going before you putting a lot of effort and maybe money into it, discovering later it is much different than you thought it would be.


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## Progen (19 Apr 2017)

I'm ok with the cleaning part and there will be a support below each hose to reduce sagging. Another reason for the shutoff valves is to ensure that the hoses can be removed for cleaning and disinfecting to remove algae and whatnot.

I don't intend for the connections to be transparent. That's why I'm looking at a cheap connection method. Most of the money will be spent on the tanks and equipment.


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## ian_m (19 Apr 2017)

I wouldn't use push fit PVC anywhere near a fish tank, as far too easy to accidentally dislodge and prone to thermal creep. You really should be using solvent weld PVC, as everybody else does in reef world, so there is no chance of the joint opening up.


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## zozo (19 Apr 2017)

Just for the sake of safety, i would go over the top with a vacuum, this constrution would be completely free from the tanks, no drilling glass, tidy straight and ridgid mounted to the wall.

A few meter pipe a few brackets to the wall and 6 knees is all you need 2 x 90° and 4 x 45° going into the tank bellow the water level.





Drill a hole in the top of the pipe (highest point) tap a M5 thread and fit in a 4mm tube pneumatic hose connector with a at the end of the tube a return valve. Suck the air out and you are good to go for a few dollars worth of pipe and fittings.. And done, the fish don't mind wont feel a difference and travel the pipes.

Maintenance? Pull the return valve the pipe will drain, release the brackets take the pipe out side, clean it hang it back suck out the air. And enjoy the ride, if you do not like it anymore take all away.. No harm done, no expenses to fix things but a little plaster to smear in the holes in the wall.

What more do you want? ANy other construction will permanently damage the tanks with holes and ridgid glass t glass connections are prone to fail, flexible to ridgid need threaded connectors with sealings etc. etc. All nifty looking but it aint going to be cheap.. Bulkheads and threaded connectors and shut off valves are rather expensive.  Hop into the pond shop, they have all this stuff for sale. I paid about $ 11 for one 25mm bulkhead. Double the size is double the price.. Needing 4 + 4 valves + 4 threaded connectors to fit the flex pieces to the ridged pieces. I guess when you're done you've spend more than the aqaurium is worth.


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## Progen (19 Apr 2017)

I was at the hardware shop earlier and shown some bulkheads and other relevant connectors. They didn't have waste piping. Largest clear hose was O.D. 1.5" and not really clear. The next size down was clear but had an O.D. of about 1.25".

This idea about connecting tanks all came about because I need to keep my tanks cool. It's way cheaper for me to get the next size up chiller than 3 smaller ones.

Initial idea was to have the holes drilled 3 - 4" from the substrate so that the slightly cooler water at the bottom will be pushed or sucked into the next tank by a wavemaker.

It's ok if the 2nd or 3rd tank doesn't get much of the chilled water because with a bit of learning and planning, I can place the more heat resistant plants there.


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## Progen (19 Apr 2017)

By the way, bulkheads at my side are cheap so cost is a non-issue. To do it the way that I've suggested would cost me like USD20 max and that's to connect all 3 tanks. Each tank and stand combo would be like only USD80 tops.

That's the joy of living in a third world country which considers itself developed.


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## Progen (19 Apr 2017)

Just sent out a request for prices for 6mm thick acrylic tubing. 2000mm long, ID 94mm and ID 114mm. If it's anything around USD100, I'm going for it.

Also noticed that they have square cross section ones too. Will be super if they can bend that for me.


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## Madhav (2 Aug 2017)

Progen, 
Liked your idea but how practical, lets wait and see. I doubt your idea works as you intended.

I have few concerns,
- how do you expect to have heat exchange through out the 3 tanks? 
         it takes way too longer than you expected. without external force pushing the water from one tank to the other, and at the same time the same pipe should allow warm water return
- how do you expect to have flow from one tank to another tank by means of circulation pump?
         you push the water through this square pipe and allow the water to return through the same square pipe due to gravity on the other tank?
         calculate the pressure exerted by the water column on receiving tank first before you invest on any circulation pumps.
         water tends to escape through the routes with low resistance, with the large pressure exerted by receiving tank, i believe water circulates within the first tank only.
         give it a thought, 
         you may need to extend/run another smaller pipe inside (above) square pipe with your circulation pump return connected to in and allow the remaining area of square pipe to allow return from the warmer tank




My 2cents...


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## Madhav (2 Aug 2017)

quick calculations....
assume standard 4' x1.5' x 1.5' tank and you want to cut the holes 4" above the base

so water volume is approximately,
48" x 18 " x 14" =12096 cubic inch = 198 L of water = ~ 200kg 
So your pump should be strong enough to overcome a minimum 200kg, if not water wont move so easily, lazier than me.


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