Tank and Sump side by side?

[jcochran]

I'm looking at setting up a 20 gallon long tank for coral frags and thought I'd use another 20 long immediately behind it as a sump.refugium/etc. I like the layout because it would keep all the live rock, heater, etc. out of the main tank and out of the way of frags. Does this sound feasible? Any suggestions if I do it this way? Anyone done this before? Pictures?

Thanks,

Jeff

[pogodzib]

Anything is feasible. I like the dimensions of 20L tanks because they add more length of fish to swim and a shorter height so they are easier to get light penetration down to the corals. I am currently using one for a frag tank. Sumps can be any size you want, and the larger the better since they add water volume (and thus stability) to a system. Usually, people put their sumps in their cabinet under their tank to hide everything, but behind the tank works too if you have room between the tank and the wall. The main thing you need to consider is that you will want the sump/refugium tank's water level to be lower than the main tank so that the water will naturally drain from the main tank into the sump tank and then you pump it back to the other tank -OR- you can drill both tanks at the same height and plumb them directly together and pump the water from the sump tank back into the display tank.

[jcochran]

I may need to do some experimenting with plumbing and pumps. I would assume that two tanks, same water level, if one is pumped to the other and there is a return siphon that can sustain the same or better flow rate, they would work.

I have a 2 foot deep space to put these on, but I may rethink this to two 20L frag tanks and two 10 Gal sumps. And yes, the choice of a 20L is due to the width versus height, I'd prefer not to have to pump light into the tank just to accomodate water depth.

Thanks,

Jeff

[pogodzib]

Yes, the water will balance out between the two tanks, but because of the back pressure on the pipe from the water in the second tank, the flow between the two tanks will need to remain much smaller than if there was a difference in water height between the two tanks.

[jcochran]

Thanks, that's what I was more worried about. Looks like I'll rethink this to a sump below the tank, as usually done.

Jeff