Connecting Canister filters to built in overflow

[mikejrice]

I wouldn't do it. By doing this, you are basically making your overflows into two sumps with the canister filters being the returns. the sump, in your case the overflows, are always the point in a system where evaporation drops the water level, and with a tank as large as 150 gallons, the water level in the relatively small overflows is going to drop fast. There can also be problems when running two overflows connected to two sumps. If return pump one is pumping faster than pump two but both overflows are set at the same height, than the stronger pump won't be getting enough water. What you could do is plumb your overflows into a single glass tank below and use the filters to pump water back to the tank.

Michael Rice
Marine Engineers Aquarium Blog
Sent from Tapatalk so excuse my poor English

[b_james]

The tank has a single corner overflow that both canister filters will draw from. Also the overflow will have an auto top off syetem installed to account for evaporation. If you plug the end of the suction line, the canister will go into negative pressure and will not have enough power to pump out water. Any water being pumped out will need either makeup water or air to account for displacement. Remember the canister is a sealed unit. The unit needs the help of syphoning to circulate. If you take the suction line out of the water, it will break the syphon and the pump will not have enough power to push the water up to the tank.. hence why we have to prime the canister if there is air in the line.

[lastlight]

Ah cool. They are sealed that does make sense. I'd tee off one bulkhead and feed both filters if possible and then have the other as an emergency overflow. You won't have a siphon exactly but you should be able to still work it like a herbie setup and have some safety too (assuming 1 drain can handle the output of both filters (if not there'd be a bit of negative pressure on the filters which might still be ok?)

[reefwars]

what would happen if say one of the canister filter lines were to break(god forbid) if my drain plumbing leaked it would land in my sump but if yor canister is hooked up to your bulkheads and you sprung a leak while at work wouldnt it dumop what ever it could onto your floor??? just curious is all

[reefwars]

then if im right and you sprung a leak(again god forbid) wouldnt your ato keep dumping frshwater into your tank causing even more headache??

[b_james]

I decided to scap the canisters and go with a sump. For ease of pluming, I picked up the Marineland Model 2 sump filter. What i like about it has 3 slide out drawers for different media. Perfect for my use, also pluming is a snap as this filter is the model designed for the Deep Dimensions 150 cube. I am looking forward to the set up, the tank bulkheads will now be directly over the sump (in case of a snall leak). The sump will contain heaters, PH probe/controller, CO2 reactor, grounding probe and auto top off and it even has a chamber for a refugium - which I was thinking of doing a freshwater fuge just for algea. Not sure yet.