# Cascading rack aquariums



## jaja (Aug 19, 2002)

I purchase a used rack system which included three 30 breeders on a rack with a 20 breeder as a sump.

Each tank is drilled so that the top 30 drains into the middle 30 which drains into the lower 30 which drains into the 20 gallon sump. In the 20 gallon wet/dry is a pump which pumps back into the top 30.

The problem I'm having is that this system is almost impossible to tune. I find myself constantly adjusting the heights of the intakes and the speed of the pump just to avoid overflows. Once I finally have it all setup right, it is very noisy.

Is there anyone out there who has built or worked with such a design?


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

hmmm... What do you mean by "adjust the heights of the intakes"?


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## jaja (Aug 19, 2002)

The tanks are drilled. Into each drilled hole is a bulkhead. Stuck into the bulkhead is a PVC elbow. Stuck into the PVC elbow is a PVC pipe. I can rotate that PVC pipe to "adjust the heights of the intakes" When it is straight up, no water falls in. As it is rotated counter-clockwise, the top of the PVC pipe goes below the water line and ... voila ... the water drains.


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## iwade4fish (Jan 5, 2009)

Make the guy who sold it to you come over and tune it......


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## moneygetter1 (Jan 8, 2006)

opcorn: I'm not an expert but is the pump not sending the water back to the top tank fast enough to prevent overflow? Slowing the trickle maybe? The noise you refer to is it 'pump' noise or water flow noise?? "T"


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## dsouthworth (Sep 7, 2011)

Sounds like you have a total siphon going between the tanks. For this to work you will need to create an over flow system.


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## jaja (Aug 19, 2002)

dsouthworth, yes, I have a total siphon going between the tanks. Are you saying that each tank needs to have an overflow installed? Can you go into more detail as to why?


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## dsouthworth (Sep 7, 2011)

I'm really no expert. But here it goes!
If it's a 3/4 pipe that leads to the next tank, in a siphon this will push 660gph. Now since you have that siphon, you'll need to only put in 660gph and you'll need to get that exact or else the sump will either dry up or over flow.

however, as i'm trying this it has stopped making sense 

It seems to me that for this to work, tank one will need to have a higher water level than tank 2. and 3 will be lower than 2. here's an example.

*i'm no edpert. if somebody else could help out i'd love it*

example with my awesome paint skills.. :


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

I still cannot picture your setup, can you post a picture of the whole setup to understand the design a bit more?

The picture that Dsouthworth drew has the tanks side by side ad you said you had a rack system which would have one on top of the other right? I am now more confused than when we started...

Here is an idea, try using the the intakes straight up and using some airline tubing in it so the intake can breathe, then it should handle more GPH. If that doesnt work we definitely need pictures!


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## jaja (Aug 19, 2002)

My setup is vertical not horizontal. The rack has four shelves and there is a tank on each shelf. Each tank drains into the tank below it and the bottom tank pumps water back into the top tank.

The drain/intakes are gurgling.


```
+=======+
          ||     ||
          \/     ||
   +~__~~~~~~+   ||
   | ||      |   ||
1  | ||      |   ||
   | ||      |   ||
   +-||------+   ||
     ||          ||
     \/          ||
   +~~~~~~__~+   ||
   |      || |   ||
2  |      || |   ||
   |      || |   ||
   +------||-+   ||
          ||     ||
          \/     ||
   +~__~~~~~~+   ||
   | ||      |   ||
3  | ||      |   ||
   | ||      |   ||
   +-||------+   ||
     ||   +======+
     \/   ||
   +~~~~~~||~+
   |      || |
4  |      || |
   |    pump |
   +---------+
```


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## cantrell00 (Oct 30, 2010)

One possible solution is to run independent drains from each tank back to the sump and regulate the flow back to each tank with a common supply and valves. The valves will allow you to regulate the flow that is being delivered to each tank.

I have the same setup as you except I have 33L's and a 20 gallon sump.

The more flow you have going to each drain, the more potential noise. By running a return to each tank, you are (in theory) cutting the flow to each tank by 33% while maintaining the same amount of filtration to each tank.

Question: Does the drain from an upper tank go down through the floor and then down below the water surface of the tank below it? If it drain did NOT go below the surface of the water level of the tank below, you won't have a siphon.


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## mightyevil (Oct 23, 2008)

Ok, this is what I initially thought you had and I honestly think that this is the easiest setup.

If the intakes are gurgling, that means that they are not taking in as much water as they possibly can. Stick some airline tubing into each intake, start with a long piece for each and then as you feed it through the intake you will notice some noise reduction and faster water intake. Then just cut it so you don't have a huge piece of it hanging from the intake, it should stay put, otherwise clip it on with a paperclip or something. If this does not work, perhaps ordering some larger bulkheads and re plumbing the system would be your best bet.

In my opinion this is the best setup because it is fail safe and can be easily tuned for water movement...


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