Help plumbing dual IBC totes

[sharpmindz]

I'm wanting to set up 2 IBC totes together, with the option of adding more totes later if needed. But I honestly have no idea how to set this up. I have a single IBC now, but it only has a drop in Aerator and one of those all in 1 submersible UV and  biofilters with a fountain.... 

 

So I'm looking for help, some knowledge on how to better set up 2 totes together to run on one system. What I need to buy, and how to do it would be awesome. But any and all info, videos, links, is appreciated. Thanks. 

[nabokovfan87]

I would look into the branded seamless sump from custom aquariums.  Essentially, setting up yours into a similar fashion to what you have (literally the same thing / material, but on a larger scale) would be what I would start with personally.

Another fantastic place to go would be cory's vlogs as well as pondguru.  He has a lot of experience setting up big systems.  I'll try to dig up some links and see what I can find.

Essentially, what makes sense to me:

Indoor setup:
-above the tank filtration using wood to support the equipment (cory's fish room) and then have one for each tote.  You can also have it flow through from one tote to the other, or allow the fish to pass through large pipes that connect the two totes.  This could lead to issues, fish getting trapped and not seen, etc. 
 

 

[gardenman]

There are all kinds of adapters that fit on the drain of IBC totes that would let you interconnect them. The easiest filter then is something like a simple box filled with biomaterial and some mechanical filtration above the totes. Pump water from one of the connected totes up into the filter box, through the filter material, then back down into the other tote. Water wants to seek its own level so as long as you kept the flow rate sane relative to the movement of water between the totes, you could filter a nearly infinite number of them using just one pump and filter box. Just have the pump at one end and the return at the other. Water comes out one end, lowering the water pressure/level in that tote which then draws water from the others and the water then gets returned at the far end. If you do an online search for "IBC Tote Outlet Adapters" you will find a wide variety of adapters to suit whatever need you have in terms of water movement. Two-inch adapters are out there letting you handle a large flow from tote to tote.  The 3/4" ones for garden hoses are more common, but larger ones exist also. The big concern would be a leak developing down low and draining both totes and you'd also want/need a screen of some sort to prevent fish moving from tote to tote.

[sharpmindz]

On 10/12/2022 at 1:16 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

I would look into the branded seamless sump from custom aquariums.  Essentially, setting up yours into a similar fashion to what you have (literally the same thing / material, but on a larger scale) would be what I would start with personally.

Another fantastic place to go would be cory's vlogs as well as pondguru.  He has a lot of experience setting up big systems.  I'll try to dig up some links and see what I can find.

Essentially, what makes sense to me:

Indoor setup:
-above the tank filtration using wood to support the equipment (cory's fish room) and then have one for each tote.  You can also have it flow through from one tote to the other, or allow the fish to pass through large pipes that connect the two totes.  This could lead to issues, fish getting trapped and not seen, etc. 
 

 

Thanks, I was up all night watching his videos, and then some other's as well. I'll likely do like he did with the 5 gallon bucket filters and a powerhead on one tote, and an fx6 canister filter on the other.  More info below.  

On 10/12/2022 at 10:42 AM, gardenman said:

There are all kinds of adapters that fit on the drain of IBC totes that would let you interconnect them. The easiest filter then is something like a simple box filled with biomaterial and some mechanical filtration above the totes. Pump water from one of the connected totes up into the filter box, through the filter material, then back down into the other tote. Water wants to seek its own level so as long as you kept the flow rate sane relative to the movement of water between the totes, you could filter a nearly infinite number of them using just one pump and filter box. Just have the pump at one end and the return at the other. Water comes out one end, lowering the water pressure/level in that tote which then draws water from the others and the water then gets returned at the far end. If you do an online search for "IBC Tote Outlet Adapters" you will find a wide variety of adapters to suit whatever need you have in terms of water movement. Two-inch adapters are out there letting you handle a large flow from tote to tote.  The 3/4" ones for garden hoses are more common, but larger ones exist also. The big concern would be a leak developing down low and draining both totes and you'd also want/need a screen of some sort to prevent fish moving from tote to tote.

Thank you. During the night I came to the conclusion I think it would be smarter to run them separately. That way if any disease, leaks, pests, or water issues happen, both tanks wouldn't necessarily be affected. 

 

Plus, Amazon prime day, plus some lightening sale had the fluval fx6 canister filter cheaper than the Fx4, and I had some Amazon gift card money that needed spending. Ended up grabbing the FX6, the fluval FX spray bar kit, some coarse pre filter sponge filters to go over the intake, and an intake extension for 100 bucks after tax/shipping. 

 

I'm only growing tilapia, they're pretty easy to keep happy. The IBC tote I already have is well cycled with good PH and all. The filter in the currently used filter (TOPWAY 660GPH 4 in 1 Submersible) it has bio balls and everything... I'm thinking I'll take some of that out and put it into the FX6 to jump start that filter...

 

I don't want to run both filters but maybe I should for a week or so to let some bacteria build up on the fx6 before removing the topway... The top way takes up more room on the bottom of the tank than I'd like, and you have to pull the entire thing up to clean it, and the fountain feature isn't tall enough to work in this "deep" of pond, which is kind of silly... it still filters OK, my tank is healthy, I just don't like the setup.