[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by cptclever

.................................................. ..........
.........HOB..........................HOB......... ....
.......overflow <<<<<<<< skimmer.........
.....|...................|......|................. .|............
.....|..fish-only....|......|.....reef........|...........
.....|__________|.....|__________|...........
.............\/..................^..........................
.............\/..................^.........................
..........|..\/..........|>>>|...|...eheim............
..........|..sump.....|.....|....|..canister...... ....
..........|________|.....|__|....filter........... ..
.................................................. ...........

This is intended as a learning experience and will not be permanent. .

yup and the biggest learning experience I see will be when your power goes out and then comes back on, the ehime and the skimmer will start back up but the overflow may not. this will be quite the experience of cleaning up water from the carpet

I am going to stick to my original Idea, but I will make some other suggestions, put the skimmer on the sump so it will skim the common point of water, buy a couple cheep pumps (used what ever ) mag 5's will be simple. If you insist on using the ehime then only one more pump will be needed. if tanks are empty get them drilled, if not buy two overflows and have each one return to the sump.

this will give you two independent systems working off a common sump. sure the cost is a little bit more but not much and you don't have to worry about the whole system if one part fails. in your original idea if you are out for the day/weekend and your ehime fails there is no Water to replenish the first tank so your skimmer motor will drain it down until it loses suction then burn out from running dry. also the sump could overflow from the excess water depending on its working level.

in a different scenario your skimmer pump fails and the ehime just keeps pounding the water to the first tank and then it goes onto the floor because the skimmer pump isn't sending it to the second tank.

sooo, now if you rig it independently if the skimmer fails who cares, it just doesn't skim till you fix it, if one of the pumps fail it only stops circulation in that one tank and the other tank and sump are fine ... make since?

Steve