Two tanks on one filter?

Never mind!

So I've been researching filters. I just got the idea ... is it possible to have 2 tanks on one canister filter? I have a 38 gal and a 20 gal.

 

IMO, It would be very difficult.
If you ran overflows in both tanks to a sump, then ran the canister off the sump, easier but impracticable.

 

It was just a thought ... I was thinking like the pet store setups that several tanks run off of one pump system ...

 

Canisters run using siphon overflow and a push return, next to impossible to regulate between to tanks.

 

Pet stores have a very intricate way of doing it usually when doing it that way.

You could possibly do it with a sump the way leftswerve described. You would need a return pump for each tank to control the water flow. So personally unless you hed close to as many tanks as a pet store might have, where you would have like a 100 gal sump, think the difficulties far outweigh the even possible benefits.

Issue I would see is, if you have a disease or anything in one tank, it will spread to the others.

 

Makes sense ...

 

I prefer keeping things separate in case one tank catches a disease, they don't both catch it.