We study a nonlinear system of differential delay equations describing a model of a chain of two chemostats, where one contains two microbial species in competition for a single limiting nutrient and receives an external input of the less advantaged competitor, which is cultivated in an external chemostat. We obtain sufficient conditions ensuring coexistence of all the species in competition which consist in upper delay bounds. (C) 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.