Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Yep - been all through those scenarios, problem only crops up when you want to keep adding GBs, I've tried synching my 2 GBs 180 degrees out of phase but they just won't stay there - add more and it becomes even harder, I'm gonna give the valves a go on a slow scale and spread the cost out (that's after I've got the green house up)

Do these valves run off electricity Ell?

Yeh - but you got a choice of voltages from 12V to 240 ac/dc, then you need one of Steve's "Smart Relays" to tell them when to turn on and off (via another relay) and so it goes.

Working on getting some info to put up so people can work out whether it is a viable option for their own particular setup.

Steve's SR costs $155+GST, I think it can be programmed from the provided display rather than connecting to a pc, especially as I only want to sense water level then energise an actuator or solenoid

I think it is great that people are looking into this stuff - but personally I'd like to keep it all as simple as possible. The only sensor I may use in my system will be a thermostat to decide when to kick in solar heating.

VB regarding your thermostat, i'd atleast hook up with a very cheap temp controller. I sold a heap on ebay for $50.

There is a little trick you can do with thermocouples, wire two of them together in series, but OPPOSED.

The temp display / controller will then read the DIFFERENCE between the two.

What you then do is type in the differential temp you want the small pump to circulate water through the solar heating panel, for example 5C.

When the panel is 5C or more above the tank temp it will circulate water through it. when less than 5C or when the tank is actually warmer than the panel it won't circulate.

I might also post this under the automation section.

Steve

Hi Asitis,
You're struggling with the same things I am! Check this thread: http://backyardaquaponics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=757
I really like the idea of a sump to handle the fluctuation, but I don't have room for it in my sunroom (and am not cutting a hole in the floor to sink it!). I haven't worked with Sol valves before, and they sound complicated to me, so I am going with multiple small pumps on multiple small timers to get the beds to stagger when they fill. My tank will have capacity of 150gal/570 liters with 3 beds at 50gal/190liters each. If I stagger right, my tank will only fluctuate by about 25gal/95 liters.

--Janet.

Thankyou all! I was starting to get it all, then WHAM! EKB reminds me of MF's system (looked at it the other day, must study further) and everyone else brings up the option of automation (I'm as stupid as they come, i.e. struggle to dress myself in the morning let alone tinker with this stuff) although I see the definite value in this , I wouldn't know where to start.

(F&F, monya Murray) Thankyou to those that have given me there fish tank size, grow bed size, and water to fill grow bed, this has given me an approximate volume required for my planned system (my estimates were only 150% ).

MF's system design would definitly add life to my pump and also another space to house fish (if I have various sizes or different competeing species of fish)

VB: What F/tank and GB volume do you have that would require a 1000L Sump???

Thankyou all again! Once again my eyes were closed to the possabilties.

Hey if there are 12 grow beds you could autosyphon 6 into 6 so that you would have half the water out at once

Les, i've got that samrt relay file done for you. i worked on a two bed flood and drain cycle.

You need to manually prime the first bed until it syphons, then she's off.

When bed 1 starts to syphon the solenoid for bed 2 comes on and stays on until it begins to syphon, at which point it turns off and the solenoid to bed 1 opens. When bed two begins to syphon its solenoid turns off, and bed 1solenoid opens.................... and you still have 4 inputs, two outputs and 125 function blocks to spare I'll try and upload it to the download section.

Download the free software, open my file and click on the "start" button to run a simulation. then clickmon each of the inputs as they would come on in real life to see what happens to the outputs.

I worked on the assumption that they would drain faster than they would fill, enabling you to use as low a wattage pump as possible.

Way ahead of ya - downloaded the software the other day, will now see how good a programmer you are

Oh!, thanks for doing it also

Les

Great Idea! Down side I would have to dig another terrace to the green house in clay, in summer (better than digging rocks though VB ). Trying to get a mini escavator off a family friend then this is an option.

Just to anyone that is thinking of using the 240V 10A relay outputs of the smart relays..............IMO DONT!

Well you can if you want, but be aware that the MTBF quoted in the specs is 25,000 cycles. Far better to put a $12 dinrail relay to the out put of it.

That way if the external relay ever dies you just plug in a new one. If the relay in the smart relay dies you're sort of stuffed!

Its common practice to do it this way.
Steve

That figure is based on having 4 of Murrays grow-beds running, each of which take about 200 litres on the flood cycle. Nedd to cater for 800 litres therefore on those occasions where all feds are full at the same time. Also want some buffer to cater for evap and transpiration and to allow the pump to operate. Having two of the beds gravity feeding into 2 others as suggested by damian is an option, but I'd prefer not to go that way as I am going to have DWC between the beds and the sump and the drop will be at a premium.

vb, working on an alternative, I am going to be using gravity feed (aka MF) and have the same problem if connecting multiple GBs so trying to devise a simple and cheap method to only require to hold the capacity of 1 GB in reserve.

May not be successful but see how it goes

Been watching what you are saying regarding the flaps with interest Ell. I am still interested in trying to avoid the electonic stuff, but will see how it goes