Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

next step... add the tap/hose connector

next step, add the stormwater mesh cap (these are usually placed at the inlet to stormwater/rainwater tanks to stop mosquitos from getting into the tank

and now push tightly onto bottom of length of stormwater pipe... alow silicon on joins to dry.. and cut and form your 'pockets' for your plants (which is what will be happening tomorrow some time)

I heat up polly pipe and force it over the end of the hose fitting - It JUST fits and when it cools forms a water tight fit!... In all (not including the silicon I already had), it cost just under $18 to build brand new, but a lot of this could be done with secondhand items...

Excellent work!

Good one AM - a variation on the theme would be to use 19mm sprinkler system tap connectors (or a larger size again for that matter). This would allow for quicker passing of water. Would not want it backing up.

So true... but these towers will only have a slow trickel of water, so no problems tere (I hope)

I had to dismantle the tall tower...

DoH!

Flow was too much, tower was in danger of falling over, plants looked like they were struggling ...

So .. back to the drawing board ...

I am thinking 6 inches between slots rather than 4.5, cut the slots to make a curve ....( ie. cut a diagonal rather than at 90 degree cut) so that a raised lip protudes at the front after heating and then pushing in the top half of the cut exposes a raised edge rather than a flat edge. This should hold the media in a little better.

Then I think I should use pearlite rather than gravel. OK .. it is a little more expensive, but it is very porous and very light.

What do ya think?

the problem with the perlite is that if the flow is still to high it could well float out of the system. The clay balls are still IMHO the better option. have you also thought of just putting a tap on the wate flow pipe to reduce the flow.

Thanks Nick

I can do that ... ad will reduce flow .. next time ...

The thing was so tall .. and so heavy ... it started bending ...

I also got "dry patches" where the gravel was getting no water whatsoever .. just being bypassed.

Solids started to accumulate at the top of the tower and caused it to start overflowing ...

Good experiment .. and I have a few things to do to get Mk II up and running!

Can the slit be smushed out as well a in - like the top edge gets pushed in and the bottom edge gets pulled out? I am wondering if you could do that and make enough of a round hole to just drop in a planter?

Also, do they ever put some sort of baffling inside these to get the flow to slow down and/or distribute better, like flat circular plates or something?

Wicks. A central wick may feed a tower right to the top without any pumping. - Perhaps.

A valve for flow.

With plants reaching a few weeks in the pipe a wick would easily come in contact with and supply every plant site.

It could also wick down.

Jonnie, For what it is worth, I have found that when heating the pvc to bend the top of the slit inwards I needed to make sure the corners are pushed in neatly to prevent waterflow leaking out of the sides.
The gravel I am using averages about 15mm in size, some are as big as 25mm and , so far, is working great. No blockages. The water flow I have going through is very high, like 9 or 10 litres a minute.

I have got my tower well supported to near the top with a piece of 25mm gal pipe welded to a cross foot at the bottom so it is free standing. I think in my proper system I will have a steel framework that can support a 25mm steel pipe beside each tower for support. At the moment the tower is held to the 25mm pipe by duct tape. In a permanent system I would hold it to the pipe with some hose clamps ur similar. I think !!

Just made a small tower for inside. Nice tips on the corners Murray.

That flow is high but if the plants are fine... surprise me it's great!

I need to come up with some other cool thing in hydro and see what you guys do with it. This tower thing is brilliant I'm telling everyone about your strawberries fruiting within a few weeks and they are jealous.

Here are some more pix of the strawberries.