Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Get much done today Col?

Yes, but had to go to a Bday party before I got the chance to upload and post the photo's





Water inlet distributor.




Water outlet.




All plumbed up.







Rest of the garden is doing the usual slow growing winter thing. Have been hitting as low as 8 degree water temps so far.



Progress has been slow due to terrible weather.

Awesome work as usual OBO

What you only moved 12 cubic metres of rock and plumbed in a dozen IBC's? What did you do for the rest of the day? Oh went to a party..

I think I would have settled for a lay down..

More good work OBO is that homebrew or coopers in the IBC

Knowing Col it would be a coopers pale ale. Hey do you leave the bottoms off your IBC framework?

Yes I do, saves a little bit of head height. Coopers!

And as usual, I have started a new section of growbeds up, and left town for a week lol. Up at Mt Keith for a shutdown.

Hey OBO, When plumbing the returns from the GBs why have all those fittings, creating a branch into one T piece? Add up the cost of all those fittings and compare it to running each GB to individual T pieces in the return line.

Used to be a good camp that ! At least it was in 1998

Works out pretty close, I was aiming to get the least connections into the 90mm as possible, they are the ones that always leak.

1 x Bed per entry - 90mm Junction $2.50
2 x 50mm DWV 45 deg elbows $4.00
1 x 50 - 90 mm adapter $4.00
Cost for 12 beds = $126

2 x Bed per entry - 90mm Junction $2.50
6 x 50mm DWV 45 deg elbows $12.00
1 x 50mm Junction $7.50
1 x 50 - 90 mm adapter $4.00
Cost for 12 beds = $156

I will probably do the rest of the beds as 1 bed per entry - I just wanted to try this and see how it went - the main problem is with the 2 beds connected together, there is very little flexibility in the pipework, makes it hard to connect up.

What about uniseals?

Im pretty sure that 50mm uniseals are expensive as well - and not easily available to me either. Also need the fittings to be pretty strong, because they all get buried.

50mm I think are around $7 according to this list I got last month.

Mr. OBO you truly are an inspiration.

Mate, I have switched to using "Uniseals" and IMO a lot easier and cheaper. The thing is when you plumb up 1-2 GBs it doesn't cost that much. But when you start doing say 24 at a time it all adds up. I think I cant post pdf. files here but my email address is
cheyne@bigpond.net.au (dont like pm's) anyone send me an email and I will reply with "Fitting Instructions" "Uniseal Sizes" "Price List" attached to the price list is the Brisbane supplier who sends out in post bags, excellent service and postage reasonable (even to WA).
The only thing I say is when they state chamfering the pipe end to fit into the Uniseal I like to use an Angle Grinder (with a thin cutoff blade fitted) and put a series of cuts around the edge (say 15 x 15) and slightly bend in the tabs.. Make sure to use dishwasher liquid to lubricate (and NOTHING else). Uniseals can withstand pressure up to 60 psi.
Hope this helps not only you OBO. Regards Rod.