Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

i have recieved my new 10000 lt tank and filled it with water. Im letting it sit for a while. currently a 2250 lt sump feeds 12 g beds via a 18000 lt per hr pondmate pump on a timer. I have had to place the new tank approx 20mts from the g beds. The idea is to pump from the existing sump to the new ft. The water level of the new ft is on the same level as the height of the grow beds 20 m away. The fish tank will need a pump, i was thinkinig of the next size up pondmate pump pumping approx 22 000 lt per hr. If i use a timer and sump pump runs, timer in fish tank turns on pump at the same time for 15 mins approx to g beds . What is the best way to coordinate the timers? The el cheapo manual timers go out of sinc regularly so how would i over come this and build in fail safes. Or alternatively does anyone else have an alternitive method i could adopt Im excited about getting my babies in to abigger tank and wnat to make sure i do it properly from the beggining.

Oh, your making it difficult

Your looking at a couple of hundred dollars to run some industrial timers, I have not been able to find anything below $200 to run 1 pump with variable times (ie less than 15 mins, unlimited cycles) let alone two.

Are you sure you cant raise the tank to even a little bit above the growbeds?

Or how about running two pumps....one in the sump pumping to the growbeds (as currently), and use another pump to transfer water from the sump, up to fish tank, which then drains back to sump via gravity....the big fish tank does not have to go through the growbeds.

Above is how I run my Trout tanks.

Have you seen this timer ? Might do the job.

$35 if yopu only need 15 on/offs per day and it controlls 3 X 240 outlets.
If you need more than 15 on/offs on 1 pump and only need to control two pumps plug most timed pump into two of the outlets will give you 30 on/offs per day but you will only have 15 on the second pump.
Look heavy duty and well made to me. http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll ... tsupported


I think exact same thing loo0king unit is advertised by a different company on ebay and it has 24 on/ffs.

What about a float switch for the sump tank? That will only work if the sump pump can pump faster than the pump in the fish tank but I think this is how most of the BYAP systems with more than one pump deal with things.

I don't think I would trust two separate timers to stay in sync and it sounds like things are too far apart to plug both pumps directly into the same timer unit without running extension cords.

However, if there is any way possible to raise that fish tank up just a little higher so that you can do CHIFT PIST and have the tank overflow to the grow beds, I think you would be happier.

If not, then I suppose the fish tank overflowing to the sump will just have to do. If your pump is strong enough, then you might be able to do it with only one pump so long as there is enough flow to turn over the fish tank while still flooding the grow beds. Otherwise a second pump in that same sump tank may do. There is some drawback to having the fish tank overflow into the sump tank but there are systems out there that do it. They sometimes just require some extra sump or pump cleaning. You might think about installing an extra filter, swirl filter, or growbed between the new fish tank and the sump thereby taking care of most problems that are likely from draining the fish tank directly to the sump. However, you may then need to clean the extra filter regularly.

$15 each for Arlec (or similar) digital timers, 20 on/offs buy as many as you need, I have 3, 2 of which have worked for 2 years almost and are running up to 500wts with no problems, 2 year memory if unplugged,

Agree with TCL... don't see the need, and see plenty of hassle... in trying to co-ordinate a timer/pump in the sump with that in the fish tank...

Just activate the sump pump by float... as in the BYAP systems...