Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

My new system will use ibc's and have one as sump one as fish tank and 4 halves for grow beds. So 2000L of growbeds and 1000L sump, and I dont think the sump will be big enough. What do you all think.
Options are:
1. put 3 beds on timed flood and drain with the laguna 9000 pump, and one bed on constant flood (wont affect the sump level) and also a strawberry tube on a smaller second pump.
2. just a couple of autosiphon beds and a couple of constant flood on the one pump

what do ya all reckon??????????????

50% should be ok for a sump size, just be vigilant with your top ups. or you could go a indexing valve from rupe (probs the closest dealer to you). ifact indexing valve would be best option i rekon

I'd go the constant flood. The way ours have been working here on constant flood things seem pretty good..

I like indexing valves

Another thing to go wrong......

Yeah I was about to post that but I did ask for options

Yep Run 1 or 2 on CF and the rest on TFD

you could also alternate which does what on 12h cycles

really funky things up a bit

Yeah, like running two pumps lol

Seriously, an indexing valve failure means that only 1 group of beds gets water instead of the whole lot...not a big problem usually.

A sump pump failure means you loose the lot. My indexing valves have been more reliable than some of my pumps.

Not if you set it up right, you lose nothing..

Pumps can suck sometimes... We had the siphon on our trial system stop working the other day.

Hey,

i'm writing my degree on aquaponics and i've stumbled upon a research in hydroponics about constant versus flood and drain flow regarding growth rates and nutrient availability. And they figured out that constant flow gives out better results. More pumps, valves etc. means more things can go wrong as said.

And i strongly suggest you max out your sump or your FT tank, i would go at least 2:1 if not 3:1 (FT:GB), gives you far more stable temperatures and a healthier system overall.

Good luck!

Constant flood is the go. I have been running timed constant flood with timer draining one IBC full, one to half level and CF for the 3 out of 4 of the barrels (mucking around aftr seeing the BYAP trials) Doesn't effect the sump level(1000ltr IBC sump) as much 200ltrs??...now what could you do with a constant full sump?

Constant flood is still winning in the BYAP trials?

My sump is too small on my barrel system and I run five GBs as F&D with the others as constant flood. Its working really well is all I can say.

Thanks for all the replies guys and I reckon I will go with my first option with 1or 2 cf and the others timed flood and drain. I have the pumps so thats not a problem

Cheers

How about Flood and Drain (to 10 cm of the GB)?