Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Found it....

http://backyardaquaponics.com/forum/vie ... hydroponic

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Primary Producer... that's what I was trying to think of....

As such you may be able to get good pricing on the Nylex range of feed/water troughs....

If I can get some space I'll certainly be looking at them for what they cost...

Not a lot of info but check their Feed Troughs ...

I like the 4,500ltr cattle trough for a fish tank and the sheep feeders for growbeds.... the longline troughs might be a better option for your land/greenhouse

Go to page nine of the Price List for prices ...

and check out pages 3 & 4 for Trough Pictures

Primary producers can claim the GST back anyway (makes it 1/11th cheaper).

Nova

And I would imagine that stock troughs would be tax deductible for "farmers"???

I've been thinking. A Lot.

I've had a cunning idea.

I also have a reputation among my friends of getting excited about my cunning ideas and then at the conclusion of my explanation some one says "what about..." and I say "Oh".

This cause much laughter which I don't mind too much becuase it prevents me from launching out on something thats not going to work. So opionions people.

The first pic

The growbed starts empty and the opening weight opens the valve filling the grow bed.

Second pic
Once full the the small over flow fills the closing weight, valve closes, the grow bed begins to drain and so does the closing weight.

Nifty maby be but not necessarily cunning. The cunning bit follows.

You probably worked it out but the pictures in my last post are back to front.

The cunning bit is where this setup operates in series.

First Pic (I hope) 1st grow bed is full and begins to fill the opening weight in the second GB. Soon the opening weight is heavyier than the closing weight and the second GB begins to quickly fill as the 1st grow bed slowly empties.

2nd pic. 2nd bed is almost full, while the first bed has begun to empty.

As I've drawn it I don't think it will work because the opening weight in the 2nd GB will need to be above the water in order to be heavier than the closing weight.

Once all the emptying and filling rates have been adjusted then the GBs should fill in sequence. Since my fish tank if 3 times the depth of my grow beds I need 6 of them to maintain the 1:2 (FT:GB) ratio. Getting them tuned will probably take a while but theoretically each bed should fill in sequence. The length of the whole cylce would be controlled by how slowly the water exited the closing weight of the 1st grow bed.

Funny thing is now that I've done all that it might be easier, cheaper and less hassle just to put in a second tank the size of the fish tank to act as the sump. Would give me more space to place NFT gutters over I guess

And that could be where I keep the yabbies? Hmmm

Still thinking.

Stuart

how does the closeing weight re-set its self for the next use ?

Didn't draw it in but there a small hole like the barrel ponics system

Smaller the hole the longer the cycle.

Just realised that the second set of pics didn't post

ooops

I built the barrel ponics system, but found the pulley counterweight system just a little too prone to failure. Build up of algae, jamming, and plants obstructing movement became a major issue... I swapped it over to a syphon and it's been working a treat for probably close to 12 months now...

I don't understand the last picture stuart - are the beds at different heights as shown in the pic?

VB
Yep thats right. I was trying to design something, with out using solenoids, that would fill the GB's in turn. I was figuring on 6 growbeds with a 45% void in the gravel which if the GB were filled all at once would empty my FT of 90% of the water. If the GBs would fill in turn then I could get away with a smaller sump. The more I think about it the more I think that I'll do one of two things. Just get a second FT sized sump or do it with solenoids.

The first is the siplest, however the second is the more appealing because then I would have CONTROL and could do expirments!

Price might prevent that though. Someone mentioned mugging the solenoids out of a washing machine. Last I looked no one had commented on the idea.

solenoids like that require mains pressure, special LP valves would need to be used for AP

Have you checked you Les's thread on his car door actuator setup?

Stuart - if the beds are at different levels then all you need do is have the autosiphon of one feed the next.