Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi Freoboy,cheers mate, I appreciate your thoughts.

I guess this will sound a bit cras but really my wifes uncle wasn't close and my Auntie was not particularly close either, (she was close to my mum though) but 2 in a week is a bit rough and we'll miss them both.

The barra bed is about 1000 litres and the trout bed about 1000 litres as well.

I'll put the swirl filter I already have for the old barra system on soon
and just then, I finished joining up the drains and adjusting the valves for an even flow to the fish tanks and barra bed.

So I have water coming from the sump to the fish tanks and over to the barra bed. At the same time.
From the fish tanks ATM (until I get the filter modules on line) they drain into the trout grow bed then back to sump.Now the barra bed drains under the new grow beds to the drain for the IBC's then it goes to the trout bed and back to sump.All the water from the trout grow bed flows through the expanded clay (in a washing basket) in the sump. The clay is also moved by the old trout pump(draws about 30 watts).

The old trout pump I have in a washing basket with some expanded in it, in the sump, to create a moving bed bio filter, When I get the cash I need to buy a decent air pump and K1 media but for now the clay will do.

Just on the grow beds, I can see me having some hassles with insects, slimy slugs and the like and also they will involve some bending so I'll have to watch that. Other than that I think it will work.

Ha, I just got my ammonia under control, this morning and now I stirred up the clay it's shot up,Typical. Oh well the barra are not getting any food tonight either, hopefully tomorrow things would of evened out.

Cheers.

Hi Everyone,

Got drenched today moving my swirl and sump from the old tanks area, and setting them up where the old trout tank was. It's all moved now and connected to the IBC setup. I have moved all the fish over to the IBC's and been running the filtration via the old trout bed and then with the addition of the barra bed I now have about 2,000 litres of bio filtration in the grow beds.

I also have some clay balls in a washing basket with my old trout pump, plus the return line from the beds moving them for a moving bed biofilter. but I still need extra filtration so today was the day that happened. I now have my old swirl filter connected to the return lines from the grow beds, and the sump and moving bed bio filter operational.

The pipe work still needs brackets and straightening up a bit That will have to wait until later.

Cheers.

shouldent the swirl filter be in the line to the grow beds not the return line

Ah yes I see what you are saying Food &Fish,

I did think about that before but got tunnel vision today, I'll have a think about how I can adapt it.It probably won't take too much.I have everything there now.

Thanks for the correction.

I'll have a bit more of a think about it.

Cheers.

I've got it,

I'll run a tee from the inlet to the trout bed,blank of the drain to the trout bed and run the drain straight to the swirl, That way I'll get all the filtered water to the fish tanks and grow beds and have no chance of fish tanks drain water coming into the trout bed.

I'll take some pics when I've done it and show.

Cheers for that.

Whats the pie warmer for

I suppose warming pies i should have thought of that

Warm pies


Edit: FF you just beat me.

It's really really good for warming pies.

Also, If friends come over and want to bring a hot dish of food you can put it in, keeps food warm beautifully, really good for parties, esky and laundry sink for drinks Barbie for .... well, cooking fish, wheel borough for taking drunks out to the gutter.And finally chairs for , ummm falling asleep in.

I've missed something I'm sure.

Cheers.

Hi everyone,

I modified my swirl to make up this solids filter, today.Thanks to the help of Chainsaw and Crusty's posts, on HQ, thanks guys.

I still have to obtain an adapter and extend the line into the centre, but that'll do for the weekend, I reckon.

We'll see how it goes

Cheers.

You will find it will work just as good as it is. Notice you have good water flow going throgh it. Shine a bright torch in there and see the difference.

If you increase flow and it starts to come over the top of the 150, just turn the elbow on the oulet down a bit to lower the level.

You should notice the difference. You do now have it in line from the FT to the GBs Don't you

Thanks Chainsaw,

I'll check it out with the torch Ron again.

I always have had the filter in the return line, where I'm not quite correct is the return line from the fish tanks and barra bed flow into the trout bed allowing the solids going into the trout bed.

What I'll do Monday or sometime soon, is, put a tee into the inlet line and branch that into the trout bed.Cap the current drain tee going into the trout bed and just run a 90-50mm drain into the inlet to the solids filter that way I'll have the barra bed draining into the fish tank drain line and that line going into a tee and into the trout bed drain behind the barbie, then a single line going into the solids filter. Sounds a bit complicated I know, but once again, it is not, you just have to follow the lines. Sorry I don't have shots of the drains and inlets ATM, but when I finish I'll try and post some.

Once again thanks for your help, hopefully posting this will show people who are interested what can be done in the back yard.With not a lot of outlay.

Cheers.

Hi Everyone,

I changed the pipework around today.

I now have the inlet from the sump going to the trout bed, 2 fish tanks, and barra bed.
All adjusted OK I need to get some check valves and put in the line to stop the sucking of air noise from the barra bed inlet upon pump start up.And now I have the fish tanks barra bed and trout bed all draining into the solids separator.. except too well now... can't adjust the flow coming into the separator ATM The tube in the separator overflows when the drain gets a rush on...man, does it drain well!!

At least I don't have the solids going into the trout grow bed any more.

I'll have to work on that later, photo's to come, sorry, no more time today.

Cheers.

Hi everyone,

Here are some photo's showing how the water drains into the separator.

Cheers.

1st photo is that water coming in the center pipe