Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

LOL... ok, just wanted to be sure I hadn't missed something that would hork up the system. I certainly would prefer to see the fish too, but I'll probably just deal with it in favor of the other issues.

Our front yard isn't very large, but the previous owners already had a level spot dugout for an inground pool that is now gone. It's about a 10 foot elevation drop from the house foundation to the hoop house site about 30 ft away. I was hoping to route my rain water down there for collection instead of just letting it run out into the yard as it does now.

I'll probably be using 3/4" granite gravel for GB media, unless something else appears on the horizon I haven't heard of yet. I know it's very heavy and would prefer hydroton, but it's probably 15 to 20 times less expensive and readily available here. I'll probably just cut a series of lengthwise slots in the pipe on the table saw rather than try to drill holes, but either task is likely to be mind numbing, I'm sure!

I cant remember if granite is OK from a pH point of view or not, but to check it, drop some rocks in some water and let sit for 3 or 4 days, then check with an API freshwater master test kit.

You definitely don't want alkaline media.

Thanks Jack, JT's thread was one of the first I read here at BYAP. VERY impressive system and attention to detail. In fact, JT's in my general area about 200-300 miles from me and I'd really love to drop in and see his setup one day. Superb workmanship!

From what I recall of other threads here, I believe it is Ph neutral, but will verfify and test it before buying 20 tons...hehe

All so give it the vinegar test just to be sure.

Another thing that just jumped in the way of my dawn addled brain is that, if you are going to link a few growbeds, it might be worth dropping you pumps into holes.

I have my pump in a 300mm tall blue barrel sump, but the pump is perhaps 130mm tall, and it sucks air down an extra 50mm or so via a water tornado if the level gets too low. The result is I can only ever use half the water in my sump. If you drop your pump into an 8 inch PVC pipe, and bury that a few inches lower than the bottom of your sump, you get to use all the water in your sumps, and thus get a little extra margin of error. For the sake of one more connection, it might be worth while.

You can also use low growbeds as sumps that drain when the high growbeds fill. This might be a good way to get some extra sun, and create some extra sump. ie by lowing your winter sun facing growbeds to near the floor so they dont block the light.

And in case you haven't thought of it, and in case it might suit your plans, you can externalise the siphon at the end of a run of grow beds by just continuing the drain pipe a little further, and mounting your siphon in a bucket. I'm not sure if there's any point, but it might be of use.

I've been awake for 26 hours, so I might be talking nonsense

Constant Flow/Flood, you get less fluctuation in water levels so you don't have to grow a bigger sump tank every time you want to expand your system or worry about all the siphons being in sync (which means you don't have to top up the sump as often). You also don't have to mess with siphons and you can use a smaller pump. The pump is always on so you don't have to worry about it not starting up like you would if you had it on a timer.

Figure 30 to 40 percent of the volume in the growbeds will be water when they are flooded. Add to this the volume in the pipes and you can figure the fluctuations in the IBC sumps based on the number of growbeds each supplies. With Flood and Drain most of this volume will wind up in the Sump if you have the power go out - with CF most of this will stay in the growbeds and pipes if the power goes off.

Some feel that Flood and Drain gives them better aeration - I'm not sure what's happening in these cases but I haven't had this issue running CF. Take a look at the BYAP Trial System thread for a comparison.

http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8621&hilit=byap%20trials

Timed Flood and Drain might use slightly less power even though it has a bigger pump usually.

[quote="MrPisky]

I found the tophat grommets, but not available in 3". Were you talking about a different application?[/quote]

Max size for TopHats I have found is 1". Really dont need larger than that for a GB drain as you have several draining at the same time. Here is one of my older systems which has 3/4" fittings draining into 90mm pipe and a external syphon on the end. So even that works fine which has a 1 1/4" standpipe for the syphon.

I run 2 siphon based flood and drain and one constant flood growbeds.

The constant flood grows salad veggies and they go nuts. The others are filled with capsicum and strawberries. The two products I spend most on. I had no joy with both of these with constant flood.

But there is definitely a place for lots and lots of constant flood growbeds. And that system trial is a must read.

So...

+1 for constant flood

Just not for strawberries and capsicum.

This gets trotted out quite often... but I've only had about two occurances in 7+ years where the pump hasn't started when the timer turned on... and both were due to blown pump capacitors... (replaced, and still going)...

Likewise I hear about timers failing etc.... but if you search through the history of the forum(s)... you wont find very many posts about either occurance... other than perhaps by siphon lovers... who've nearly all.. always run siphons...

I've actually read probably just as many posts about pumps not starting.. when they've been turning off.. then back on... in siphoned systems.. including those of a most avid siphonator....

(Actually had me wondering if the u-beaut pumps he advocates... were actually that u-beaut... after all... )

And Oregano.

Oregano doesn't like constant flood either.

There's probably a list somewhere of what does well and what doesnt.

Trying capsicum for the first time in constant flood, it seems to be doing okay. Two plants at only 20cm tall each have a healthy looking fruit on them....great, now I've gone and jinxed myself

Mine are all sweet remano peppers.

I have no idea if that matters.

Mine grew for a while then the roots rotted.

But no doubt different flow rates and pH etc etc etc come into play.

I am not a great lover of syphons. I found not so problamatic (for some they are) but does not keep the FT water as clear, syphon flow is too great and sucks all the crap back out of the GBs. I use CF on one system and TF&D on the other. I dont use a timer as I have sump pumps with float switch. Its almost idiot proof (has to be for me) when sump is full, pump is on, when its empty pump is off and may take 10 mins before sump is full again.

OK MrPisky, found some photos of THGs you may find useful.

Poly connector and TopHat Grommet


THG fitted, then repeat same on RHS. So one end goes into GB and other into the pipework.


Here is a 1" fitted to a 90mm drain.

Perhaps you've already thought about it, MrPiskey, but the lay of your setup, as far as distance from the house and elevation, is almost identical to mine. My wife told me she would gladly give up a grow bed in order to make room for a utility sink and a small work table. It was good advice. When harvesting veggies and/or fish the table and sink really come in handy... It gives us a little more storage space, cuts down the number of trips up and down the hill, and everything is clean before it goes into the house.

Enjoying the thread,
Mikey