Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Damn.. that's a bloody Torana...

ouch, it hurts when you put it like that

.... sorry...

Can we get a definition/translation for the Americans please?

I Googled it, and still don't get it.

A Torana... is a classic car.. like the one in Marc's avatar... that he sold to build his aquaponics system...

Then I agree...



Sorry Marc

Thanks Mr Bill but enough of the Torana (LJ GTR XU1 in candy apple red by the way ). Had a heart stopping moment a few weeks ago. Tucked up in the cot on a cold wet wintry (well September) day I noticed that the bedroom clock was off. Damn I though, the power is off again. I went through to the kitchen and noticed that the microwave clock was working. I tested a few lights and they worked. Ahh I though the earth leakage switch has tripped. Easy fixed. So off to the meter box and re-set it. Off it pops. Damn, now I had better go find out what it is. We have 4 separate circuits with an RCD on each of them it so we don't loose power to the whole house if something goes wrong. With power in my green house, water pumps for the house supply and the shed and workshop it makes sense to have all the areas covered. When the power was connected to the green house I had the power circuit for part of the house included in that loop so if it tripped I would know. With the fish in there it makes even better sense.

Anyhow I should point out it is 3am and pissing down with rain. Off I go to see the fish (which were fine). Well the backup system was off as it had run out of power (it has to run 2 pumps and the air). The battery was not fully charged as the day before the power had gone off during the day for some time.

After about 30 minutes of trying to isolate what was wrong I worked out it was the Grunfos transfer pump from my "sump" to the main tank. I still could not run the system, because without the transfer pump there was no way to get the water from the sump back to the main tank. Another 30 mins later I had jury rigged the 12v backup pump to run off the battery charger. So it was all good. Well I still had to fix the transfer pump as I could not leave it running like this while I was at work.

So I pulled the transfer pump out to replace with my spare pump (at moment like this you really appreciate having spare pumps). All this by torch light in the middle of the night while it is raining. When I took the clamp off the float switch I found out the problem. With the constant movement of the cord the metal clamp had worn through the insulation and shorted, tripping the RCD.




Apologies for the dodgy photos but they were taken in the dark in the early hours of the morning

The new pump went in with plenty of tape around the clamp and all is good. By this time it is 5.30 and time to get ready for work.

So having a backup system saved the fish (again) and having a backup pump allowed me to be up and running in time for work. The only thing lost was sleep.

You can always make this morning's coffee with Red Bull instead of using water. By gol, that'll get you going.

Yep, having all the spare parts on hand is a good thing.

I never liked to have to depend on a transfer pump for a system design and float switches are notoriously dodgy items. Good job getting it all sorted out and up/running again in time for work!!!!!!


Last spring I had a whole tank of fish killed off because an outdoor outlet cover was left flipped open and there was a huge rain storm that tripped the CGFI switch on that system. I really need to get the air pump for that fish tank onto a separate circuit and get a battery backup set up for the air pumps (I've just been out of money for that with the new farm and haven't invested in new batteries yet.) Living dangerously!!!!!

I'll give that a go Mr Bill 'cos I'm always in need of something to get me going

Totally agree TC. This transfer pump has failed twice. The backup 12v transfer pumps are fine (so far) but the float valves are a pain and keep sticking. So many points of failure.
At the end of the trout season I will be replacing the sump tank with my new (2nd hand) 3000l tank. I will have 2 tanks and 2 pumps see http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=16454&hilit=+7000l for what I am proposing to do. That way I get rid of a few more points of failure in particular the transfer pump and backup pumps and float switches etc.

Good deal, as much simplification and redundancy as you can work in is always a good thing.

I though I would post an update as everything is tonking along nicely. Its been a great season for vegies. I have just harvested just under 4kg of capsicums. This will be the last of them and I have cut back the plants, pulled out those going into their third year and replaced them with new ones.
Timer died on one of the pumps so ammonia was up to 1ppm this morning. Ran the system all day and things are now back to normal. Things other than the weather that is. It is frigging cold and wet. Water is sitting at 12C and falling.

This is some of the kale with some silverbeet poking its head up in the background, oh an a bit of parsley. At the far back there is a sad birds eye chile plant that needs harvesting and cutting back. It got a bit too cold for it this season and it dropped its leaves but is back on its feet and shooting everywhere.


And some more kale, silverbeet, beetroots and coriander


and yet more kale, deer tongue lettuce, parsley, and one of the just harvested capsicum plants just prior to being cut back

Your veggies look fantastic

Thanks and they taste fantastic as well.
I should have said that there are red and green cabbages in the last photo.