Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I have approximately 14,500 l of water in my FT(pond) with 100 to 200 talipia. I need to raise the water a height of two meters up and over another horizantal 2-3 meters to eight GB's. . Water moves approximately five meters from FT to GB's.

At present I am using 3/4 inch PVC Should I use a larger size pipe?

What size pump should I buy? Is there a formula to figure this?

I pump water from FT to GB's and GB's drain back into pond.

Thank you. Johnra

Hi Johnra,
Mostly people aim to turnover the water at least once per hour. So you should be looking at a pump with a flow rate of 14,500L/h or 250l/min. Remember that the higher you pump the water, the lower the flow rate, so with a 2m head, I would aim for a pump closer to 300L/min but there are others more experienced who may have a different opinion

Work out exactly what you need and double it I say

leaves room for expansion later and you can always split excess water off to power a fountain, water feature or spray bar for increased oxygenation.

Agreed!! I have a 1000l/h pump on a 150l system, it works great

Wow. 14500 liters. That is huge!

What is the volume of your grow beds?

Hi Arbe,

I have 8 GB's Each one is 56 cm by 74 cm by 30 cm deep. I also have a temporary filter that I plan to save and use as a GB. It is 8 feet by 4 foot approximately 2 foot deep. All beds are filled with construction gravel used for mixing concret.

Perfect advice,these new low wattage pumps look good on paper but as soon as you try to pump any sort of height with them flow rates drop dramatically.

Hope these two come through.f

Dasboot, you guy's are correct, especially concerning pumps that can be purchased in the Korat area. But first I want to see what size I need. I would also like to know how to compute this myself.

That is a lot of water to turn over. Lightly stocked I would have considered turning over the volume of the growbeds 1 - 2 times per hour.

1 - 200 tilapia may mean you need more filtration and a bigger pump.

I have just bought a new pump,I have 2500 litres in the new system so I bought a 4800 per hour Rensun pump,90 watts drain but perfect I thought for turn over. After plumbing in the turn over was just over 2000 litres tper hour as the lift required from the sump to the Fish Tank is 1.7 metres.
So back to the shop and the very helpful young lady,plus the wife,we swapped it in for the next size up,the Rensun King 6 rated at 8500 litres per hour,this comes out at roughly 5000 lph so is on the money turning the tanks and the beds once an hour.

Hi Johnra,sorry for not saying hi before
I read with interest your using construction gravel, tell me more, I am using river gravel but the damm river has been in flood for nearly three months now so I can't get to the beds.
This gravel where did you source it ? I take it it is ok for PH ? The cost ? I don't need much but I still have three and half barrels to fill.

Don't get totally hung up on turning the fish tank over once an hour, with a set of growbeds the size you have, you'll never be able to run the water through the beds in an hour anyway..... Personally I'd look at something about 6-8000L/h, that would be more than enough..

Hey Dasboot,
I just ordered 3/4 inch construction gravel. One cubic costs, I think 700 baht. My wife was talking this morning about a gravel that has more small holes in it. Still construction type.
She thinks it would be better. She is going to get a price on it today or soon. My brother in law washed it for me, he loves that job, LOL, and filled the beds. See photos above. We planted some beds and all grew great so now that I have worked out, I hope, all the problems I had with my first system I am ready for a new pump. My last system was Johnra's 2012 system. I knew nothing about aquaponics when I started. I have learned a lot, but still stupid as hell. John

Thanks Johnra,if you find this new gravel,see if you can get a Thai name or something I can get the good lady to help me with.