Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

After 1 year we are finding the barrel system is a little bit small for the amount of veggies we want and is also more productive than our soil garden. I am looking at doing an IBC in my bamboo shade house where the dirt garden used to be.

My idea is IBC with 40 or 50 mm SLO flowing to a swirl filter than into 4 half barrels using siphons. The barrels will then drain into a 100 mm pipe and empty into a blue barrel and pump back to the tank.

Does this seem like it will work or do you think the barrel is to small for a sump.

Thinking of about 20 tilapia in tank

I would like to eventually add more grow beds or maybe tubes.

All comments suggestions are appreciated.

looks ok to me Markz.

However it would probably work better with more media / growbeds.

you have about 400L of media, maybe 300 wet? for 20 fish you want at least 400L of wet media

IMO one big GB will be easier to manage than 4 small ones.

Thanks For the info Slowboat , I was thinking about making one large growbed out of wood but am worried about termites and have also had a hard time trying to source liner here.

Barrels are plentiful and reasonably priced here in metro Manila.Maybe I will rethink this and try to look again for liner or add more barrels as another option.

Best of luck on the buid. You might cover your cost with the savings of only having to buy plumbing for one bed.

I have the same system, yes it works. however, have the sump as close to the fish tank as possible to compensate for friction losses and head losses etc. I have 1 IBC grow bed, 6 half barrels and 4X50 litre plastic archive boxes. 50mm return line to the sump.

Thank you for the replies !

I will move the sump to the other side closer to the tank.