Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

This is my first build, everything but the fittings and the pump are up-cycled materials

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Pump should be here tomorrow, have had water in tanks 2 days now and no leaks so far.
Where can I find info on what water test levels should be at to start?
How many pounds of fish can I put in my little 150gal system?

You had an extra (IMG) on each file, it was messing it up.

Looks like a great start! Looking forward to seeing more of it.

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too early to be talking fish, BUT the oft' claimed rule-of-thumb is a fush per 25-30L of media.. don't rush the fish.. get the cycle working

I am assuming the tank on it's side is the fush tank..

It is likely a good shape as the solids will fall to the center and if well designed, flush to the drain..

One issue that I see, is that you don't have a solids lift, so I would be thinking how you can drain from the bottom, and again I assume the inflow is the long pipe going to the other end = creating a good flush for solids.. back down the bottom
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uuuuuuggggghhhhhh,
you're right...... back to the drawing board...

So your pumoing from the sump up to the grow beds and the fish tank, then letting the fish tank drain back to the sump carrying solids from the fish tank,then you pump them back up in a macerated form back into the fish tank,where they pick up more solids return to the fish tank and so on and so,only fifty percent of the water is getting filtered at any one time.
You look like your running syphons by the size of your media guards,i may be wrong,but will that sump cope with all the grow beds dumping at the same time ?
How come you placed your fish tank so high ? at that height you could have drained straight from the bottom of the tank into the beds then into the sump,full filtration,or reduces the head height,pump up to the fish tank,slo then into the grow beds,into the sump.
Just me but the fish tank would have maybe 200/250 head height over the grow beds,run constant flow,you have more room in your grow beds without those huge media guards,drain to sump,pump back up to fish tank,turn over once per hour with a nice small economical pump.When this is over flowing with beautiful veg,time to get bigger....

First of I am sure of a couple different systems, sump is temporary, will soon have a swirl filter of sorts, didnt want to deal with a timer for constant drain. ( just more to break at the most inopportune moment ) still looking for free stuff to up cycle... heavier sump tank, swirl or more likely a radial flow, I like to tinker, add ons and mods are just my bag....


here is the latest improvement.... thank you BuiDoi

Ahhh HECK.....
Moving the SLO to empty into the beds....
Should I leave the 3/4" feed thats there and just reduce from the 1" SLO pipe? OR take the 1" from the SLO and carry it to the beds to keep the siphon unrestricted? HMMMMM (think I just answered my own question)
The pump is supposed to be adjustable, I can put a ball valve to the FT and one to the GB to adjust the flow to each...
Any ideas from anyone?
I have a 400 gph pump coming from EBay that can be adjusted at the intake, have to finish building the auto siphons and I guess get it all timed and then the media, redoing the sump a little, have a smaller tote to set inside the sump for the pump to keep most of the solids out, will post pic later.

Any thoughts from anyone?


Timmy "TwoPops"