Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi guys,

My name is Louis, I have a system my mother bought from some "aquaponics genius" from around here, and got ripped off. Unfortunately my mother passed away not long after buying it and we never got it set up, well I finally got around to setting it all up. Im just confused on a few things, and how it works.. I know that the water gets pumped up from the tank into something(pix attached, whats it for?), then into the table. I cant figure out how to make sure it drains back down into the tank. I could use all the help in the world, I would like to get this thing going with no problems!!! Thanks in advance

Welcome to the forum Louis and sorry to hear about your mother passing away.

I don't know what the intent of the builder was but the standpipe in the grow bed usually has a media guard around it. Normally the pump would be in the fish tank and the water would go up through the grow bed and then drain back into the fish tank through the standpipe. The standpipe can then be lower that the level of the media in the grow bed so you'd have to trim it. I've haven't figured out what the box is about but it might be some additional filtration. A picture showing the entire top of that setup might help. Until that's figured I'd hold off on doing any cutting, just in case.

Yeah, I think the box is for filtration so they've just added in some filtration before the grow bed. Looks like the pump sends water to that (it's probably a Radial Flow Filter) and then this drains into the grow bed. From there the water should go into the standpipe and back to the tank. You need to add a media guard around the standpipe and shorten the standpipe to the proper water level which will leave the water within an inch or two of the surface (the surface itself should not be damp). With the lower standpipe it should drain back into the fish tank the way you want.

Still need some more pictures of the filter - and is the elbow glued or can it point the pipe upward?

Ok im sure i can make some kind of media guard, shouldnt be to hard. SO have the standpipe as high as i want the water correct? I have an air pump outside the tank attached to the thing inside the tank which then sucks the water up and into the "extra filter" and then back into my bed and tank....Do i continually run my pump for the water? How much water do I actually add to the whole thing? when its running, will i have to add water anywhere? I have a pic of the inside of the filter, thats where that elbow going down is you see( i think) , Its not glued, should i turn it upward? Thank you very much!

Hi Louis and welcome.

Good thing is that AP has many variants so it is not essential to build it exactly same for it to work.

Best bet may to be to have a quick look at the IBC of Aquaponics (link at the top right of this page in the menu).
The video particularly shows you how to set up a simple system, including the standpipe etc that Scotty mentions.
Any system can be set up along the same lines and as you get experience (and addicted) you can advance things any way you wish with very simple re-structuring. You have all the main components.

another good background document is the FAO intro to small-scale aquaponics.
this has a bit more technical information.
http://www.fao.org/3/a-i4021e/index.html (you can grab the PDF from there)

from the pics you have the basics (fish tank and grow bed with media). To start out as a beginner system you can simply pump from the fish tank straight up to the grow bed like the IBCAauaponics does and have a standpipe to drain back down just like that example does.

and beyond that we are always here for your questions.

Best wishes with you endeavor.

I can honestly say this is one of the more unusual setups I've seen and I don't think it's going to be quite like any others here. You mentioned that it sucks the water up but it could be an airlift setup.



You can run it continually or set it on a timer depending on how much water it pumps. Pump the volume of the fish tank at least once each hour (this is a guideline that we know works but less sometimes works if you can't manage it). Air pumps can be pretty noisy so you may want to isolate it somehow.



Yes this is correct but look in the IBC of Aquaponics as Darren suggested so you'll get a better idea of the setup and how the media guards are done. Don't glue the standpipe in since there are times that you may want to raise or lower the water level and you'd need to put a different length one in.



Fill the fish tank and you'll probably have to keep adding water to other parts of the system until the filter overflows to the grow bed and the grow bed overflows back to the fish tank.

I'm not sure of the intended direction of the elbow but usually they point up in an RFF filter - I'm just not certain that's what this is and there isn't much room for the water to go upward so I'd leave it for now. I think this filter is for solids so if it's not doing it's job or there is some flow problem then we might have to look at it again.

Anyone else see something I missed?

Hi Loummar,

interesting "thing" you have there you might want to consider doing some alterations once you understand how it's supposed to work.

1/ the stand pipe should be about 2" lower than the surface of the media.

2/ the stand pipe should have a media guard with about 1/2" clearance all the way around the stand pipe that exceeds the height of the media by at least an inch. Cut slits in the media guard as opposed to drilling holes.

3/If the system has a timer the stand pipe should have a 1/4" hole 2" up from the bottom of the grow bed so the water can drain out before the pump starts filling again.

4/ the pipe from the pump to the filter (I reckon it could be a solids baffle filter like a septic tank) should go under the grow bed to free up planting on the surface.

5/ Change the pump to an electric pond pump that will pump the volume of the GB in 15 min.

6/ the bed looks quite shallow may be 8" minus an 1 1/2 " to the clay balls so it would be better to fill with media all the way to the top.

Pete.

if the pump is a problem it may be easier to get a new one - you can pick up a reasonable low wattage pond pump on Amazon etc for around US$50-$100 that would be fine. Easier than your time being spent messing around.

you would be OK with a 600GPH pump for that sized system (resist temptation to go too big - best to size to suit).

Thank you everybody for all the replies.... Im not sure if the pump is a problem, Ive posted more pictures. The air pump connects to the barb on the pump in the tank....The other hole is for the PVC. Would I be better off going with something else? Ive looked at ponds pumps and doesnt look like any of them can pump solids through, would that be a problem? I think you are right when you say the filter is for solids, I also posted a picture of the bottom of it to show the drain. I would love to do any alterations that get this thing running right, and easier without any problems lol Thanks again guys

Wow, what a gizmo, that looks like a flapper valve inside the base of that water pump . You get points having this beast Louis - may have to build a shrine for it . It's actually a very interesting idea - I wonder if they figured a way to fluctuate the pressure inside using the flapper, water pressure and air pressure . Don't do it but I'd love to see the insides of this or even hear it just to figure out how it's working.

FWIW If we can get it going, it should be cheaper to operate than a regular pump so don't be too eager to switch.

They do make pond pumps that can handle some solids.

I think as a slug of water goes up the tube the flapper opens and lets in more, then closes while the air repressurizes the container to pump more water up the tube. Maybe once the air hits the bottom of the tube in the container it relieves the pressure by shooting up the tube as well. Pure guesswork on my part though.

The air probably comes in at the top of the container or maybe it's released and bubbles up to the top. The PVC pipe probably extends to the bottom so as the air pressure increases the water is forced up the tube. The flapper would prevent the release of pressure until air hits the bottom of the PVC pipe and releases the pressure. When that happens the flapper opens and lets more water in and the process starts over.

A two in one unit Scotty? Aerator & water pump.
But how does the air get out of the chamber to accept more water?

Pete.

I think some of the air is supposed to escape up the water tube at the end of each cycle, releasing the air pressure, then because the water pressure is now greater what's left of the air occupies a smaller volume.

On a slightly related side note - check this out

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/2014/09/underwater-compressed-air-storage-fantasy-or-reality.html

few dollars in exchange for hours of mucking around with the unknown....
still may be best to simply go KISS and eliminate anything that is complicated.

Can then send the unit to Scotty for full diagnosis and addition to his AP curios museum.

Think you just described a hybrid geyser pump scotty. The later ones had a bottom valve and from memory Thorn built a really miniature one.

I'll take a look Sleepe, maybe I can find that

Edit: I found the thread and that does look like it could be a version of a geyser pump. http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2192

Here's a video that explains it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQqz8yR7sF8

I guess the bed would need to be constant flood as the surges of water may not be fast enough to activate a siphon or keep up with a drain hole in a stand pipe and as the's no mention of a timer.

If there was a timer maybe the flappy thingy is a non-return valve for the water.

Pete.