Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

What is it?

If you do a search for Solids Lifting Overflow you will find your answer.

Search SLO and it will also give you heaps of answers

today I discovered that it (SLO) can become clogged with thoroughly nasty stuff, which, weirdly, fish don't like

what is it with our piscine charges? sheesh!

Where did you discover that?

SLO stands for solids lifting overflow or as some may remember the drain that used to be known as a venturi drain.

blocked with what?
get a bigger SLO. or design it better.

The screen or grate can get blocked with whatever happens to fall into the fish tank.
I apparently once had some one drop a plastic produce bag into the tank, Luckily my SLO was designed with the open T at the top so tank didn't actually overflow and I was able to fix the problem before it was a real problem.

Ya design as best you can but sometimes clogs still happen so you have to design such that you can access everything so you can clean them out when they do happen.

Yea, fair point, a snagged plastic bag would cause massive problems.
My 90mm SLO will suck up dead 15cm trout with no hassle, so i suppose i just dont see how a decent SLO would get blocked otherwise.

Generally has to do with the rate or screen people use on them and what is used has to be balanced with what is being grown in the tank. If you have fry or tiny fingerlings in a tank you want to keep out of the drain, you have to put a tighter screen on it and that will clog/foul more and need more maintenance. As the fish get bigger, I like to have a bigger grate so that I don't have to worry about cleaning it unless something strange (like the plastic bag) happens. I keep a fairly tight weave netting over my tanks most of the time to avoid things like leaves getting in and clogging drains but not everyone uses netting over their tank covers.

Checkout Rob Bob's YouTube channel for a very good video on a SLO as well as many other very useful AP devices.

-Ryan

sounds good thanks!