All times are UTC + 8 hours




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 10 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: Howdy from Texas
PostPosted: Aug 15th, '09, 04:20 

Joined: Aug 14th, '09, 13:01
Posts: 6
Gender: Male
Location: Texas Gulf Coast
Howdy everyone. I'm new to AP and just setup my first system. I reside in the Texas gulf coast area, so I believe I live in the perfect climate for a year round outdoor AP system.

The system i have now is an ebb and flow system with a quick ebb and slow flow. It is built around 3 x 13 gallon food grade water barrels, as they are what I had on hand. I think I spent a total of $20 building it since most everything was recycled. My next system will use 30 gallon barrels for grow beds and a 300 gallon IBC tank for the fish.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
    Advertisement
 
 Post subject: Re: Howdy from Texas
PostPosted: Aug 15th, '09, 04:49 
Seriously, this cant be healthy.
Seriously, this cant be healthy.
User avatar

Joined: Dec 6th, '07, 01:13
Posts: 10709
Images: 0
Location: central FL
Gender: Female
Are you human?: YES at least mostly
Location: USA, Florida, Yalaha
Hay there and welcome :cheers:


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Howdy from Texas
PostPosted: Aug 15th, '09, 06:04 
In need of a life
In need of a life
User avatar

Joined: Dec 9th, '08, 03:23
Posts: 1514
Location: Wilmington, North Carolina
Gender: Male
Are you human?: yes
Location: USA, Wilmington, NC
Welcome to the madness.....

looking forward to pics and diagrams of your system

jT


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Howdy from Texas
PostPosted: Aug 15th, '09, 07:35 
Newbie
Newbie

Joined: Sep 21st, '06, 18:40
Posts: 44
Location: Lower Hunter Valley, NSW
Gender: Male
G'day Mate,
Welcome from 'Downunder"
......Bid...


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Howdy from Texas
PostPosted: Aug 15th, '09, 08:04 

Joined: Aug 14th, '09, 13:01
Posts: 6
Gender: Male
Location: Texas Gulf Coast
Attached is a very simple diagram of the system I came up with. The fish tank is at the bottom with a sump pump pushing water up through the green pipe to a reservoir tank. The red pipe coming out of the reservior tank siphons the water to field lines on the grow bed. The grow bed has a single drain pipe that allows the water to slowly fall back into the fish tank. Since the grow bed fills quickly but empties slowly, I'm calling it a quick ebb and slow flow system.


Attachments:
simple diagram.jpg
simple diagram.jpg [ 12.86 KiB | Viewed 2780 times ]
Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Howdy from Texas
PostPosted: Aug 15th, '09, 08:08 
Seriously, this cant be healthy.
Seriously, this cant be healthy.
User avatar

Joined: Dec 6th, '07, 01:13
Posts: 10709
Images: 0
Location: central FL
Gender: Female
Are you human?: YES at least mostly
Location: USA, Florida, Yalaha
That works. So long as you flood and drain, the bacteria and plant roots get good aeration :wink:


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Howdy from Texas
PostPosted: Aug 17th, '09, 01:49 

Joined: Aug 14th, '09, 13:01
Posts: 6
Gender: Male
Location: Texas Gulf Coast
Well, think I have my system read for some grow media and some fish. The ebb and flow cycle takes about 10 minutes, with the water in the grow bed going from about an inch deep, up to 6 inches deep and back down.I'm thinking of adding a field line in the middle to help remove any "wet" spots due to the drain being at one end. The fish tank varies by about4 inches during the cycle, so I think that's acceptable.


Attachments:
File comment: Aeration waterfall
Water-fall.jpg
Water-fall.jpg [ 44.48 KiB | Viewed 2732 times ]
File comment: Another view
system-end.jpg
system-end.jpg [ 36.55 KiB | Viewed 2729 times ]
File comment: My test system
system.jpg
system.jpg [ 62.9 KiB | Viewed 2730 times ]
Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Howdy from Texas
PostPosted: Aug 17th, '09, 01:51 

Joined: Aug 14th, '09, 13:01
Posts: 6
Gender: Male
Location: Texas Gulf Coast
A couple more images for your viewing pleasure.

This was built around the KISS philosophy (Keep It Simple Stupid). I had a hard time introducing air into the siphon to break it. It kept letting in just enough air so the flow rate down to the bed was the same as the flow rate coming from the pump. Fixed the problem by drilling a pair of 1/4 inch holes near the end of the siphon tube.

Attachment:
File comment: The grow bed
Grow_bed.jpg
Grow_bed.jpg [ 62.06 KiB | Viewed 2723 times ]
Attachment:
File comment: Looking down the drain
Drain.jpg
Drain.jpg [ 19.17 KiB | Viewed 2725 times ]


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Howdy from Texas
PostPosted: Aug 17th, '09, 22:20 
Legend Member
Legend Member

Joined: Feb 8th, '07, 11:18
Posts: 975
Location: Buckhead, The City of Atlanta, The State of Georgia, The Republic of the United States of America
Gender: Male
Are you human?: Yes
Location: United States
I really like your oxygenation ladder. If you can figure out how to make them swirl in a figure-8 you should be close to max DO for your temperature.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Howdy from Texas
PostPosted: Aug 17th, '09, 23:17 

Joined: Aug 14th, '09, 13:01
Posts: 6
Gender: Male
Location: Texas Gulf Coast
It doesn't do the large figure 8 like the cast blocks I've seen posted here, but it does hold turbulence between the water leaving a pad and water coming onto the pad. It could be better with what is already there. Don't know how to do a figure 8 as cheap.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 10 posts ] 

All times are UTC + 8 hours


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  

Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
Portal by phpBB3 Portal © phpBB Türkiye
[ Time : 0.036s | 15 Queries | GZIP : Off ]