Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I drew this without a filter would it work with the sump and FT on about the same level?

How are you getting the water to the header which is at the top of the towers?

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The SLO would need to go to the sump, not to the line out of the pump - set up like that it'll just backflow into the FT and overflow everything. Otherwise, yes it would work, but you will need the filter otherwise your DWC will be full of fish poo. You will need to keep a close eye on roots etc in your DWC and make sure they don't block the pump inlet.

(Silverbullet, there's a little box for the pump drawn in there between the FT and sump)

Silver bullet?

I drew that before I fully understood what you had told me. I've thought it and studied the material more and I've changed it to a more simple system. It will be going from an IBC through a SLO to a filter system made out of 5 gal buckets, probably 3. Then it will drain into the DWC/Sump. From there I'll pump it up, half to the GB and half to the header system. Which will also drain into the grow bed then back into the FT. The pump I plan to use is one from last summer we had on our pool. It has a built in sand filter. Do you think I should use the sand or will it remove to much nutrients from the water?

Revised design will follow.

I don't have experience with sand filters so I'm not 100% sure there, but I think if you're sure it can handle fish poo without clogging up it'll be fine. Is it the sort where the sand is 'fluidised' (churning and moving around) and you don't need to take it out and replace it? Because that sort won't take any nutrients out at all, it all gets processed in place and the nutrients are returned to the water. If it's the sort that's not designed to handle lumps and you need to change the sand, you'll have to be careful it doesn't clog up, but it still shouldn't take out much in the way of nutrients. According to some stuff I've read on this forum (but haven't looked up to check for myself), most of the ammonia produced by fish comes out of their gills, so removing solids from the system won't cut down on your nitrates, which are the main plant food. Taking solids out might take out micronutrients, though.

Somebody with experience with sand filters plz let me know if I'm talking out of my nonexistent hat?

OK here the new design. Tell me if this looks right.

That will indeed work!

Thanks for sharing. I had always though I needed to pump sump to tank. Pumping sump to header or higher point gives me additional options.

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Sump to tank is often used because it simplifies some things... like filtration, because if you go sump -> FT -> media beds then your media will filter the water and you won't need extra filtration unless you have a lot of solids to deal with. If you go FT-> sump you need something in between to take the solids out.

No problem the reason I did that was for 2 reasons it makes my system more easily scalable and going through the fleets and the sand filter pump mashes my water super clean for the fish and I want them as visible possible because i want my system to be aesthetically pleasing and extremely functional.

I don't know if this helps, it helped me see it.
B U C K E T S hahaha

OK guys and gals I have another question since yall have given my design the go ahead. What about towers buy or build my own?

They are easy enough to build, but difficult to make leak-proof.

I found the easiest way was to not even try, but just to position them over a growbed or sump so when they leaked, it didn't matter.

I think your design pulled water from the sump to feed the towers, so there shouldn't be a problem with any buildup of solids in the root balls, but I found I got a lot of leaks because roots would grow in such a way as to invite water to run in all the wrong directions.

If I wanted to make some now, I would cut slots in 90mm PVC storm drain, heat and press in at the top of the slot so they hold a disposable plastic cup at 45 degrees or so, and in such a way as to make drips generally fall back into the PVC. Disposable plastic cups will last for ages (see landfill), and are flexible enough so you dont need to be too fussy with the size of the holes you make for them in the PVC.

To prepare the cups, just get a stack of 10 or so and drill 5 holes through the bottom.

I raised seedlings in the main growbed until there was enough root that it was poking out of the bottom of the cups so it could find the water, or raise seeds in shell grit until their roots were long enough to reach water in the tower.

When I tried a design that allowed water into the side of the cups, I found it also dumped water out to the outside of the tower.

I'd make one to test before you decide on how to go forward. 90mm storm drain PVC doesn't cost a lot.

Thanks again for the help and suggestions I'm getting materials together now for the system and hopefully will get to start construction on green house soon.

Look forward to working with and learning from all the experienced people here.

Any body know of a thread on the cycling process?