Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

The pump needs to be able too turn over the volume of your fish tank every hour, but go for a larger pump and add a "T" inline after the pump to both control the volume up to the fish tank and the excess helps to aerate the water in your sump.

It also helps to have a larger pump when you add RFF's & MBBF's to the system and need a bit more grunt.

A larger size pump will also be handy if you decide to expand the system in the future. (and there is more chance of that happening than not)

Dan there's lots of youtube videos on siphons and plumbing, if you need photos yell out.

Managed to do a bit of work on the system today thanks to a nice sunny afternoon.

I have done most of the cutting and also made a mock up build.
Sadly, I will have to level everything as the ground is not really flat...

I have taken some pictures, let me know what you think and if it looks about right or if should change the layout?

Thanks Team!

The layout looks OK, you will need to add a bit more support under the grow beds, and put something under the Besser Blocks to stop them sinking into the ground.

You are going to have a lot of weight in those grow beds & fish tank.

If you have the resources to build it in a straight line

As you have plenty of space

You could build another row of growbeds / raft alongside when the inevitable expansion arrives

Then a nice big greenhouse over the lot and you are set.

As I said, I was just having a look at how best to set things up.

I will definitely need to add some more support...

What would you use under those concrete blocks to prevent them from sinking?

Also, Terra, you mentioned a straight line: I was thinking that, with that layout, all 3 GBs filter straight down to the sump.

What would the alternative look like? 2 tanks on half way each on top of the sump and then plumb the 3rd one via a pipe to the sump?

Will add a green house at some point for sure though it may take a while as I will propably build it myself (they are bloody expensive...).

And yes, as you mentioned, space is not an issue!

One of mine in the early stages , I learnt from other systems ive built to drop the growbeds around 50mm each time this gives much better flow through the SLO using gravity to move water to where I want it .

Lucky for me I can get any amount of cages I want so I use them as bases all the time .

Notice middle growbed under neath is stacked tree branches , cut green (bark still on them) so when the bark cracks and lifts away it provides perfect habitat for small lizards and spiders

These predators will work all night for you for FREE killing and eating pest bugs im always catching these creatures and releasing them into my plants , ive done this since pulling my first system to bits and finding numerous lizards and spiders living underneath growbeds and planks and bricks ect.

If you cut a hole in the top of an IBC to make a fish tank , do it in such a way so later on if you want you can cut two growbeds out of the sides of the IBC .

Ive used treated pine sleepers from the big hardware stores to stop sinking

Make sure you do something or the big rain / aquaponic leak will give you that sinking feeling.

When you can afford to get a round fish tank they are much better

Have fun building what ever you decide

You'll need more support under the grow beds, those 2 x galvanised tubes will sag and the bottom of the grow beds will bulge down under the weight. Once the grow bed bottom has bulged, the bell siphon leans over and does not perform correctly. You can see in the photo even with extra support the bottom has still sagged. The support bar in the photo has been positioned next to the bell siphon to keep it upright. Dan that grow bed is much smaller than yours and has far less weight than your grow beds will have and still sagged.

Dan you could fill each bottom Besser block with concrete or use a concrete paving slab underneath, or even Besser caps as in the photo, but with the weight you'll end up with, paving slabs will give you a bigger footprint and would be the better option.

Don't lay any Besser blocks on their side, they only take up moisture and will need replacing in time to avoid them collapsing.

Your fish tank plumbed up would probably hold about 900 litres of water and that is 900 kilograms, my first fish tank only held 650 litres and one corner sank into the ground and twisted the plumbing, I had to empty most of the water out to be able to jack it up without causing any damage to the tank and then repair the plumbing.

Thanks so much guys!

I will organize some extra extra support both for the GBs and the concrete blocks supports and will post some pics when done.


Terra - in your picture, the sump is at the very bottom of the line is that correct?

So all the GBs are plumbed via a pipe to the sump and then pump sends back all the way to fish tank?

How big is the pump?


I like the idea of creating extra habitat for lizzards and things but unfortunately I live in Snake country... I am sure the water will already draw them out si i am a bit hesitant. Does anyone else have problems with snakes?


Cheers

Yes Sump at the end full IBC mostly buried (Big hole) put roofing iron or something similar around to stop the IBC to hold the dirt back and causing the liner to collapse in a flood type rain event

All my growbeds have individual drain pipes back to sump (I just like it that way) more cost efficient way would be bring them out the side and drop into storm water 90mm back to sump

Pump sends all the flow to tank via 40mm pvc the bigger the pipe and the less bends / joins you have the more flow you will get for $ spent , don't pump through skinny pipe .

I do have a bleed off tap in the sump to reduce flow if I take a growbed offline but rarely use it

I have a Laguna "Max Flow" 3500 been going for over 4 yrs now it actually provides too much flow for 5 siphons but ive just kept drilling more holes in the bells until they work , as its set up it would run another two growbeds easy

Ive found the Lagunas terrific plenty of water for least amount of watts , not a cheap pump but have a decent length warranty.

I think the 3500 has been replaced by a 4000 /55watt

Ive been building stuff with besser blocks for 50 yrs and never had one break , mine in the photo are sitting on treated pine sleepers , I can see how they could break if the ground sags , or they have been sitting on acid soils which will eat them away or simply overloaded , put plenty under them and should be fine .

Ive shifted mine around a lot and am shifting the whole lot again around the corner of the shed , but ive got a front end loader tractor which makes the job a lot easier .

I see a few snakes here but so far only one little swimmer in my sump

You can catch snakes , if your young enough go and do a course on snake handling then they will stop being a problem and you can make a few extra dollars

Old saying "The problem is the solution"

I hope everyone had a good weekend!

Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to do any work on my system this weekend..

Thanks for all the help and the pictures, it is helping heaps!

I have organized some more materials though and will put a few more pictures up once I have done a bit more progress!!