Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi guys,

Newbie here.
I have a prototype aquaponic setup with the following specs:

DWC grow bed - 3 X 30 sqFt (3'X10'X1')
Fish Tank - 500L
Sump Tank 500L
Radial flow Filter 150L
And Timer based water pumping.

I have been using a 750GPH 24V 40W DC water pump which is a total shit and waste of money.
It kept dying from internal Water leakage and yesterday I have thrown away the third one.
Now my fish are dying too.

I was searching amazon for a good aquaponic water pump but all those I have found are for 110V system.
I am based in Bangladesh so our main AC is 220V.
The only source I could obtain a suitable 220V pump is from Ali-express but I am skeptical because those pumps are not widely used by aquaponics community.
There is very little information of reliability about them.

I started this setup with a plan to move into a commercial setup and invested quite a bit of money.
But now everything is falling apart just for a good pump.

Can anyone please recommend me some good and reliable aquaponics pump for a 220V system?
Or at least something that won't die for a year or 2.

Thanks
Shaikh Ahmed

Check the pump thread.

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1409

not sure what is available locally for you , but hopefully the thread gives you somewhere to start.

are you looking for a submersible pump?

If it were me I will make a plumbing connection and use a non submersible pump. . Get the ordinary and tested pumps normally use for boosting household water pressure. something like 200 watts. I dont think there will be an issue as you are on a timer. you can adjust the timer to cut off when bed is full. Bigger motor will be more efficient than small. You can still use it when you turn commercial scale.

Thanks Brian & julianbu for responding. The pump thread is excellent and really is gives a good picture on what to expect from a pump in aquaponics system.
So my understanding is, for continuous operation I shouldn't expect much life from a pump, which seems logical for electronics.
Now I am looking at my local options and found these two pumps.

1. The cheapest one: http://pedrollo.com.bd/index.php?controller=product_details&page=products&p_id=42
2.[url] http://pedrollo.com.bd/index.php?contro ... ts&p_id=25 [url]
This is a bit costly pump but its submersible with a float switch thus saves from the installation trouble.

Which one should I pick from these?

Another side question, I couldn't found a good commercial timer here.
So I have built myself one with an Arduino.
What timers do you guys use for your system?

I would pick neither.
You would want a quality pond or waterfall pump, it will be the heart of your system.
I have a Laguna 9000LPH 100w and it has been running without fail on timed f&d for 3 years. (Touch wood...)
The timer is a cheap but branded power socket 15 min increment. Which gets changed when it starts loosing time.

200W is grossly overpowered for a small system with 500l tank, you'd really only need a 20-50W pump if you have a low pumping head.

Thanks guys for responding.

Since I don't have the recommended pumps locally available, I had no other choice but to decide for a 330 Watt peripheral pump.
Its cheap, locally available, and also it has good support from manufacturer.


The submersible pump is too costly for me.
I still have the option to buy a recommended pump from international sellers but my seedlings are ready and fish are dying too, so I can't wait that long.

I hope, since I am on timer control, the electricity cost won't differ significantly. Electricity cost is here below 12 cents per unit.
I will keep posting my pumping related experiences here.

I have other questions regarding radial flow filter size but I believe it should be on a separate post.

Lots of electrical items are actually rated for 220V-240VAC


Try and find a specification sheet for any pumps your're interested in


Good luck

Like you I am face with difficulty in sourcing materials. But I decided to design my system base on what is available locally. for example you choose to get something from amazon. If your pump breaks down in the future how long will it take to get a replacement from amazon?

Anyways you can position the pump on top of the tank and do away with plumbing system if you get a foot valve and install it in the pump suction.

you are correct on this, rely on whats easily available within shortest time.
I learned it in the hard way.

However my Arduino based timer is working great.

My sump tank is 500L, and I have installed a 300L overhead tank.
The pump fills up the tank within 12 minutes and it gets empty by 8/9 minutes.
So I have set the timer for 10 minutes on duty, 10 minutes off duty thus ensuring continuous water flow through the system (well, roughly 4 minutes zero flow, would that be a problem in the future?).