Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Something like this would be awesome for me to controll my system is anyone out there using these things?????

Far as I remember Damian the solenoids they control require mains pressure, someone did find a way round it but it did not work well due to the volume that could pass through them.

No need for all that, just a 12VDC solenoid and a simple timer would be just as good.

Unless things have changed Gordon, low pressure 12v dc valves in any decent size are expensive.

24VAC ones + a small transformer aren't too expensive though
Plenty of 12VDC ones on ebay, although mostly 1/2" , but for $5 each, you could use 5 or 6 of them in parallel.

How much is the RainBird? The fish and veg dont care what day oif the week it is, so most features are superfluous.

Thanks for the tip sleepe and gungulla but actually i am not using solenoids, i am replacing them with smaller pumps and dedicated lines that way i can use the controller to control the pumps with relays.

lots of smaller pumps rather then the recommended 1 big pump. mostly because it will be a hybrid solar and grid powered system. and the fact that i use coconut husk as media. The time frame will come in handy for me as i will have to water in between once a week and once a hours depending on stage and type of crop.

Also hope to control the fish feeders this way.


i am wondering if there are any obvious drawbacks to doing it this way.

Sounds interesting - are you going to be using a bunch of little 12Volt pumps then?

As long as the roots are getting enough oxygen I think this will work fine (petty much like irrigating soil), although, initially the plants may have an adjustment period if the irrigation schedule changes. Their roots have adapted to their current situation and will need to adapt to whatever new regimen you put them on. You may need to shield them from the sun during this period while they develop and adequate root system (let them adjust back to being uncovered a bit at a time as well). Sometimes it's better to just start the plants from scratch.

here is a quick plan view of the system

green are grow beds with two separate main feeds sharing one main drain for two rows
blue is fish tanks with one main feed one main drain line
white squares are pumps
yellow squares are flow sensors
black squares are ph, ppm, probes
red square is a sand filter

Is light green a sump?

Why use a sand filter? Seems like it would plug pretty quickly.

There's a bloke in wa I've been chatting to with a nice little setup ( 8 large barra, bout 400 silvers fingerling, sump and 2x gb) and all through a little 12v pump. They cheap but he had no issue. . I'll find some detail is anyone interested. ..

Yes light green is the sump for the plants and dark blue is the swirl filter and the bio filter. The sand filter will only come on when the swirl filter is at capacity and auto backwash to the plant sump when clogged.

The cost of the rainbird locally is 500us approximately. Relays to do the job 15us each. Just in my budget and worth every penny AS this would cut down greatly on running cost

Most crops will be started in trays, transplanted to 2gal bags then the grow bed. I will try some of my better performing crops at first but may settle for a mono crop of parsley I sow that direct.

Datpsi I would like to know the brand of pump and how its working out.