Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Question without notice... if you're going to cut the IBC to make the GB and you've already got a 500L conical water tank, what are you going to do with the "other part" of the IBC?

+1 bunson..
i'd cut the ibc in half and have 2 gb's

Hey Scott,

I would probably keep the other half for expansion.

Because the conical tank was the first thing I bought, I really want to use it. Read a while ago the pros for having a circular FT, saw one on eBay, and bought it.

I have been looking around everywhere for something to use as a GB. The best option, and possibly cheapest, was the top part of an IBC. That's why I'm looking at getting one.

I think if I use both halves of the IBC, the water level decrease in the FT will be too much.

Could be possibly over thinking all of this. Just want to grt something up and running without too much harm to fish life.

Hi Baz, I had the steel laying around at home so it was cheap for me. I think it was 40mmx40mm tube steel. New stuff would have to come from a place like metal land or Blue scope steel etc but you might be able to get some from a junk yard or alike. Obviously you need a welder and drop saw to fabricate these.

In regards to the water level when using two grow beds you cans have one flood and drain and the other CF.

Here are some photos of the area I have to play with. It's a rental so I don't want to create any holes. Will cut back the plants to make space though.

The area is about 2m × 1m.

Any design ideas I could put to work in this space?

This is good to know. Possible expansion before I've even started.

I'd be looking to utilise the slope of the land, can you support the GB(s) so the bottom of the GBs are above the top of the FT? Or could you put the FT at the top of the slope and install a CHIFT PIST with the GB and ST where the FT is in the photo?

I'm hoping to have the GB(s) sitting above the top of the FT. The FT is about 850mm high. Thought I'd try and build a support that's 1m high. The support is what I'm trying to figure out now.

The reason I have the FT there is because it's slightly shaded by the carport. The rest of the space gets more sunlight.

You could use it as a sump tank?
500ltrs of water gives you a good grow size tank for your fish, but a sump tank in your system early will give you added expandability, the larger the water volume you have the slower any changes can happen, swings in PH or temperature, will happen faster in a smaller system than a larger one, its your setup, you can do as you please, its all up to you,

I watched hundreds of clips on you tube and all off the clips on this website! Yes there is good and bad info on the net, but it is up to you as to what you think will work for you?

There are many ideas as to how to build a system, but in the end it is up to you!

Good luck, and we hope to see pictures when your done,

Nice idea and good points Blizz


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I think really thought you had a nice idea and good points ahaha :p


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My phone was going bonkers last night. I think it did that in several threads sorry!


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If your setting your grow beds above the FT like you want it can become a sump at anytime if you end up adding another tank. The layout stay the same except instead of pumping to the GB's you pump to the additional FT (set up above the GB's at higher point) that then overflows to the GB's that already drain to the first tank. Aka CHIFT PIST.

p.s. Sorted Kat

Charlie -- that's exactly what we've been discussing, offline...

I am looking into the CHIFT PIST idea now. Could be a good course of action.