Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I'm building my first aquaponics setup - an indoor system with a 4x4x4 fish tank, with 5 5' ZipGrow towers, and one 6'x3'x9"(deep) flood & drain bed (bell siphon) with a vortex-type filter and a sump.

I have purchased some of the needed supplies, but i'm stuck on piping. I know most here use PVC, but i keep reading the potential harmful effects of using that material. How if its in the sun, it can leach chemicals into your water. I'll be using a few HPS grow lghts that'll be beating on the piping most of the day & night. So I REALLY don't want to use it.

What are you guys using instead of PVC? CPVC, pex, stainless steel? I went to a local grainger that sells CPVC which I feel is safer, but I'd have to order from a catelog and I really want to play with the pipe, fittings and make sure they have flow valves to adjust the rate of flow. The only one's he could find were PVC which defeats the purpose of buying the more expensive CPVC.

Anyone using PEX or something else?

I'd suggest using the search function because this topic has been discussed in depth over and over and over again.

search.... uPVC (drinking water approved) industrial grade, robust, more resistant to UV degradation and it's thicker (more insulation from temperature swing)

I see that this question has come up alot. However i don't think its come up much in the last 2 years. I am going to FW Webb tomorrow to look at their piping section. Ive read about barbed fittings which would work. I wish i could use the sharkbite ones, they're so freaking easy to connect pipe together, but alas, they're made of brass which would likely kill the fish.

Another random question. For those who use PVC, how do you connect the pumps which all seem to have small 1 inch or less fittings to 2" PVC?

I use PEX for my flow from the pump to my grow beds, but pvc for the drains. Could not get some of the fittings I need in t pex for the drains. I also can't find pex in anything larger than 1"

Maybe use PVC and just shade the bits in the light that actually contact the water? Mostly, the water is INSIDE the PVC so any reactivity from sunlight will not affect the water. The return to the FT or ST is not normally contacting the water and often under a cover anyway so that's not an issue. The outlets to the GB's are also not normally in contact with media so you just need to check the SLO isn't getting sunlight, the pipe in the ST feeding up to the FT isn't in sunlight etc.

i.e. cover the areas where sun and PVC might contact the water and you don't have a problem.

I use HDPE, aka poly, pipe and fittings throughout my system. All easily available from my local irrigation store... it is more expensive than PVC.