Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hello everyone,
Pls give me some ideas here...
I am currently working out a plan for a commercial AP design, comprising of several media based (CF, Ebb & Flow) GBs and DWC FRs.

I know one of the better ways to manage multiple Ebb&Flow GBs is to connect them using an Index valve and then drain to a much smaller ST. However i am not sure about the availability of an Index valve over here.
So my Qn is:
Can the drains of all the Ebb and Flow GB's be connected together to a single big drain pipe, which drains to the big ST. Will the Auto-Siphon work properly if the drainage plumbing is done in this manner ? Here all the GBs together will be having only one 'long and big' drain pipe, which has only one opening at the ST end. Will the Siphons STOP correctly once the GBs are drained ??

Thanks in Adv.

If you have one large diameter return line that passes under every GB and slopes slightly downhill back to your FT or ST it'll work fine. Have a short horizontal line from each GB siphon feeding into this return line, the connections don't need to be airtight, in fact it's probably best they aren't.

I feel the connections Must Not be airtight, for the individual siphons to work (stop) properly ! However this can possibly lead to some impurities getting into the large return pipe, finally getting accumulated inthe ST... What say ?
Note: My GBs will be resting on ground and they will be draining off to the common return pipe buried on ground..Only the connecting T's willbe sticking out above the soil..The return pipe goes all the way to the ST again below grond level.

i recently saw someone connecting the auto syphion's together with a air hose so they don't all equalise and fill at the same time causing all the water to get pumped out of the ST.