Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Guys

I am about to start on an extension with some Blue Barrels. I am extending a current system I have by adding 5 x 1/2 barrels (another 500 litres GB area)

I will try 19 mm pipe as 25 is hard to find here. Question I have is: I am drilling the holes on the bottom underneath, do I install the grommets from the inside of the drum or on the outside? Can I add dish-washing liquid when I add the plastic 90 degree bend to it slips in easier? Will use 90 degree and add the 19mm pipe to that

cheers

don't use the dish washing liquid as the soap or detergent is bad for fish! Try using some rubbing alcohol as it will evaporate away and not leaving anything dangerous to the fish.

Or you can use spit as it is pretty slippery and we just won't tell the fish you spit on them.

for me, I've done fairly well just using water to push pipe through the uniseals when going trough a thin tank wall.

Beware, I've seen catalogs recommend windex but that would also be dangerous to the fish.

Anything that is soapy or sudsy can be bad for fish.

I would like to see a pic of the grommets....I never used them on mine, just a decent washer on the threaded pipe inside and out with white plumbers tape and a bit of plumbers glue

Like this...

They are very similar to a uniseal

http://www.aquaticeco.com/subcategories/829/Uniseals/uniseal/0

kewl - so looking at the pictures, from the outside in then?

Cheers

Thanks

The uniseals are a little bit different to a tophat grommet... as they're curved to fit/join/seal piping....

I usually put my tophats inside the tank... so the pressure of the water pushes against the seal... if you get what I mean...

A couple of tricks... if you don't want to use a barbed fitting.... push a small piece of tubing inside the grommet... then just push your (larger) tubing straight onto the little "riser" tubing...

And you'll need a holesaw that's 3mm bigger than the grommet.... ie... a 19mm grommet needs a 22mm holesaw...

cheers Rupert

Exactly the answer I was looking for

+1