Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Guys

Ive just done my homework and found out plumbing up to 30 x 1/2 barrels for GB's will be expensive, dam expensive.

Has anyone been able to weld say 3 or 5 together (end to end) or successfully join them? Ive been thinking about cutting the ends (not the first and last obviously) and lining it to ensure no leaks, to make 1 larger GB.

Anyone?

I joined two halves together by riveting them to a piece of stainless and putting a lot of silicone between I don't recommend it though.

Could you plumb say 5 together then put the siphon in the middle one?? This is my plan.

Plaswelding would be pricy also for that many I imagine it would be $100+ per hour, but I would think it would be good.

If your going to line them, I'd sell the barrells and make a bed to line as liners are expensive alone.

Hi i thought you would eventually find it to expensive sometime the stuff for free isent the cheapest and easiest there are better options available i have seen bathtubs used successfully [or landmark tubs ]

When you say "Could you plumb say 5 together then put the siphon in the middle one??", are you suggesting adding say a 50mm connection and pipe between then all, as low as you could go with a siphon in the middle so it acts as 1 bed? A 50mm "nut and tail" will cost about $9:50 and you would need 8 + piping = siphon. Cost would be approx $120 I would think. It would however mean you would only need 1 inlet, not 5?

Is this along the line you are thinking?

Tickley tubs like Jim ,, kuda and Quanchy use are $140

how big are those puppies?

You are correct

Knowing what I know now, bigger is better

Check jims or Quanchies system

Have you cut the barrels yet Erich. If not then cut in half through the middle they make good wicking beds.

Ive cut 5, however I still have +15 left

Yeah that was along the lines of my thinking Erich

can you use 20mm piping for the siphons, i use 20 on one barrel and 25 on the other.

20mm Standpipes, 50mm bell, 80mm Strainer (found the 80mm on the side of the road )

not sure, maybe you could use 20mm for the siphons feeding them all down into a 90mm Stormy pipe returning to the sump, would reduce the length of 20mm pipe needed and 90mm stormy is cheap as chips like $14/Length

what about loop siphons?

or Timed Flood and drain? same idea 20mm Standpipes all dropping straight down into a 90mm Pipe returning to Sump.

As for inlets iv found using endcaps with holes drilled in them to be Very cost effictive over taps.


do banks of 5 every fortnight to spread cost over a period...kinda what iv done... just spend small amounts over the weeks to get to what i need done.

hope that iv been able to spread some insight

Hi,

here is my solution to connecting the barrels and tubs with out side the barrel or tub Affan Bell Syphon's

the first one, i had most of the fittings left over from a job, so just built it, not thinking about the cost

was a bit pricey for the 2nd one's PVC fittings, but saves space in the GB, and works great.....

I used 90mm water tank outlets (the ones you screw and silicone on) and a short piece of 90mm downpipe to connect two large tubs. about 5 bucks worth of fittings, screws and silicone. Works a treat.

Whats under the media?? like just a pipe with 8mm holes in it or somthing??

got any photos

what are we looking at here? A bell siphon for two/three/more grow beds? Hhhmmm interesting.
There is a thread somewhere around here that shows an exterior bell siphon on some NFT pipes. Damn if I can find it though. Been looking for it. Any one have a link?
Don't see why you couldn't plastic-weld the barrels together. Well, on second thought, they would be flimsy in the middle. Which could be remedied with a PVC crossbar through the join and a couple of T's on the outside.
Norther Hydraulics sells plastic welding kits and rods if you wanted to go the DIY route. Heck I just used a $20 heat gun from Lowes to soften the plastic on a hole in my (free) tank to fix it up.
I love AP forums. Keeps the brain engaged.