Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Just catching up on things Myles..... indeed a unique idea....

Welcome and thanks for the photos and explanation

Thanks EllKayBee and RupertofOZ.



Will do. I'm more interested in the leafy greens (Lettuce and Bok Choy), so the others will come out as needed, they were just what I had on hand as seedlings to get things up and running.

Could you add a t and a one way valve to aid solid dispersion?

If the upright of the t went to the top or near the top of the GB and the water flowed out into the top of the GB the solids would be distributed through the gravel. The one way valve would be closed when the pump was pumping (forcing the water to the top of the GB) and when the siphon started it would open the water would be drawn from the bottom of the GB.

Idea might need some tweaking but it should work.

If thats not clear I'll draw a picture.

Novel idea Stu.

I think you'd have to modify your idea to have a restriction on the "low" pipe otherwise the magority of the water would exit there instead of the top one. a combination of the extra head and the check valve.........................

Poor myles, no sooner has he posted his system and we're re-designing it for him

Hey Stuart, great minds think alike

I have been thinking about trialing a similar idea. Provided the two outflows from the pump are below the pond water level it will work as you describe - I don't think there is really a need for a one way valve though.

My thinking is that they will both have similar head pressures - both go to the top of the grow bed - so should both pump okay. Reductions, or special shapes of the tubing could help get more of the poo onto the grow bed, but since the system is continuous, it will all end up there eventually anyway.

Good one Stuart - I plan on giving it a try at some stage, but I want to see how it goes without first, as I like the idea of reducing evaporation as much as possible, hence no outflow to the top of the grow bed yet.

I really do like the whole idea of not having to cut/drill holes at all. Makes for a very flexible system...

Steve: the one way valve (closed when pumping) would force the solids through the top pipe when the pump is on. The water then gets drawn through the one way valve from the bottom of the GB by the siphon action.

mylesau : Ok this is what I'll be thinking of at work today. How do you use your idea and have the pump run continuously?



I'm confused. I thought the outflows (into the GB) would have to be above the pond. Reading the next para I'm even further confused.

Only thing that has been floating around in my head is to use the overflow to fill a container which, when heavy enough, flips valves, so that the pump is redirected back to the fish tank and the siphon is disconnected from the pump flow and opened to drain back to the fish tank.

The container has a 'pinhole', which drains overtime and resets the values.

This all becomes too complex for me - I like simple - meaning few/no possible points of failure...



When I said 'outflows from the pump' I meant outflows at the pump, not at the grow bed. Hey, I knew what I meant

Myles,
Check out the Barrel Ponics Manual for one option of a way to do at least part of what you are thinking about. Granted, it still requires holes but kinda cool anyway. It is using a small siphon set around the height of the overflow to fill a bottle attached to the flapper of a toilet flush valve.

I know, not really what you had in mind but you might come up with some ideas from it.

Thanks Stuart, you got me re-thinking this...

A bit hard to explain, and not thought though enough yet, but I think the overflow (no holes), could be used to start suction (venturi or simply gravity), which may be enough to initiate a siphon in another line that goes from the bottom of the grow bed, up over the side, down to, and submerged in the fish tank.

So you could pump to the top of the grow bed. When the grow bed is full the 'no holes overflow' starts overflowing. Use this overflow to prime/initiate a full siphon from the bottom of the grow bed...

I think the key will be the height the grow bed is placed above the fish tank...

I'll do some more thinking about this one and see if I can put it in pictures

Okay, here's my first attempt - left a few things out for simplicity.

The overflow would come into the open box from a 'no holes overflow' - I've left it out to keep things simple.

I think a small air bleed between the top of the Bell and the down pipe from the grow bed would be required.

The idea is that the open box fills from the 'no holes overflow' and triggers the bell siphon, which then has enough 'drop' to pull the water over from the grow bed and start the full siphon...

Will it work?

Stuart, i had my one way valves the wrong way on the wrong pipes i understand now

Quick update:

I ate Steve, one of the gold fish - see here for details.

So I replaced Steve with two Silver Perch named Steve and Steve.

I casually asked the young lady who sold them to me, how SP get on with goldfish. She was horrified and said they will eat them... But I know there are a number of BYAP'ers who's don't, so I'm not too worried.

They have settled in, and appear to think they are now goldfish... They are slightly smaller than the goldfish. It will be interesting to see how quick they grow - probably out of the pond...

How do people feed both goldfish and SP together. Add flake and pellets at the same time, at different ends, any tips?

Very interesting idea for the external bell siphon. Actually it perhaps could work with whatever type of siphon. I suppose it is actually a hybrid anyway. Let us know if you test it out! I could be a really cool way to do it.

Steve, your comments above now have me worried about my system. When I drain, I do not let all of the water leave the system. I do this because it can be hot here, and I don't want to cycle up my pumps a more than 8-10 times per day. I thought that the amount of water flow would avoid the dead areas, and root-rot. During the flood cycle, the water in the GB's is replaced probably 3-4 times.

Miles, I really like the creativity you used with your overflow system. I tried several different methods before I realized that all of my siphons suck!

Will do, but it will be a little while before I get there.

A local rainwater tank maker is scheduled to start making 3,000 l and 5,000 l tanks in about a months time. I've put my name down for seconds (ones that don't quite meet all the standards). This is the first time they have made them so I'm hoping they stuff a few up that are usable as a fish tank or even grow beds...should save me some $'s.