Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

yup those rotating drum systems are nice...
I was considering making one of these, but for me it's a lot of extra/ duplicate piping, where individual actuated balls would be easier...
but then it's sort of star network vs multi-drop topology. (if anybody understands that) It's really a matter of preference.

thanks for the help all hmm lots of things to consider...

I have tried to design my system to avoid the use of solenoid valves and complicated control systems. I am using a simple garden hose distributor supplied by Gardena (cost about $60 or $70 in Australia). It simply cycles through each of six outlets in turn using the pressure of the water to switch to the next outlet when the pressure is switched off. I run the main pump for about 20 minutes in each hour and thus feed each of those six stations up to four times a day using a timer switch on the power point. I balance the flow using valves to throttle back where needed and divert unwanted volume into a return water pipe back to the fish tank. It is early days yet but so far it seems to be working well. (Unfortunately I had already purchased much of the control technology I needed for the solenoid valve approach when it occurred to me to set it up using the garden hose distributor!)

So you've already got half the parts for your second system then ....

Yerp - the second system is already on the drawing board. I'll try to be patient and make sure the first system works before I get too deep though!

Hey AF,
If you want to experiment, maybe try a rotating pipe in a header above the sections. As the pipe rotates slowly each sector of the header tank will receive all the pump flow, going to the beds through gravity.

Start here, the next several posts describe this. I would like to try this but haven't yet:
http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum ... 000#113000

Mildly curious

Why are retic system solenoids not used in AP (I assume it is a reliability/sludge problem?)

Pressure to operate the solenoids efficiently is something like 70kpa (hold them open)

Some of us use gravity feed (almost nil pressure) or smaller pumps

Zero pressure solenoids were looked at, but are very expensive

Thanks Ell

Will have to take one to bits. (always like to actually see how things work) .

There's one pulled apart.
solenoid mod

Thanks Steve

Still going to take it to bits Nice mod.