Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Been doing a lot of thinking

What do you think about the system as pictured below (only 350 hours sketchup work )

Looking at two bathtubs, one as fishtank and other as growbed, cut down blue barrel as sump.
The pipe for the growbed will go to the far end and siphon will be at sump/fishtank end.
Hoping for CHIFT PIST.

The questions
1) Will CHIFT PIST pick up enough/all of the poo from a bathtub or is circular tank a much better option?
2) Do I need to raise the fishtank higher than the growbed? if so, how much?
3) How many litres of water will the system contain, how big will sump need to be?
4) I am thinking ornamental fish but would the bath tubs be big enough for eating fish?
5) What size pump will I need?
6) DO you like the candles on the bathtubs?

What have I missed?

Thanks heaps for your help
Trent

AAh mmm, the bubbles for the bath and the glass of champagne? Do I win.


/quote] i can believe that took 350 hours, it is very good and I know how tricky it can be, well done.
Faye

I'll try for answering numbers 3, 4 and 5 ....

OOPS, there are no dimensions .... sorry....

Ron

1. Chift Pist of that size will work with any sort of pickup, I have not used a centre pickup for my 1000l IBC, and it gets everything out of the tank. Fish do a good job of stirring it all up.

2. The bathtub fishtank will need to be around 5 to 10 centimeters higher than the growbed (railway sleeper height?) with a 25mm PVC pipe running to the growbed.

3. Growbed will hold around 100 liters of water when full, so a blue barrel cut in half would be fine for a sump. Overall system capacity would be well under 400 liters.

The sump may need to be partially buried or the growbed / fishtank raised to get the water flowing back to the sump fast enough.

4. You could grow a couple of perch or trout to eating size, but not too many, and they will try to jump out. Especially the trout.

5. A pump ranging from 500 lph up to around 1500 lph would be good.

6. yes

3. Your growbed will hold about 0,4*200=80L of water (GB media takes up about 60%), so half a blue barrel (=100L, right?) for a sump would be fine. Total amount of water would be 280-300L.
4. Your system would be able to support a maximum of 6kg of fish, but it'd be safer with about 3kg. You need at least 2kg of fish if you want good plant growth. If you grow fish for eating, you usually harvest them at about 500g - so you can't put in a lot of fish.
5. 150L/h would work, but I suggest 300L/h+.
6. Of course!

You don't have bathtubs in Texas?

Or are they just bigger than everywhere else





To everyone else, thank you

Hey trentski.
Provided you have a return valve to ur fishtank, it doesn't matter if ur gb sits lower than ur ft. The ball valve, slightly opened will break any siphon effect caused by gbs being lower . Aesthetically would look better if things were level.
I would use both tubs (I have 11) as growbeds. You just neeg a 500lt tank of some sort for ur fishtank.
Eating fish will stress in that depth of water, ornamentals may be fine.
Buy the biggest pump u can afford, they are cheap and u can always return water to the fishtank to slow down ur gb flood times. When ur system gets bigger, ur pump will still be able to cope.

Everything is bigger in Texas
Flash bathtubs though, seems like a lot of work to hook up 400lts of water, I have a bathtub system (the wifes to shut her up about the time I spend on my own) VIEW HERE
have only 6 goldfish and I small GB and all is ok, but couldn't see it expanding more, with my limited knowledge on AP I would say you would better off with a 1000lt round tank, take up less room and more capacity

I could easily expand it by converting the fishtank bathtub to a growbed and using something like an IBC or 500 litre (or more) tub for a fishpond.

I have to consider aesthetics and space. I have one bathtub and the blue barrel already so just need another tub, a pump, some candles , growbed media and the plumbing and I am ready to go.

Start small, learn stuff and then go from there

I started with a single bath system Now look at it

It seems that you are using a lot of space with your setup, a 1000lt tank with a GB over top would use less space, but I agree start small and expand, it is great playing with different idea's, just by your drawing the design looks permanent, and I feel you could save space and have a bigger system going in other directions

I guess another couple of hundred hours in sketchup may have made it look less permanent, but after all it is only two bathtubs and half a blue barrel.

I could have a 1000 litre tank with a growbed on top for less space (but more cost) but then I wouldn't be able to enjoy the fish as much. I am thinking of being able to sit next to the fishpond watching the fish swim around and ponder the world or read a book or some such relaxing exercise.

My 2400lt tank cost me a carton of beer and if you look at my system (link Below) the whole setup is just under $200 with the pump being the most expensive bit, it is still relaxing sitting next to the tank listening to the water and fish swim to the top quite often, admittedly you can see more in the bathtub setup but the relaxing thing is the running water, I think you have a good idea and you have to start somewhere, I am just starting myself but I think you will end up doing serious changes, but we all do, a 1000lt tank even buried half way will still give you plenty of viewing, when I was at the BYAP shop their were several tanks of different sizes, and the fish could be easily seen, I think if you like the design go for it, can't see why it won't work

Or just bury your 8000 liter tank and sit beside that