Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi Mitchyb,

I thought that about the chift pist until I got mine working.

I also have a 5000 litre fish tank running chift pist and 2x500litre sumps. I'm using the sumps for shrimp and yabbies so in effect I have three usable tanks.

The water being pumped into the fish tank from the sump swirls the water around the tank sending solids towards the bottom centre of the tank.

The outlet pipe for the fish tank is located in the centre bottom of the tank. The gunk is sucked with some force out of the fishtank into the growbeds where it can do it's work.

I'm glad I went this way with my setup and it's working great.

God bless froggo.

Onya Froggo - CHIFT PIST all the way

Mitch - if you want further explanation of how CHIFT PIST works - have a look at the summary of my first system in the medium systems thread viewtopic.php?p=61234#p61234

In the summary, I attempt to expalin how my system worked (CHIFT PIST).

There are also various links in that summary to the thread for that system. THe one for February 2007 will take you to where I overhalled the system to make it CHIFT PIST.

My grow-beds are at the sort of height you want yours at. This just means the tank needs to be higher - which I don't think is a problem.

I've made some changes from the first design, where I was going to use blue barrels as the growbeds. I've opted to use the BYAP growbeds because of ease of use, affordability and availability. Instead of using 35 barrel halves I will be using 9 growbeds (2 metres by 1 metre by 30cm)
I plan to use the 5000 litre tank as stated in the origninal design, but will use only one 1000 litre drain tank.
I have cleared the area and have built one run of supports which will support three growbeds. This has been built using recycled materials which I have sourced free of charge. In the next three weeks I will complete the remaining 6 growbed supports as well as all the relevant pipework. I plan to stock my fish tank on the 2nd of January with silver perch (which I will buy from a local supplier). I will plant out the beds with seedlings the same day, I estimate between 60 and 70 seedlings per bed.

9 Beds

That's great Mitch, just where did you find the time eh! Mustn't be working you long enough.

Interesting description of a Kingswood

Yeh sounds like my kingy ht about 30 years ago!

9 GB's
4500ltrs of media
My kind of system.

Just remember to keep the colors of the GB in a pattern. It will bug you later once there filled and people keep asking why you didn't put the pale ones at the ends.

I think I see a patern 3 green to one corner and 3 green to the other corner

The same way you manage to run a household and a garden I assume. Motivation's the key. Although having a good cup of coffee every couple of hours at work probably helps too.


Haha they don't make them like they used to. That old holden is one of my favourite cars!! Along with the customline and midget!!!!

This is my smaller test system. Nine beds is minute in comparison to what I aim to have up and running in five years down the track. Haha and your right, not having the growbeds in a pattern has already started to bug me!!!

I've finished another component of the system!!! It's all beginning to come together nicely.
I laid a sand pad for the 5000 litre fish tank today, to create a level surface. We had to move the old holden which we all thought wouldn't start as we haven't even touched it in a good two years but to our suprise it ran as good as new. Good old station wagon!!
There was a decent slope so we brought in about a ton and a half of sand. Good thing we have a tractor or else I would still be hauling it all in with the wheelbarrow.
Its all starting to look rather large now with the six beds and 5000 litre tank in place.:S (still have three more beds to go)
I can't wait to see it all up and running . . . should only be another week or two. My goal is new years so hopefully it will be finished by then.
Enjoy the pics
peace

Kewl

very neato.....9 beds I wish for Christmas Santa would deliver me anouther 9 garden beds and a 5 kL tank

that would be nice

Nice work Mitch!