Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Slight redesign, I offed the swirl filter. Minor plumbing construction finished, some pipework to go.
Pics

Couple More pics, spreader is to direct water away from plant stems, more to the sides:

So what is your flout controlling the flow to Sleepe?? .... can't see from the pics...

Water from trough (FT) pumped to biofilter, most back to trough but a feed to the esky controlled by a valve. When the water level reaches a point in the esky it dumps to a back pipe then through to the spreaders on each pot, seperately controlled by 1/2" valves. Straight through into the market boxes then through a drain back into the trough. I only am going to have the feeds to and from the pond to clean the water but it could be independant with fish in the trough (or pee )
Schematic

Small update, basically I stuffed up.

Filled the trough with water only going to test the biofilter. Shut off the valve to the flout. Turned on the pump which was filling the biofilter. Venturi failed to work (anti syphon pulling air into the downpipe) thought no drama's can remove the venturi. Major problem was the pump was filling the biofilter faster than the excess water drain could dump it back into the trough (should have used 40mm pipe I think) Shut everything down when I got overflow. Also I forgot to put plumbing tape on the threads of the waste tap, annoying drip.
Have to pull it down and have a rethink

Things not as bad as I thought after a few modifications.
Biofilter now has about 35 litres of bottle caps in (will do stuff ups redesign later).
Flout in esky working well, plant pots in with about 1/3 of bottle caps, the rest hydroton (picked up 2 bags from BYAP shop the other day, have used about 2/3 of a bag). Will cycle it as a stand alone for a while until I have the bugs out. Working on a vertical NFT to incorporate into it (still have parts of the pine chairs left).
Pics

Vertical NFT like a tower?

Dave

I tried to start a thread on this a while ago, no real interest so I decided to build one.
As you know NFT's are not suitable for large rooted bulky plants (basically they choke the channels and fall over) This uses vertical rather than horizontal space to allow root growth, and provides a significantly larger film ie greater surface area.
It is CF from the top and an overflow from the bottom Scruffy schematic below. If I get a chance I will take a pic of the components. Still missing the hessian or plastic mesh.

Pics of Parts. Milk crate will be cut down to have plant pot at top of chair fronts structure, which will be boxed in to match rest of system. Barrel was cut off just above the roll to allow sizing ring to be fitted to hold plant pot (3/4" hose with 1/2" hose through the middle to join it)

Will be interesting to see how it goes Sleepe.... like your other work...

Complete now. Had to use coarse foam as I could not find plastic mesh.
For those who want a pump screen for difficult spots last pic shows snow pea box 50c at the markets. Cut a hole for the pump pipe inlet in the lid, holesaw the bottom of a small plant pot pump pipe size then cut off bottom. Put lid against pump (through hole) put on plant pot bottom then screw a female threaded pipe connector on pump inlet. Attach bottom of snow pea box and done. Should have taken a pic but its in the trough now and I am not pulling it out.

Pics

Sorry thats first pic

Plumbing to the pond now complete. Am not cutting over until cycling is complete.
Last test ph 7.2, 0 ammonia, v high nitrites and 5 nitrate ( added an extra small amount of urea)
Started off by using a small amount of hummonia but decided to go urea.
Cycling additives
1/2 cup urea (just added 1/2 that again)
two lots of Seasol concentrate Possibly 1/2cup in total
15mm THC Grow B
15mm THC Bloom B
Pond Water

When cycling is complete will be running the system about 1 turn over of the pondwater per 2 days (approx). This is controllable by a valve on the input line.

System cycled about 4 days ago. Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 and Nitrates 0 (bit of a bummer the plants are using it all). Added 1/4 cup urea and some more seasol.
Yesterday cut over to pond, everything working ok, inlet from pond goes in close to pump intake, overflow at other end of trough. Pondwater has improved (clearing) will check on waste in biofilter in a few days.
Goldfish have been breeding, mainly black

System basically runs itself now. Once a week I put my hand over the anti syphon for excess water back to the trough and block it, as the outlet is under water it removes water from the olive barrel faster than its going in. When it drops to a certain point the upjets from the pump trash the bottle caps around dislodging any crap, collect and put on the dirt plants.
Pics