Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Awesome progress, it's exciting and inspiring to watch your work! Seeing your hoophouse going up reminds me that I've got to find my bolts to my hoophouse ths week so it can go up as well.

I don't see why you would not be allowed to post the web address if your intentions are to help other forum members. Please do post the address. The ABN part is easy, anyone could get one.

I am considering building a greenhouse as well, so am looking forward to see your completed greenhouse. I am not exactly a handy person hence might ask some how-to questions at a later date.

Good progress by the way.

2.6 ,, you must be tall?..... joke ,, just thinking height reducers heat efficiency but 2.6 is reasonable,, but now I SEE you have an external sump ,, out in the cold AHHH,, your definately not after keeping warm water fish in cool weather.

Hi Ivan,
The supplier I used was Perth Irrigation & Plumbing Supplies. They do not have every type of fitting but the most common ones are readily available. I have used them a couple of times now and the service is exellent.

http://www.perthirrigation.com.au/

If you decide to to build one I am more than happy to provide info where I can

Hi Chappo
I am contemplating trying to keep the likes of Barra during the winter but if I go ahead with it I am going to set up a specific tank inside a shed with a water heating system and biofilters. A few ideas and concept are starting to form in the old gey matter
The addiction is starting to take hold as I am talking about System #2 and I havent even got #1 finished yet

Welcome to the addiction. Although my system #2 has become system #3 now, and a new small system is now system #2.

By the way, thanks for the website. I will take a look. Certainly will help me if they deliver for a small fee coz I only have a sedan.

Lol, I'm the same. Started in 2007 and have had 1 system per year. I've now got #3 and #2 running. #1 was seriously flawed.

How did you manage to get such a tight bend on the greenhouse hoops, did you have to heat the pvc first?
What have you used to ancor the hoops to the ground?

Hi King Erik XIV
The pipe used was 40mm PE 9. I have one join in each length using the expanded end supplied on the pipe, to make it up to 7m and it bends quite comfortably as is. I have driven off cuts of 32mm steel water pipe into the ground with aproximately 500mm sticking out. The process was just two people holding an end each and then walk towards each other and slide the end down over the pipe.
Once I have my grow beds in place I intend to fix the hoops to the grow beds to provide an anchor against wind.
I did experiment with gluing a fitting in the middle of the pipe but my first attempt at bending the hoop cracked the joints so I opted to cut the back out of each fitting so they would slide over the pipe.

Hope this helps

Cutting the fitting rather than the pipe!

Yeh, +1 for a fantastic idea.

Hi all
I have a siphoning problem with my return pipe from the ST to the FT . The line is 40mm pipe which ends up about 150mm under the water line in the FT when the sump pump finishes its cycle (You can see the elbow on the end of the pipe at the left hand edge of the FT).When the pump stops the vertical legs of the pipe drain down and create the siphon which does not stop untill the water level drops to meet the pipe outlet height. I have included the photo below to show the height differences between the tanks.
Apart from purchasing a non return valve does anyone here have a simple solution ?

this worked for me...


on the highest 90 degree elbow between ft and sump replace it with a "t" join.this allows air in and breaks the siphoning.

but you might need to add some length to the top of the tee, to counteract the pressure from the pump.

Not an expert, but just suggesting for my own knowledge as well.

Would adding a venturi section help? If it does, it helps oxygenate the FT water as well.

Ya might get away with drilling a hole in that elbow at the top inside edge of the fish tank. If you drill it at the right angle, it will just spray some of the water into the fish tank at another angle and when the pump shuts off, it will be above the water level and hopefully defeat the siphon. Other option would be to adjust the end of the pipe that sprays the water into the fish tank so that it is never below the water surface level.