Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Dude you have almost 1 hp pump a 1/4 would have been plenty... See if you can return it it's way overkill. I had a 3/4 hp pool pump on a 4'x15' above ground pool. had a 1-1/2 hp on a 4'x24' above ground pool. Seriously it will effect your power bill.

LOL! I hardly think I'm the standard... Have you taken a full tour of this forum??

I did the same thing.. Got a BIG pump knowing I was starting with some size but hoping to 'grow into it.' What I did was put the pump on a timer. Digital timers at Home Depot are about $16. Has two plug outlets and 19 cycle settings... Pretty flexible and cheap! I run the pump for 8 minutes and off for 52. Cycle every hour at the top of the hour starting at 6 a.m. through 8 p.m., then at 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. As the system grows and it takes longer to fill it, I can adjust the on/off times to fit the needs...

Currently, I have a huge volume of water hitting the overflow and heading straight to the sump, so I can add a bunch of beds without changing the timer at all... A note, the flow to your GB needs to be a good bit larger than the pressured pipe from the pump. For example, my 8000GPH pump is pushing water through a 2" pipe and I have three 2" pipes exiting the system, 2 to GBs and one set up as a siphon to the sump. As it is, the three exits barely keep up with the incoming water... Also, I intentionally set the overflow a little higher than the GB exits so it will only operate when the GB pipes get over run.

Now, the water pressure you have there is sweet!! Love the pics! Reminds me of my first test with this pump cleaning out rainwater from the sump tank so I could put the liner in.

We have to get together at some point... Also, I highly recommend you pay a visit to Travis. He is so close to you and you will learn a ton wandering around his place!!

CB

CB - thanks for the encouragement on the giant pump ! I thought I had read about the timer somewhere, and leaving the system off and only using the pump occasionally.. that seems like a great plan

Do your beds have a siphon in them, or are they just restricted outlets letting the water trickle out over 45 mins or so ??
Do you think I'll have any problem diverting a sump water from the pump into the NFT on the wall, or should I use another overflow from the fishtank (with/without filtration ?) >?

Thanks again for all of your help ! I'll try and visit Travis sometime this week, I love a good field trip ! - Last week was to the Bears Bluff fish and wildlife hatchery, and I still have a commercial Hydro system to see !

I found a great source for IBCs down here if you ever need one - $75, they were filled with sunflower methyl ester, that cleaned out really easily with dish soap

My beds are fast fill, slow drain. Don't know anything about NFT, starting a small experiment here. IMO, if the roots get a little dirty, it is no problem as long as you don't plan to sell the plants. If you are concerned about waste, you might try a 5 gallon bucket as a separator in between the FT and the NFT... A larger system obviously would need a much larger barrel or two.

You may want to plan on adding to the system asap, b/c 4300GPH will move a lot of water in a few minutes... That pump could drain your sump in nothin' flat...

Travis will promote a constant pump with something very small as he contends (possibly correctly) that the on/off action wears on the pump more than being on 24/7. Others here with more experience may be able to validate/debate the issue. Your system *could* function like an oversize barrel system and use one of the 40watt pumps on 24/7 like he recommends...

Either way, the pump does let you grow into a much bigger system. Adjusting/regulating time/flow without crimping/wearing on the pump may be a trick, but I worked it out with mine...

CB

If your stratagy it to grow your system to fit the pump... plenty of room to grow. 700 watts will be a lot less power draw if timed like CB's system. If left on continuious it would prolly be >1/4 of your power bill.

I've got the second tank, 2/3 of it is sitting on top of the sump, the other 1/3 is on 4x4's concreted in the ground..
I'm building a deck on top of the ST so that I have easier access to the FT.
I've already filled the ST and waiting to do some final tweaks before filling the FT..
then just build the giant GB (similar to countryboy's...i hope and start moving some water around !!!

I have to agree with bill, way more pump then you need. The excess electric will pay for the smaller pump in no time. You can use it to play with by putting a tee right off the pump diverting water back into the sump, then further restrict the up flow to FT with a ball valve. I have a similar setup and with two 2" overflows from Ft to GB, they fill in just over three minutes. I now see why people plan on 15 minute fill, as timers are easy to find for that.

Good luck

I am beginning the build of the growbeds today !
I'm looking at different grow bed media and wondered if anyone uses a larger media at the bottom, and smaller media at the top ???..
it seems to me that would be the best of both worlds ..

Actually, I did that today in a number of barrel halves I'm adding to my system. I put lava rock on the bottom and river rock/stalite on top. My reasoning is primarily wanting the lava rock for the mineral content and porous surface area... Other than that, I don't care the size of the media from top to bottom...

CB

I have some larger bull rock in the bottom of my 1st grow bed. Only because I already had it, and the pile in the driveway is a bit of an eye sore. Can't say yet if it effects things as I am still washing and adding gravel. I was told a few moons ago though, that you want mostly uniform small (average 20mm) gravel as to maximize surface area for bacteria growth. I figured a bucket or two of the big stuff would not hurt would not hurt things much.

Mark

Still digging and hammering away !
Here I am working on the frame for the first GB.. (very similar to country boy's design)

update and Pics !


the liners in and getting lined up !!


Jack testing the water with his toes..


Midget in the GB for size reference


Midget in the GB for size reference 2


pumping from the ST into the bed (with the giant pump) and draining uphill ! Into the ST



It's only a matter of time before I'm washing gravel !!

Looking good!

What is the size of your GB?

FYI, I placed the long 4x4 @ the 1/3 and 2/3 mark of the width of the bottom to try to prevent sag in the middle, then spaced the cross members on 24" centers running the full width... yours looks narrower, so sagging may nor be an issue, or you could drop a long 4x4 under the middle with blocks under it for additional support... (Use a car jack to lift as necessary to get it under, not your back like I tried with a barrel of gravel last week and am paying for it now.... LOL! )

Keep it up!!

CB

Just ran in for a break before tool cleanup time..

The bed is 12' wide and 3' deep.. the base is a 8' 4x4 & a 4' 4x4 married with another 4x4.. the joints are offset from front to back..and placed on top of blocks..

the blocks are 30" on center, and there are 4x4's on top at 24" on center..
then, 3/4" ply, with 2x4's wrapping it on top and bottom, the top ones screwed horizontal along the width for strength..

the whole thing is screwed together with 4 1/2" strongtie lags (about 60 of them) - there were alot left over at work a couple of years back

it looks OK when full of water, and is surprisingly level .. I'm running a 3" drain out of the FT into the GB, a 1 1/2" line from the pump to the FT, and a 2" line (sealed beautifully) from the GB back to the ST !

I did the first test tonight running water from the FT to the GB to drain in the ST and back into the FT !! It was more fun than riding a rollercoaster !! (but I'm easily amused.)

It leaked like a sieve around the FT drain (I'm in the process of thinking more about it, it's probably going to involve ALOT of aquarium silicone), but I'm tiding it up and will start to join the pipes together with PVC glue in the AM

Then gravel washing here we come !! Whoo hoo !!

It is so much fun to watch...I guess mine has been cycling over a week now and it is still the first thing I do in the morning - run out and turn the pump on. I guess in one sense, not having a timer does my addiction well as I get to run out every hour or so when I am home and turn it on...may just have a go of it now!!!