Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

When I say "Spider" below, it's a generic term. I will be utilizing the 40mm six-outlet valve called the "Beetle" so think maximum 6, with cams to start with fewer.
You had already convinced me not to pursue the Footer... I meant that some of the tanks that were too big to be a workable Footer might serve as a Header.

So now it's the Header that's eating my height, and adding complexity and cost!
200 gallons is a hard stock tank size to find not to mention the whole support issue. They like to sit, not levitate.
A pressure-washer tank or a Pest Control tank seem to be good approximations of what could be supported and filled and Flouted.
Crunching numbers to come up with one that has:
-> about 25" of height - the RMST is 24" high, Spider adds a foot and the feed line (feed to the header) will hang best on the fence about 6 in. from the top.
-> and either 160-200 gallons, to fill one GB on one Spider sequence, or 80-100 gallons and give each GB two consecutive shots from the sequencer.
The double-shot scenario limits the GBs to at most 3 RMSTs so it looks like a water tower (SAVE FERRIS) is in my future. Or "just" a timer...


Oh no no, even if I just interrupt pump with a timer, the cool factor is amply supplied by the Spider Valve alone.
(My salad bar is Flouted anyway )

Back online in a few hours. I've got a Girl Scout to pick up. And a Tractor Supply just happens to be on the way

As far as timers, is this a good example?
Repeat Cycle Timer
In the long run, I may change to a 3-phase 220v pump (I have a 220 access box that's actually closer than my 110 outlets), will this timer (100-240V) actually run that too?

Rick

Here in Texas, you should try adding some Marbled Crayfish. These self-clone and reproduce in high numbers, and are great feeders for your other fishes. And, as most crayfish, they are pretty dirty animals, meaning the water from their tank makes wonderful fertilizer. You would want to raise a tank of these separate from the other fishes, so you have a perpetual source of feeders. I use 40 gallon tanks with undergravel filters covered with red lava rock, the babies hide in the rock. Connect a tube from the undergravel filter tube to your plant bed, and pump back filtered water from your chain of tanks. When a cray grows, it sheds its shell and this provides additional detrius for you plants. I provide these cloned animals to Major Universities so I keep these animals pathogen-free. Check it out at Marbledcrayfish.com!

I think those crayfish might be kinda dangerous to keep in an outdoor system in a warm climate like Texas or Florida, if they were to escape they could do damage to the natural ecosystems since they don't need a mate to reproduce!!!!! Also most crayfish are escape artists and trying to secure an outdoor pond from escaping crayfish would be quite the challenge.

Even if you raise them in a separate tank, if you are feeding them live to the fish in the outdoor pond, there is chance of escape!!!!!!! Use caution here.

I saw some "regular" crawdads slip into the FT/Sump last Easter. I think a breeding pair found a home, 'cause I think some babies were swimming around later in the summer. The goldfish may be eating them up though.

I had thought of putting some holey bricks up on the inside ledge (looks like a hot tub seat, maybe it is one) which is between high and low tide. As hides for the existing or new crawdads. But if these guys are that dirty, I don't think I want them in what will essentially be my sump.

Hey SF
I see Chappo's suggestion for your pond was moving to Sydney Australia this is totally ridiculous Alice Springs would be the obvious answer
But I do like your pond, looks like it could be incorporated into a very interesting AP system
Will look forward to see some pic of the progress

Time to post some pictures of my ex...
This will be bounced off of a 6.35mm screen (we call it "Qua'rinch") to remove the fines. This is a closeup before sifting...
A lot of the dust is just blowing away in the sifting, but I will wash it too unless what washes off is negligible.
This stuff is half air, but very structurally strong.

The reject material can be used as soil amendment, or wetted and used as aggregate (makes concrete stronger by internal hydration). Good thing, since the local vendor's monopoly on it keeps the price at roughly double what the manufacturer suggests as fair retail. But it's still 4 to 5 times cheaper than Hydroton.

Lots of washing....you gots lots of washing to do brother! I found the bag of shale to be much dirtier then the river pebbles I baught. I just finished with GB #1 and my whole body hurts.

You're saying I posted dirty pictures of my ex?!?

Funny stuff here

Hey Rick - my IBC is almost cycled and I'm starting to think about adding fish. Sometime in the next weeks I will be heading out to Overton Fishery for some bluegill and cats...should I pick up a few extra or are you still washing gravel? I could possibly overstock at first assuming you could come get a batch at a near point in the future.

Yes, 10 or 12 channel cats would be great.
I paused screening gravel because I need to prep a bed to receive it...
Have a lot of the plumbing laid out and realized... I still need the right hole saw.

Harbor Frieght has cheap hole saws...I got mine from there years ago...still works fine.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/d ... mber=38425

Harbor Freight also has affordable orange tie-down straps... Now where have I seen those used...

2 holes accomplished in one of my stock tanks. I went ahead and put them in the bottom.
(Whaaat! I'm violating one of my own rules here, namely "Heed TCLynx Advice or Face Murphy's Law!" But they end up very close to the bottom edge 'cutouts.' And I will have these beds raised 8 to 12 inches so there is actually easier access than some of my indoor sink drains.)

I will take pictures of the process soon, on the second tank plumbout, but here is a brief rundown.
The stock tanks have waffling on the bottom for support. The gaps in between are big enough for a shower drain to fit.

Drilled 3.25" hole in the middle of a "Waffle Gap" on the bottom, I used the second gap in from the edge under where the plug is.
Repeated opposite. The holes are about 30 inches apart and the standpipes' tops end up almost a foot from the rim.

Selected a no-caulk 2" shower drain at Home Depot, this version has the least junk sticking out the bottom. Want to preserve my fall, I'm already raising these the better part of a foot to be above my pond.
This drain has a weak Uniseal-type gasket and a 2" pipe passes straight thru. One of the two drains leaked around the 2" pipe in a fill test, so I ran aquarium silicone into the cavity around the pipe, top side of the drain.

The actual 2" standpipe is what we connect to underneath. I used 2" 'swept' sanitary tees and installed a threaded cleanout plug in the upstream one. I could tie in another growbed here later if needed (but they would flood together). I can later upgrade to 3" drain line by replacing these tees.

Yesterday I decided to glue the under-bed fittings. I wasn't going to glue gravity drain line stuff. But In testing, I could see the junctions trying to shift and leak whenever I adjusted the downstream connections. And my biggest fear was the tee just popping off and my pond pumping into the yard...

I have a number of holes drilled in the standpipes, I reserve the option to close off the higher ones with a sleeve if it actually drains too fast.

It's resting upside down now, curing the silicone. Tonight the goal is to finish leveling the block base, plumb it to the 4" fenceline drain main, fill test once more and start filling with wheelbarrows of screened expanded shale.
FINALLY!!