Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi Mal,

Are you planning on running your pipework under the pavers? Looking good

tks chainsaw. I'm not sure yet. Certainly would be neater and I wouldn't be tripping over the pipes all the time. Not sure about how I'll tap 90mm pipe into fibreglass wall of ST.

Next week I'll look at building the stands for the GB's - need to workout all my heights so I have a good flow. I think I'll just dump from the GB's into a 90mm storm pipe back to the ST.

Mal

I've been working on ideas for the GB stand and can either make them out of 100x38 fence rail or 40x40 box steel.

I've "re-engineered" one of my dead projects and resurrected enough steel to make at least three stands. Here is a prototype (just a mock up to get an idea) of what I'm thinking of. I'm not an engineer but I've got a feeling it will be strong enough to carry the weight of the GB, water and gravel 400mm deep. Being 40x40 box there are adjustable feet available that will make the levelling a lot easier.

Any comments?

Just an update for all interested ...

Had a HSM moment when the ST (half full) still popped out of the ground. We only had 7mm of rain but then I noticed that I hadn't done anything about the overflow on the main tank. With the catchment area that feeds it phew

First job was to redirect the overflow from the tank and remove the ST ready for fix ...

and once that happened it was re-thinking the hydrostatic pressure under the tank (I'm no expert BTW). My thinking was to allow any pressure UNDER the tank to be expelled to the surface. I put in a little stone sump and a 50mm pipe - see photo. This may or may not work, but I did it anyway!

and I even managed to finish the GB stands over Easter.

I've calculated that I'll need ~2m3 of river gravel to fill the six GB to 50mm below the top. (That will have to wait as we are off to Cairns for a couple of days.)

Oops no photo yet. Off to take a quick snap ..... now attached

I managed to complete ALL GB stands with the steel that I had onhand. Then had to add another 200mm to each leg because they were too short. 24 of them!

Next week I'll have the levelling feet which should add about another 50mm to the height.

Nicely done Malcolm... nice job on the stands...

tks RupertofOZ

Just the bloke I need

Surpringly I JUST had enough steel to complete the six GB. Had to rethink a couple of times when I got the 38 and 40mm steel mixed up. Luckily I remembered all the "legs" needed to be 40mm for the "feet" to slot in.

I'm thinking of joining each side (3 GB) together with one Bell siphon back to the sump. I'm thinking I would then only require a two port distribution system from the FT (your product). Maybe, thinking to future, blank off a couple of ports leaving two. Can you please send me some info to malcolm at sbca dot com dot au regarding prices etc.

Any advices on joining the FT, GB and ST will be appreciated.

Mal

Hi Mal, Good thought but the vent pipe wont do a thing to improve the situation Couple of ideas................

1. I would attach some "outriggers" glued or screwed to the tank to hold the tank in place. Use say 4 bricks (or hardwood) attached to the sides near the bottom, 90deg to each other.

2. Run a piece of 50mm pvc straight through each side half way up using "uniseal or silicane", connect the drain pipes from each GB and drill drain holes in the pvc inside the ST. That way the buried pvc pipe will hold down the ST.


Thats a couple of thoughts to get the ball rolling, maybe some else would like to add to it.

Just an update HSM #3

Time to look at chainsaw's advice ....

One test is worth 100 expert opinions.

Here is my test for flotation ....

So ....

Based on my "experiment" I have repositioned my ST with 1/3 below ground zero (200mm) and 2/3 above (400mm) ....

Almost there

Mal

Looking the goods Mal, but will it grow plants?

Here is the update photo of my mega syphon (Mk 2) still reckon it will fit nicely between the GBs. Try it on the other side. I reckon will look really neat.

For other members info a DTRISER costs $9.20 @ B

chainsaw

Will it grow plants? At least I have 2.66 tonne of gravel. All the beds on the left have Home Hill (Burdekin River) Gravel - (really smooth pebbles up to 40mm). I then found the supplier also had what they call IIRC Quinqin Gravel (much like "scoria" (volcanic stuff). Three times the price but I thought would weigh less. Wrong. Bought one trailer load to test (540kg). So, on my right side the far GB is 50% HH topped with 50% Q. Centre GB is 100% HH and nearest GB is 100% Q.

Here is a photo of the right side. The BS is already built so not changing anything until I test it all. Just need to reset the heights of the siphon after I cut the legs off GB stand.

Tomorrow I will get in and cut 90mm off the legs to make it exactly the same height as the top of the GB's on the left side (800mm).

The outlet from the FT will come from the centre of the tank, with a 50mm pipe with vent cap on the end, through a 50mm threaded fitting at the base of the tank and up the side to a T piece where it will feed the L/R GB's. This pipe is also 800mm high. My theory is that any water pumped into the FT will raise the water level travel along the outlet pipe to the GB where the flow can be adjusted at each GB by swivelling the T piece at the centre of each GB until all are "in sync".

Mal

and the ST pipes are already buried under the tiles.