Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Then added some other bits so that I can fill the tank tommorow and see if it stays level



Here is a closeup of the riser tube in the tank. It has lots of 10mm holes so solids should get sucked away pretty well I think



Tommorow, after taking the girls to netball, I will work on the growbed/sump area, and get some white pebbles to cover the whole area and the paths. Make it look noice

Well , I lied, as I got talked into staying to watch the footy and having some frothys
Did get home with enough light to get the tank nearly filled
Love watching a big fish tank fill with a beer in hand

Today got half a metre of cream pebbles to make the area all purdy. Then made a stand for one of the growbeds. The other growbed will be over the sump which I havent got yet, so when I get it I can figure out how to construct the stand.

Lookin nice manto!!!!!

I like the design of the GB stands.
Been thinking of making mine out of steel like all the others? But workshop is geared around wood.

Can not wait to see it up and running.

Please keep the photos coming.

Hi all. I love the tank, flat bottoms, IBCs and barrels dont float my boat, they just allow accumulation of rubbish in dead spots. The issue is only the price of these top tanks. As for the frames I have used home made welded RHS and timber constructions and am not in love with either, the cost is not appealing and the time factor is a burden. Looking at some of the work on this site I suspect some are a little "light on" and miss the fact that there is say 500kg + in each tank with our kiddies in and around the GBs. The easiest syetm I have used is a cut down, 2nd hand pallet rack 1000mm high, 1170 wide and 2700mm long. Stick to standard sizes and prices are lower. Using cross bars to support the GB allows a BYAP GB and 2 small beds on syphons to sit on one frame. Time to assemble, minutes, strength - no doubts, looks OK, can camouflage with bamboo "curtains" etc if necessary. Fingerling tank undernaeth. Cost around $ 200.

Ummm, the growbeds are 500L yes, but filled with scoria and only ever having maybe 200L of water, I am guessing 250kg at best. So I think my stands will hold up ok.

Cheers

Think you might be underestimating the volume/weight of the water... and the scoria...

I reckon you could be closer to 350kg...

Well in that case it wouldnt hurt to put a couple more legs in the middle of the stands. Scoria must be heavier than I thought , thanks

Can you show us a picture please?
Dale

Nice system Manto.

Do you plan on changing how you've got that plumbed at the moment so that is looks like the pic above. Only the part on the outside that is. Or did I miss read what you have planned?

I could be wrong but it looks to me that the way you have it plumbed at moment means the only way you control the height of water in the fish tank is with that riser pipe with the holes drilled in it, and it looks pretty short.

Also the height of the plumbing to the lowest grow bed (lowest being the horizontal height) will also influence the height in the fish tank (with the way you have it plumbed at the moment).

Hi Taz
The fish tank height will be set by the overflow tees height when I put it on the outside pipe, like a normal overflow setup. The riser tube in the tank is not doing anything other than letting water out through the 10mm holes while keeping fish out of the sump.

hey mantis,

nice setup....coming along nicely.

looking at your stand, I too have reservations...mainly bowing on the top and possibly the collapse due to the weight.

Ofcourse, maybe you'll be fine, but your growbeds fit 500+ litres of scoria, plus 200 litres of water, there is much more than 250 or even 350 kgs of weight.

I will beef up the stand with more legs and bolts etc. Thanks for your observations. Wouldnt be nice to see the thing collapse on its first fill