Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I couldn't let that go! Another seniors moment

Lifting the pump off the bottom of the tank sounds like a good idea to me. I may even do that this weekend while the girlfriend is away. Also a low level cut-out in the fish tank is a good idea.

Nova

By raining the pump in the fish tank (aslong as it has a float attached to it) you would create that low level cut out

Is that heavier or lighter than raining cats and dogs (or just the AP equivalent).

No switch on mine, always on.

Nova

doh raising LOL. Okay, you could use a piggy back float then as your low level cut off. In fact, that is exactly what I am going to do. I love the timer because it is so easy, and you can have a bit of down time between cycles. With the piggy back float, just plug the float into the timer, then pump into the piggy back, and you don't even need to raise the pump in the tank!

Lost me the mon, say again or can you draw a quick diagram.

Must be suffering brain fade to day.

This the kind of thing you mean ... "piggyback" as in pump AND float sensor both plugged to timer via a piggyback power cord??

That is how I understand it.

Nova

Now that I've drawn it I'll pop it on

Set the piggy back float so it is still on at the lowest point of the flood cycle. Then, if the water doesn't return to the fish for any reason, when the timer kicks in for the next cycle, the piggy back float will override the timer and stop the pump

that's one grumpy looking fish you've got in that tank Mon, what are you feeding those barramundi?

He's had a rough day LOL

all this is very timely (pun) as I've spent the morning putting the pump in the tank (FINALLY!) I haven't set the float up at all yet, as I have to put the blue drums together first. You guys get all this sorted, then give me the instructions and I'll set mine up! Thanks!

Beat me there Jaymie, it does look evil though.

Nova

Still confused Mon, what over-rides the timer?
If the float is set to "still on" wont the pump still operate anyway??
If the timer fails for some reason wouldn't this mean the float (and pump) stay "on"?? ... at least through another "timer" period?

I'm struggling to explain this. You have to have the piggy back float set so that it is still "on" thru the wholw flood cycle that the timer is controlling. There would be a window of time where, if the pump doesn't return the water to the fish tank, the piggy back float would still be on, but soon after it started pumping out for another cycle, the piggy back float would go down and hence off. and hence over riding the timer. It would all depend on how accurately you had the piggy back float set. ie you want it to turn off just below the level of the fish tank at the bottom water level when the growbeds are full. Am I making any sense at all?