Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

The only thing I took from this is that you like to try pick at members posts Paul. Its quite obvious what Rupe was saying, maybe this would all go a lot smoother if you "added" your wealth of information to each post..not pick at it. Im sure your better than that.

Common mate, this stuff is supposed to be fun. Lets keep it that way champ.

To original poster: What about constant flood beds? Just fill the tank and the growbeds and keep on cycling the water through.

Constant flood becomes an option in light of the fall posted... however the fall represents design constraints IMO...

As the tank is 1600mm tall.. even if it was dug 800mm into the ground on the downward end of the slope... it would still stand 800mm above ground....

If the full IBC's were used as grow beds.. standing 800mm+ tall... then regardless of whether they were drained by siphon or overflow standpipe... I think the water would (progressively)... equalise to a level within the beds that would mean that the last bed was always basically full....

Even cutting the IBC's into 300mm grow beds... and raising them onto 800mm stands... would only barely raise the beds above the tank level...

Of course you could employ a lower sump tank... and pump back to the fish tank... requiring two pumps...

I'm wondering if the best choice might be to actually cut 400mm off the big tank.. and place it down line as a sump....

And pump back to the remaining 1200mm tank uphill.... in an SLO "Chift Pist/Chop" style.. with a single pump...

And overflow by gravity to the grow beds.... either using siphons, or as constant flood... and gravity return to the sump...

You could retain the full IBC's as grow beds this way... or cut the sump deeper, say 600mm...giving a smaller fish tank, larger sump... and cut the IBC's into 300mm grow beds on stands... (you'd have to have them lower than the SLO in the fish tank of course)...

A deeper sump could also allow, even with the draw down pumping back uphill to the fish tank... for the sump to be used for fingerlings, and/or yabbies....

I don't think a timed system could work unless a sump, two pump secnario was employed... whether that be a standard overflow standpipe... or a "timed" siphon...

What do others think....

iv had time over the weekend to measure the fall of the new AP location its 750mm over the 10m of area iam using

Watching with interest. I also have an upcoming move to a larger area with a drop in grade. Keep posting pics and info. Luck.

Cheers there Mr Bill iam trying to the info for a change b4 i dive in as usual

does anyoone know of sp in w.a. under 4 dollars

here is a quicky add 6 marron (mmm marron)pritty blue yesterday

He didnt make it to the new tank

Niiice.....

I think stu (monya) ships to everywhere, and for $4 I think you'd get fillets

Digging the fish tank in a bit is always nice.



if the grow beds are cascading...

Standpipe option-
If the standpipes have an open pipe sitting over them it's easy enough to stop the equalising thing from happening, and also to draw water through the entire system from the bottom of each grow bed to the top of the next.

SLO option-
as long as the SLO has that T breather option in place, it's only overflow and not siphoning, so the equalising issue will go away.

perhaps a combination of constant flood and flood and drain with the beds closer to the FT being constant flood.

But CHIFT PIST feels safer to me, so I think I'd go with a sump. CHIFT PIST put's the fish in the safest seats in the house, and keeps them from all the walking on dry land that they hate so very much.