Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hello All,

I need some constructive feedback on the system I am looking to put in.. of course being a newbie it does not have to be all at once and I dont mind starting small. Check out the rough outline. I have not yet added in all the 'flow's as some I am unsure of... and NO I have not worked out anti-gravity...just didn't add the frame for the growbeds

Essentially, just a standard CHIFT PIST to start with. 2nd stage to add the NFT rails and a DWC set-up. Hope I have not provided too much filtration for a 1000lt tank there.... ??

** Biggest question are on DWC and NFT. Is it best to supply water to these from the sump and recycle the water back to the sump OR direct from fish tank through some filter mech........

Goal: To have 3 little methods running, Growbeds, DWC and some NFT.

List of Goodies:
1000lt FT
3 x 300lt GrowBeds
1 x 600lt DWC
2 x 3m rails of NFT.
1 x 9000lt Laguna Pump (might need another...unsure but would like to do it as one.
1 x some sort of home made filter,
Nothing made yet, so everything is up for grabs....

Yep feed from the sump... and return to the sump...

Both NFT & DWC... require pre-filtering... which is what your grow beds will do...

Thank you Rupert... do NFT and DWC need constant water circulating or can 30/30 on off work for them. Obviously the DWC is always in water but would this be enough circulation.

Both are best running continuously....

Looking ok Madcap.... Good to see you using google sketchup.

Thanks, yeh Sketchup is pretty handy and seeing I have to use it at work everyday to draw office furniture and the like... you get the hang of it...

Great things starting... Picked up 2 ibc today and another two coming over the weekend...

Looking good Madcap, I'm planning on building a similar system in the next 6 months or so.
Here's a picture of my design so far, though i might end up using different DWC tanks and adding some NFT trays.
I was planning to use the same pump too, i have one in my current system and it works a treat

Gee AzzA your diagram looks lovely and rendered.. very nice.
Lots of filtration there........ I am hoping for 95% of my filtration to be the growbeds with gravel media and then only a small requirement for a swirl filter pre-NFT and DWC..... fingers crossed. I just cannot wait for holidays at Christmas when I can get into it and hook it all up. Have been picking up firttings, pumps, IBC, paint, blocks bit by bit each week when I drive past somewhere....

I am underway.............well almost.
Tried to do as much as I could during my week off but the kids made it near impossible to use power tools running between my legs and wanting to go in the pool.... so I ended up time poor.

I will post pics soon of my progress, but a quick question......... My FT IBC is leaking through the tap and around the tap housing. Can the entire housing be removed to put a gasket in or should I use copious amounts of silicone to resolve. The tap leaking is an non issue as I have the fitting to seal it off, but the housing is more problematic. No fish yet, so plenty of fixing time.

Cannot get my FT to seal around the tap housing. Tried a bucket of silicone but it will not seal........... Going to need to get another IBC as a FT to get my system started... Bugger, I had cut holes in the FT already so now will be hard to salvage as GB's. Might get one out of it.....

I had a leak too... took the entire tap assembly out, gave all the adjacent areas and the threads a LIGHT rub with some fine-grain sand paper (280 wet and dry, if I remember correctly?) then reassembled using liberal amounts of sikaflex polyurethane. No problems since then, except that it is now impossible to remove the IBC tap assembly (if I ever needed to!)


Scott

Had to replace ft ibc today so didn't get much else done. Hoping next sun is planting day. Fingers crossed. Washing rocks is not a fun way to spend a Saturday!

Looking good Madcap, is that a standard render on your SU?
The first render is nice, but the render of the car+IBC is awesome

Same question to Azza to methinks.