Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hey guys here is todays haul!!
Still waiting on for final date to move to the new place so cleaning and painting will have to keep me busy!!

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I couldn't upload images so i had to link.....

Good luck cleaning and painting! I'm at that point, myself.

thats a pretty decent set of parts. whats the overall plan?

Looks serious!

Still waiting to see the new place properly to confirm layout, location etc. Not sure if I will give one or two of the tanks away to my GF's Dad as at least he is ready to set up.

I'm thinking of going CHIFT PIST. With Two or three (or four who knows) of the tanks draining into a single tub/tank I have (not pictured), then this tub feeding to the growbeds. Because the Tanks are conical and drain from the bottom I would need to build a frame anyway so think this will work well with each drain pipe having a tap at its lowest point for further solids removal.(Will it be required with a conical tank draining from the bottom?)

The main tub would then drain via gravity to the grow beds, each bed with ball valve to control flow. I'm thinking constant flood, at least in the beginning. The bed would then drain back to a sump then water pumped back to the tank, again I may need some form of valve(s) to help even distribution of water if I have up to 4 tanks.

Would like, and possibly will need, some sort of solids removal but unsure where to put it.
I have no doubt iv gone about things the hard way with these conical tanks vs. 1 or 2 IBC's. But at $15 and as a student they were too good an offer to refuse.

I would like to eventually have a DWC but this will be more than enough for my first time.
Hope it sort of makes sense as a basic breakdown, I can see it in my head!... sort of..

hey Matt.. Great work so far..

A Question When you got the IBC's that where cut down, do you do the cutting or get them that way..?
- Reason for asking is.. If you cut them down.. as-long as the base is not plastic and is the steel.. just disconnect the steel flat plate to reuse down the track..

I have sitting from my works 2 steel plates which can make great bases for future growbeds.

Juergen..

Psst Have fun painting..
J

Hey snow,
Yeh they were cut down when I got them, of the five only one is the bottom of the IBC.

Regarding painting.... Was think of being totally original and going blue for the tanks and green for the beds
Any hints on brands etc?

Could not help you there.. All I do is check out B's and see what they have in the miss tint area.. you might get lucky and find a miss tint you like..
or find a colour consultant that can take that misting close to what you want for nothing[No added price]..

I have had that happen a few time's..

Mmm Love Miss tint's.. got a Deep Purple[4lt] epoxy based for less than 1/2 price..

Juergen

Have a friend who says I have gone about this all the wrong way, not sure why I feel I need to prove anything but anyway...

Just to confirm, constant flood appears to work fine for many member systems, and while there are some plants that struggle there is no reason I can't have one or two beds running with a siphon later on? I really don't fancy burying/buying an IBC as a sump so see constant flood as a good way around this issue.

I also like the idea of a larger water volume for a more constant water temp. From my reading here it also appears that constant flood performs better in hotter condition I.E PERTH this week
Anyway some feedback on this would be nice

Also... Should I keep the central tank or just have the tanks all flow into one pipe then onto the growbeds? I liked the idea of using it for filtration further down the track if needed. Or just with some gravel filled pots with plants.

Have changed my idea on the drainage from the tanks, will go with a SLO and just use the bottom tap for further solids removal as required, either by the fish or for my soil garden. Does this seem better?
Two more night shift till the big clean and paint!

Cheers guys

Did a quick rough sketch on trusty paint in my break....
Growbeds could all be in single line, will all depend when i see the place

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Again cant seem to post on here.

Hey Matt, images need to be no bigger than 800x600 and less than or equal to 180KB I think. You might just use a central large diameter drain pipe that the SLOs are connected to rather than the central tank. You might also have each FT connected to its own bed then they all drain to the same sump, that might be fun to play with, do your own trial between constant flood, flood and drain, and siphons.

AH! i feel silly......
Lets see if they work....

and the other... If a mod could possibly put these in my first post(s) to get rid of links

looks great Matt! very happy for you

Thanks man, no doubt will all change once we get to the place :p