Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I've always thought I would run 1inch/25mm pressure pvc, but I have started considering something else lately after seeing someone pumping up to a distribution/header tank. Would help me to get a more even distribution to all GB's (which are at different heights) without restricting teh pump in any way.

Basically pump up from the sump to the header tank in up to 40mm poly and then gravity feeding from the header tank with seperate 25mm outlets to the 3 GB's. Should provide an even ammount of water to all beds at the same rate. The only problem I can see is the header tank outlets becoming blocked somehow and the header tank overflowing.

I could position the header tank above the yabbie tank between the ibc GB and the black tub GB and this would mean that IF it did overflow it would end up in the yabbie tank. Or I could just put a 90mm overflow in the header tank and direct this into the yabbie tank eliminating the problem.

Just running things over at the moment, believe it or not I may have some time to work on it this weekend!

Brook Trout update please?

Go for this option. At least you will have control of the water if it does overflow. I'd go for 50mm rather than 90mm.

Went away for the weekend so no advances on the pump lines. Will need to get a few bragging right photos up of the brooks though. Air stone was not working in the trout tank today and could clearly see the biggest of the brooks. Pushing 180mm in length a couple of them. Unfortunately looks like I'm heading off again this weekend so you'll all have to sit in suspense.

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Well long story but due to vehicle issues I am not where I should be at the moment, therefor i've had time to make some changes to the system. Been disappointed to find a few more MC not looking so good. So been feeding them to the chook and the brook trout.

Made the decision that the trout were started to get cramped for space and the brooks were starting look like they would be terrorising the smaller rainbows. Drained the sump and gave it a clean, catching the sole surviving trout from last years stock. put him in a bucket on the bathroom scales and it said he was 300gm however I don't think it was very accurate. He is very fat!

Threw him into the yabbie tank to continue growing

I then drained the MC tank down and transfered them to the sump tank to keep a better eye on them and also give them a quick salt bath.

After giving the MC tank a clean it has now become the new home for the brook trout. Netting the trout was rather easy so I removed all of them to count and seperate them. All the brooks into the old MC tank and held 30 or so rainbows to take out the farm dam.

So rough numbers are 25 brooks in tank1, 45 rainbows in tank2, 1 yearling rainbow in yabbie tank, and 40 MC in the sump. Yabbie numbers could be anything not really concerned on their numbers they are breeding and living happily.

Finally have done something with my pumplines. Upsized my main pump line to 25mm LDPE with 25x13mm tees to each GB, the flow from the new pump is staggering when not restricted! I have had to remove the stand pipe in the large GB in order to stop it overflowing, it still holds plenty of water running CF without a standpipe. GB2 is not recieving alot of flow but I am okay with this. The majority of flow going to the other 2 GBS is creating plenty of aeration and water turn over.

I also played with my air pump since it seemed that I had lost a few diaphrams. I replace them with the spares that I had and lubed them up with tap lube to hopefully lengthen there lifespan.

I then tee'd 3 lines into the backup common manifold and then out via 3 stones. One in each of the main fish tanks. So now when power goes out the back up switches on and feeds air through the manifold and through the same 3 airstones.

I'll head out and take some video and photos.

Basically seems like you have had a bit of a busy bee bundy, its a good feeling to get things counted up and sorted.....when you get the chance that is.

Good luck with the MC

Cant work out youtube at the moment so photos will have to suffice.

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Looking good BB. Nice little trout

The last photo there is the rainbows, the first few are the brooks, there is noticable a difference even in the photos, however photos don't do the brooks any justice

Yeah when you look closer the brooks do look fatter and deeper bodied

Quick post, thing are okay after the big suffle the other day. Noticed the chook laying into something substantial yesterday to work out it was a brook trout. either an escapee from the day of the suffle or he just didn't like his new home and jumped out.

As said before brooks are in FT1 and all bar the jumper are looking well and feeding well again.

Rainbows in FT2 are also all looking well although smaller than the brooks and feeding well again.

Big trout seems happy in his new home with the yabbies (half hoping he devours the lot and becomes Ubertrout!)

MC in sump tank appear to be all well also. They are all hiding in there PVC hides positioned infront of the inflow from the yabbie tank. they don't seem to be intersted in food although I have now run out of the crumble I purchased from glenburn when I bought the fish and now have to feed them crushed 6mm pellet. They are being fed wether they like it or not since there is enough flow in this tank to send the excess to the GB's

My cod arnt eating much either as I find a lot of pellets in my catcher net that I put in the tank in the morning after feeding the night before, and also a lot end up in the growbeds

I have no problem with them not eating its just the dying I have an issue with



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