Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Wow! If I do decide to use a filter in the future, that is a nice way to focus the solids to the drain.

You just made me wonder about how I should get the water and solids from my FT to the beds. I have a submersible waterfall pump, and would like to direct the settlement to that pump somehow. Back to the research again. I'm sure someone has discussed this before on the forum as well.

I'm not sure what u are asking?

Are you going with CHIFT-PIST still? If so you would use a SLO (solids lift overflow) to shift the solids to the growbeds from the fishtank.

Edit-I just realized in your first post that you said you were going sump->via pump->growbeds->via gravity->fish tank->via gravity->sump......I would strongly suggest you go wiTh JT and bunson's advice on the first page and do it in the reverse order with pump going from sump to fish tank, then use a SLO like I suggested. This way you will be pumping clean water with your pump.

If you must go in the other direction you will Need a solids handling pump to move the solids to the grow beds AND maybe a SLO to move the solids from the ft to the sump.

DrLuke,
I'm doing just what the doctor ordered... Going from the FT to the GB, back to the sump. I had also planned to have vertical tubes to grow strawberries etc... This would give me more growing area for the volume of space in my 10x17ft greenhouse. What I'm trying to do, is figure out how to pump to both the vertical and horizontal GBs. with only one pump.

Your suggestion of using the SLO solves my problem of moving the solids to the horizontal GBs. But how do I get that water to the vertical beds as well with only one pump?

I'm now dropping the CHIFT-PIST and open to going from the FT to the GB.

As mentioned earlier, my plan to have vertical tubes to grow strawberries, would give me more growing area for the volume of space in my 10x17ft greenhouse. I need this, because my medical condition, is so that I am almost totally consuming juiced veggies, and I go through a tone of them. Maximizing my growing area is very important.

What I'm trying to do, is figure out how to direct the solids in the FT, (which will now be two IBCs connected) to the pump intake, then both the vertical and horizontal GBs. If I had a round tank, I could create a vortex to the centre of that tank, then remove them and send them to the Gbs. I'm not sure if the two IBCs connected together will do that.

DrLuke, your suggestion of using the SLO solves my problem of moving the solids to the horizontal GBs by gravity, but not the vertical grow tubes.

My pump is a 3000gph submersible waterfall pump. I'm not sure whether there is a need to pump clean water or not.

So what I have to work with is:
1- 3000gph pump
2- 275gl IBCs
8- blue barrels (two of those will be used for rain water)
1- 10x17ft greenhouse
various sizes of PVC pipe
1-newbie aquaponics builder (completely open to suggestions)

My question is, (given my needs) what the heck do I do?
Hope this helps clear up my previous muddy post.

Wow that is a big pump. I am using a 2k gallon a hour to run my 1800 gallons.

I know... It's what I had from a waterfall I was going to build on the patio. Maybe I could still incorporate my waterfall, in the greenhouse to aerate my fish bed and add some ambiance. Throw in some mood lighting and my lawn chairs, and have a drink while watching my garden grow.

Now you are talking, sitting in my hot tub with the wife drinking a crown and coke, watching the garden.

Humm... I don't have enough space for a hot tub too. You think the fish would mind if I climbed in there with them? lol

Well they might mind but who cares?

I ll have to read your post a few more times to get what you mean, but without a CHIFT-PIST system you won't use a SLO, you will use a solids handling pump to shift the solids from the ft to the gb.

Unfortunately it is strongly recommended that prefilter water going to grow towers. If you use CHIFT-PIST and sump, the gb acts as a prefilter to the water in the sump. You can then pump to both your ft and your grow towers with clean prefiltered water, either using a single pump or two pumps.

With the ft and gb only you are going to need to install a prefilter device between the pump in the ft and the grow towers, as you will be pumping solids/dirty water from the ft.

DrLuke,
This sounds like the best setup...

I was thinking the grow towers needed the same water as the growbeds and not the prefilter water.

So I'll you use the CHIFT-PIST and sump, where the gb acts as a prefilter to the water in the sump. Then pump to both the ft and grow towers with clean prefiltered water, using a single pump.

Thank you for explaining this.

I've got most of my Greenhouse drawings laid out, and everything work well with this setup.

I am confused about what you're trying to achieve? Is it something like:

(Concept diagram only. You'd need distribution manifolds to ensure equal volumetric flow to the towers)



Scott

I'm thinking something simpler.

Pump puts water straight to ft from sump. Then on a different loop, either T'ed off the main pump line, or with a second pump, go sump to grow towers draining back to sump. If u choose to drain the grow towers to the ft or GBs first it makes no difference, it will still end up at the sump.

I guess if u mean to choose one of the three options in ur diagram the it is the same as what I'm suggesting

Yes it is like this Skott...




This is the way I have the greenhouse laid out...

The FT and sump are in the centre of the greenhouse and against the back wall.

I can pump from the sump to the FT, and using a T, overhead to the tower distribution manifold. The flow, will be controlled by valves at the towers and FT, so that each has the proper pressure.

Per the drawing I'll have a SLO overflowing to the GB, which goes around the wall of the greenhouse. The GB and towers will drain into a gutter behind the GB, then around the preimeter of the greenhouse and end at the sump.