Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

For some basic airlift and geyser pump computations, have a look at : http://www.airliftpump.com/index.htm It's not the prettiest website, so just extract the information you need...


Scott

My setup only has about 60mm head. While testing it, lifting the head up to about 100mm really started to slow the volume of water.
In a smaller footprint system you'll probably have to go with a water pump or work on a geyser pump setup. I'd love to give you some advice on the geysers but I haven't experimented with them yet.

That's not a lot of head for my set up. I'll probably concoct a geyser pump based on this video.
DIY Geyser Pump

Thanks for the replies. And awesome work!

I think snowT had a fairly good airlift going, check his thread.

Scored a 500 gallon water tank off of craigslist today for $40.
No, I don't know what I'll do with it yet, but I just know I need it for something.

Good score and of course there will be a use for it.

Yeah, good score!

Sweet Score!!!

Brian

Been getting lots of rain lately. We might even break out of this drought before long.
My AP system is just getting by. Hot peppers doing decent (jalapenos, cayennes, cowhorns, banana peppers). Most everything else just wilted in the heat. I have a yellow leaf issue so I ordered some chelated iron at the nearest nursery and we'll see what happens.
The airlift is not flowing as much as before (just by the look of it) so that will come out for an inspection tomorrow.
I've done no more experimentation with the system, but I'm thinking of trying an NFT tube setup that pumps out of the return and runs around some before slowly draining back in. It will make the current system sort of a flood and drain as the water level drops across the whole system, the airlift will not be able to overcome the increasing head. Just a thought-need materials.

No doubt you already know, but NFT will act as a heat pump, and transfer heat in or out of your system.

2 of the airlines had loosed themselves from the airlift bell. Re-inserted them and put zip-ties on all 4 ends inside the bell. Back to its regular flow.
Went ahead and cleaned the inside of the tank while I was in there. A little bit of crud on the bottom.
And, a foliar application of the seaweed extract.

Been awhile as the plants have been struggling along. Finally gave in and ordered some Maxicrop+Iron as I couldn't find a solution locally (which I prefer to do when possible).
Plants have perked up, turned greener and started fruiting more abundantly.
So, as the weather cools and the mosquitos die off (soon I hope) I'll get back into the outdoors work. The old hot tub to become a AP filtered koi pond will get some attention and will hopefully be suitable for the goldfish in my ibc system so that I can put tilapia in the ibc come springtime.
I'd like to put up a greenhouse structure of some sort for the ibc system and future expansion. Time and money...

The height of the Lift in an Airlift is dependent on the volume of air Being used..

My system has a height of 6" at a Volume of 4000lt+/hr but I am Pushing any where from 60-100lt/m of air.. I have a 100lt Air pump.. but then I'm using it for all my Air issue's..
100L/m
12" Membrane Air-stone.
5 @ Air-stone spread over the system.. - 2 @2" air-stone Running my Moving media filter.
>> 2 @ 2" long air-stone in the Tank to provide extra air/water movement..

I have 2 60L/m air-pumps as Backup.. 35w each..

Juergen

Transplanted a couple of green onions(scallions) over from a dirt pot on the porch to the Ap system today. I moved one last week and it didn't slow down a bit, so a couple more today and maybe the others in a couple more weeks. These are from some bulbs that I started from seed over a year ago. I only harvest the stalks and let the bulbs start new ones. I had tried to start from seed in the grow bed this spring but only a couple of little shoots popped up and either died off or got harvested by some critters.
Also, I sprinkled in some romaine lettuce seeds and swiss chard seeds today and also placed some romaine seeds on paper towel pieces under the surface of the gravel. Still getting some hot peppers from the plants but the weather has started to cool so they seem to be tapering off some.
In non-AP news, 2 of our chickens started laying this week and one more should soon. The other 7 are still too young. One small step closer to smaller gas and grocery bills!

I love the way transplants do that without missing a beat. (did I just miss an opportunity to say "without missing a beet") I've been known to lift a plant just to have a look at it's root system, then put it back to keep growing without any difference as compared to its undisturbed neighbours.

And man I miss home grown eggs. Egg yoke has probably the biggest difference between home made and store bought products as far as quality goes. Lots of greens and bugs in their diet is what does it I think.