Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi,

I'm playing with the idea of creating a window farm (not sure yet if it will be aquaponic/hydroponic).
At the moment I'm thinking of something similar to this:
(http://our.windowfarms.org/2012/02/25/21596/)
I would be using 1 liter yoghurt buckets probably and have them further apart, but was thinking about using the same ebb/flow system.

Now, my problem:
I'm not sure on how to get the small water pipes through the bottom of the bucket in a simple way without it leaking.
I was thinking that something should exist to put a pipe through a 'wall', but I can't seem to find the name for it... I'll try to describe what I mean:
Either a little piece of pvc with on two sides a connection for tubing and in the middle a screw-thread to put two nuts on it with the bucket wall in between.
Or two pieces of pvc, each with a connection for the tubing, one with a thread on the outside, the other on the inside...
Anyone know what I'm trying to get at?

I know I could try drilling a hole and filling it up with some kind of glue, but I thought a cleaner solutions should exist (although I'm not sure if it will, for the tiny size I'm looking for)

Sorry if this post is somewhat chaotic (and my English isn't that good).. I blame my thoughts

Thanks in advance for any help!

you could drill the whole bottle cap into the following bottle, a la this video;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6FqmCeOymc

from minute six on

You're looking for uniseals - they plug into a drilled hole and you squeeze your pipe into it. Make sure you check the sizes - for example a 50mm pipe needs about a 62 or 63mm uniseal. (pipe size is inside diameter, so you have thickness of both walls as well as thickness of uniseal walls to account for)



Note when putting in the pipe - use a little lubricant - non-lethal to fish, OK? Just smear a little on the end and push it through. Or some people run a file around the outer edge of the end of the pipe so there is a slope that makes it a bit easier. The size you are looking at should be too much problem though - tends to be the larger ones are harder to push in.

There are also bulkhead fittings but they tend to be much more expensive. Given you're in Belgium there's probably not a lot of point giving suppliers - google for them. Might also be called uni seals (with space)

We did ours similar to the video.
The water drips from one to the next.

We use the aquarium for our water and it drains into the same.

Thanks, now I have something to google

If anyone in or around Belgium would read this and be able to tell me where to buy uniseals and/or bulkhead fittings (bulkhead union I think), please let me know.

I know that when using bottles I could plug one into the other, but since I'm planning on using small yoghurt buckets and an ebb/flow system (instead of the dripping system for most of those bottle systems), I don't really see that as an option.