Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

ok after reading some more i finally got it, yes i WANT a sump tank, seems like i would have happier less stressed fish. ok. i have the tank already.

I know it goes
pump from ST to FT, then FT overflows into GB, and drains into ST

so ST must be lower then beds, but

my Q to make this work is does my FT have to be higher then GB's? and how do i plumb it so it does just that?

like this one..





also do i NEED a swirl tank, and what does ti do?

Well in this system the FT is below the GB's - so I guess the answer would be no. But, this system, as it stands, requires 2 pumps to run. The issue is that if one pump fails, for example, the ST but not the FT pump, then you will get home and your fish will have no water at all because the pump will run it dry.

A swirl filter just helps to remove excess solids from the water. It's not required with media based systems, so long as you don't overstock your system with fish. If you do that then you might want to consider a filter, but adding more GB's will achieve the same function. Mostly you would use a swirl filter when you are trying to run DWC.

Another thing that you might want to consider would be this:

Run 2 GB's on a siphon (flood and drain) and 2 on continuous flood. This will mean that you cut your water level change in your FT by half.

They are different plants that prefer CF and others that prefer flood and drain. It might be something for you to have a look into. You will need to run your pump continuously, but I prefer this because it's less prone to failure due to frequently high starting currents.

If you really want a sump, I guess you could modify the above system by having the FT with a SLO that goes straight into you GB's. That just means that you will only require one pump and that will be in your sump. It then pumps to your FT which automatically drains to your GB's. It also means you won't be able to pump your FT dry.

The modified system would look something like this: (the yellow line is the constant water level in the FT, would actually be just in line with the GB's)

ya thats what i want right thar! thanks!! ok guys i swear ill have a video of this working by days end tho i may have to go get a smaller pump, i tend to do GO BIG OR GO HOME and i think 1650 GPH is a tad much

Good luck!

Looks like you've got the right idea now. Build in a way to aerate the water in case you have more pump capacity than you need and consider sizing the pump for if you want to expand the system later.

i was thinking of choking the line from the pump to the FT down and maybe splitting off to 3 separate lines to 3 areas of the tank that are 1/2 or 3/4 with holes drilled in them to aerate it.

I just hauled it all out to start mocking it up & right now im facing put the FT on blocks or put the GB on a very short stand but Id like to keep it sitting over the ST to save room



either way not bad considering I just decided to make this 1 week ago

HERE IS A LINK TO THE COMPLETE BUILD IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED
http://s906.photobucket.com/user/fishma ... CS%20BUILD

got my FT raised on cinder blocks and now i have the perfect height, tomorrow i will get it all plumbed right and flowing

Looking good RobD. Just remember to add a T piece to the pipe where it leaves your FT to your GB. If you don't you could risk a siphon and drain your whole FT.

Check this out for more advice:

http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum ... 3&p=390045

I'm excited for you!!

Probably find some info on this by looking for "spray bar".

You may not need this many separate lines but I'm not sure what you've got in mind. Setup looks good so far

DanG i was going to ask about that today, that link shows it outside the FT, but i need one inside my FT at the top right?

Since Dan hasn't gotten back to you yet, it can be either way.

Scroll down for a pic of how Arbe did the inside version of the T - http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=8529&hilit=slo&start=45

Just for comparison on this page is the outside version of the T - http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/search.php?st=0&sk=t&sd=d&sr=posts&keywords=slo+T&start=15

Hope this helps

Dan scotty, you mean like this where the arrow is pointing?

lol



No, I'd put it just to the right of where you have it so that it tops the vertical portion. Like this

This is if you want the T outside the tank