Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

yeah probably.
Nope not yet.
Too busy.
I think I'll try Nat's idea of plug and waist fittings rather than bulkheads or uniseals.

Okay have started.

Couldn't find this fitting exactly the same as NAT's blue barrel system (plus and waste) as seen in his fitting setup pic here:


This is all I could find - it has a thicker collar and no rubber washer



So I found a washer (50c) and used my 32mm thread fitting onto a 32mm elbow


Thanks to NAT for his template I went ahead and made 10 beds with help from the kids for drawing lines and washing barrels (I got to use the jigsaw)

Barrels!

10 beds nice work wish I had space for ten.

you may want to try drill more holes in the media guard

Keep the photos coming

yeh will drill heaps when I'm finished. - NAT - did you see that the plug and waste fitting was different?
I'm still debating the 'U' shape outlet from fish and into growbeds.
The only reason for this would be CHIFT PIST

If I did bury the IBC fish tank so the top was just below the growbed return pipe - then I would put the pump in the fish tank - eliminating the sump.

But I don't think 1x1000 litre fish tank is enough to service 10 half barrel beds.

So now I'm uming and areing.

Will 32mm pipe be sufficient to run to the growbeds?
I was thinking 90mm SLO that spreads out across the top of the beds and then goes to 32mm.

Got some work done today
cleaned the greenhouse
moved in the barrels

This is where the pipes will come in - I'm concerned about how many corners I'm going to have - but with an RFF after the fish tank it should be okay.


This is where the pipes will run in front of the sleeper (box step cover) and through the front of the greenhouse.



Barrels in place

Still in two minds but I'm thinking I want to keep CHIFT PIST - so I don't have to dig too much and so I can have some more water to play with by using a sump.

My sump can double as a fingerling raising sump.

This is the current idea.
The main problem is there is a path I have to go under - creating lots of bends in the fishtank-growbed pipe. I've incorporated an RFF to alleviate the u shape pipe getting crud in the bottom.
I'm not sure what size I should have for this pipe - as I've read bigger is better to service 12 growbeds, but smaller is better to move solids quickly (less settle). THIS PIPE IS OVERFLOW ONLY PRESSURE>

Hiya Jay, you've certainly got it bad!
The 90mm reducing piece steps down to 40mm minimum so you might wanna use 40mm instead of 32mm, cheaper too. I then used a 40mm joiner into which a 32mm pressure reducer fits into to, stepping down to 25mm then a ball valve.
I have used the waste fitting on the byap gb's and they work well, I've used them on the bb too however I am having problems getting them to seal on the stand pipe because of the curved surface they are on. I have finished up putting tape the mating surface of the stand pipe and its working ok.
Looking forward to watching the build progress.

Try to use as many 45 degree bends instead of 90's as possible too for less resistance. 2x 45's is better than 1x 90.

Yep thats a good idea - I have 32mm stand pipes only.

I will use 40mm from RFF to the greenhouse to distribute the water to growbeds.


So 90mm return to sump and 40mm from RFF to Greenhouse.

But will 40mm be okay to push the water through the U shape ?

Okay I'm totally redesigning
Want to keep the pipework simple.

Is there any benefit or not having fishtank in the greenhouse?
I asked the question here -
cons = short trout season
pros = better night time ambient temps for overwintering warm water fish
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=16425


See the birds eye play view of the design
1000 litre fishtank
2x400mm IBC sumps with IBC growbeds on top
4xblue barrel beds

I don't think 40mm will supply the volume of water required for all your barrels.
Personally I would go 90mm from the ft to rff and 90mm from there then along the ground and use that as a header pipe and bring your 40 off that stepping down to your valve size into the gb. As the pipe size steps down the velocity will increase. I have also put a valve at the end of the header pipe to drain/purge if needed. As yet I'm yet to see any solids build up when I open the valve.
I have also removed my filter from the system by piping thru the filter as I feel I need more solids in the gb's as the growth at the mo is disappointing and that is the only difference from my first system which is going well.

If I go with the below design:
From what I've figured out for water capacity in media filled beds I have
4 barrels = 120litres
2 half 400 IBCs = 270litres

So... If I was going to run a sump with F/D I would need roughly 400 litres.

If I cut my 2 IBC frames down to one section I would have 2x 200mm high sumps joined, so I have enough fall from blue barrel stand and its not too high a growbed (height for growing tomatoes), whilst still having a bit of depth for media (2 IBC sections @ 400mm)

The problem being is that I made my greenhouse floor with concrete pavers (and I can't be stuffed digging)

This is the current design (without 200mm sumps under the IBC growbeds)

I think you'll have better planting space like that than in the all barrel design, you could also still hang the towers but over the white GB's in the middle where they join with outlet straight down to the sumps.

Only drawback is the FT water might get a bit warmer.

Cool on the grow towers - but I want to run overflow from the fish tank - so would have to be level with that - probably horizontal tubes.

The fish tank would get warmer - but would be good for warm water fish during winter.


I'm considering getting more growth height on the 2 IBC beds and running an external sump (again).

Will the pipework have sufficient clearence if its just the metal pallet on the ground? i.e. one elbow straight off the bulkhead and into a horizontal straight pipe