Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Ok something eat my last pineapple yesterday Them dang critters eat better then I do an city doesn't like me solving the problem so I gotta get a protected aquaponics garden started !!! I have to make a another run to the store to get some more stuff but I'm still trying to figure out the best way to plumb this system without wasting space.


originally I wanted my plumb to flow as follows;
1) fish tank to 12v pump power y solar charge battery on 12v timer
2)12v pump to top 4" pvc grow bed
3) grow bed to grow bed 1-5
4) grow bed #5 (bottom) to two split in half 10" pipes for duckweed along the bottom brace
5) deekweed half pipes to swirl tank/crawfish tank
6) swirl tank/crawfish tank back to fish tank through aerator jets in 1" pipe (swirl tank at the end is highly debated I know)

Problem is there is no 10" pvc pipe no 8" or 6" at my local stores , I have consider buying a vinyl post and splitting in half or some rain gutter but both would reduce the surface area for growing duck weed (if you look at the picture where you see the bottom brace there is some 3/4" pvc pipe where I planed for the split pipes to go)

Also when I went to the EZGROW store the other day they had some nice plastic grow beds even a used one I was thinking about but after measuring they are not the right size to fit under my grow beds on the supports, I would have to build a separate stand to the side for them to be the correct height for the gravity flow

next I got to thinking well why not use what I have so I built a little 2x4 stand (see picture, kind of a eye sore ) to hold the lid form the fish tank for growing deekweed and the lid form the swirl tank for a corn grow bed .......... but really don't like it

next I thought I'll just put the fish tank lid on top the fish tank and grow deekweed there BUT to maintain the flow height it would have to be feed in the middle of the grow bed system an this would deprive my lower two grow bed pipes of nutrients (if you look at the picture the yellow broom handle would represent water flow form grow bed to duckweed grow bed lid and then the wood shovel handle would be the water flow returning to the grow beds.) if I did not feed the water form the middle of the grow bed system then I would have to get a second pump which I don't want to do.

I guess a big issue is I can't comprehend how much surface area I need to produce X amount of duckweed I want duck weed for several reasons:
* a final cleaning of ammonia before water returns to the swirl tank an fish tank
* hopefully grow enough food for my fish most of the time (supplement with cracked corn or grains now and then)
* If possible grow enough deekweed to feed some quail as well as my fish just don't know if I can grow enough in such small space.


SO If you have any other inexpensive options to plumb in what I have or comments on how much surface area duck weed needs , please let me know otherwise I basically have three options tell me what way you thick is my best choice
1) keep looking for a 6 to 10" pipe to split in half and plumb under the grow beds like originally planed.
2) use my wood stand and lids then just run plumbing over there a back
3) trash the corn grow bed lid and put the deekweed grow bed lid on top the fish tank and don't worry about it being in the middle of the water flow between grow beds

Finding the fittings you need at a big box store is next to impossible. However, the sizes you mentioned are used all the time by construction companies, and they get it from somewhere. The trick is to find those places. Once I found one, I found a bunch all clustered in one area.

Could also check with the city and any recycling places. They will either point you to where they get it or they might have some you can get relatively cheap. The big pipe is quite a bit more expensive than the little stuff.

hummmmm ok I'll keep looking going uptown today anyway so I'll try riding around the old industrial park area and see if there is something over that way

Maybe these guys since they do plumbing and irrigation supply.

https://www.bondsupply.com/

Bond Supply - Port St Lucie
1738 SE S Niemeyer Circle
Port St Lucie
FL
USA
34952
772-337-7381

10" or even 6" pipes are kind of expensive way to make troughs.

Scotty435,
Thanks I don't see anything bigger ten 4" on there web site but I'll give them a call Tuesday and ask if they don't have it may know where to send me.


Stuart Chignell,
I am open to suggestions on a cheaper way to make a tough that will span at least 7' , I did look at some 6" rain gutters today but they look pretty flimsy

Could just make your own troughs out of lumber and some pond liner or lumber and 50 gallon water barrels like some have done. May take some digging to find exactly the right setup but I'm sure it's been done. Depending on the price of the pipe it may be worth your while.

If you do rain gutters they can be supported by 2 x 4 lumber. Look up Self Watering Rain Gutter Grow System on YouTube and you'll see what I mean. I know this configuration works for gardening but I'm non certain it's right for AP since I haven't tried it for this yet and it's prone to loosing water if the troughs aren't perfectly level. I'm certain you could just use the gutter for a channel with a lower level though.

barrels run around $20 plus here then the lumber to build a frame to raise them to the correct height to flow seems a bit to much for me

not sure how all this will work but done a little bit more on my set up (where is the slow as a turtle icon when you need one..lol)

I had some scrap 7075 aluminum and notched some PT 2x4's for a frame then riveted the two piece of aluminum together , put caulking around the seams and where there where old rivet holes then coated the wood and bottom with the spray in bed liner I had left over , it is just long enough at 73" to fit form one brace to the other under my pipe grow beds. I haven't had time to go back to GZgrow hydroponics store and get some of the drains for it yet ........... it defiantly ain't pretty but figured I at least give it a try and see if it works

I did some more with the swirl tank to , first I got more blocks and leveled it to the correct height for the water flow. The water level should be about 1.25" below the top of the stainless tank , it will drain through the standing 1.5" pipe in the middle (still needs to be cut) out the bottom and over to the aerator nipples in the FT . The center drain fitting is creatively constructed I had to take a sch40 pvc coupler and turn half of it down on the lathe to make a paper thin bushing then on the inside I cut a short 1" piece of the stand pipe to glue inside to keep to strong, the stand pipe will be put in with caulking instead of glue in case I need to remove it for cleaning in the future. The other upright pipe you can see is basically just there to block a hole in the original tank but bite swap it to the out side to give the crawfish another hole to hide in.

water pump, I'm not worried about the lift but wasn't sure how much pick up this 12v botch pump has so I decided not to use the pickup foot that comes out where you see the 90 degree elbow between the two aerator pipes in the picture even though it would be easier , instead on the bottom on other side there is a 2" which I have reduced to 1" hose for my pump, no screen in the tank there so my idea (haven't done this yet) is to take a 3.75net basket and seal the rim to the tank with caulking and that should make a nice screen to keep the fish form getting sucked into the pump hole. at least that is what I am hoping.