Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

[quote= I'm still not confident it will as the fish tank inlet hight will have another ~10-20cm of head height on the existing growbed inlets.

If I have a 90mm SLO will it create more pressure or does it just reduce the chance of fishtank over flow?? I don't quiet understand the physics of it...





Your pump should be able to handle the extra height and you need too have a bit of fall from the fish tank outlet (SLO) down to your growbeds.

With any SLO the water needs too leave the fish tank at the same rate that it is pumped in or you will have an overflow.

With a tee piece and a barrel valve or inline tap above your pump in the sump you can control the amount of water being pumped up to the fish tank by returning water to the sump and avoid any overflowing.

As a safety measure you can have an overflow pipe run back to the sump at a slightly higher outlet position than the SLO, that way if there is an overflow problem the water returns to the sump and the pump wont run dry.

The steep 40mm pipe running at 45° in the photo below is an overflow back to the sump.

Thanks for the idea/example joblow. What will you do on the external of the tank, stay in 2x50mm or go back to 90mm?
I have been considering 2x50mm SLOs internally then becoming a single 90mm on the external.
Cheers for the pics.


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Thanks joblow, that makes sense and new pics answer my above question.
Yeah I plan to add the flow reducer tap if it looks like I need it. Original plan was to use that flow reducer to feed the strawberry pipes but it was neater and easier to be all together and delivers strawberry pipes same nutrients as the GBs direct from the FT.
And thank you I agree and can see the need that I should have overflows on FT & GBs, in the likely event of something going wrong. Will put these in later (hopefully before incident).

Thank you



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Thanks a lot jayendra, very good point.
If my FT isolation plan is feasible for the meantime then I have a bit of extra time on my side to order the uniseal.

And for $5 it will be easy and worth the wait. Will order 2, in case I stuff up the first (or for 2nd FT

Didn't have the right size holesaw either before to be precise for the uniseal but now found (borrowed) one.

Anyone in Perth know of uniseals 90mm available in Perth please or do I have to order online as seems to be the forum recommendations in the past and as far as all my google searches have revealed?




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Hiya RIVERGRLS, welcome aboard.
Nice set up, peculiar name.

There is a place in Canning Vale I know of but they are expy, something like $20 for a 40mm one, unsure about larger size prices.
Fairly certain, like anything, they would be cheaper off the world wide interweb.

Nice set up Aidan, I love the strawberry pipes - and I'm sure you're girls will too!
Good job

Thanks katmac, I'm really happy with them.
Managed to fit 58 plant holes and the bell siphon seems to be working really well.


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So in your siphon pics in the tube, is that the actual height of the standpipe? And how high is the bell?

Hi Aidan,

any updates on the system? How goes your cycling?
Hope it's all ticking along well for you I'm keen to see how your strawberries go!