Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi,

I am new to aquaponics and am just browsing at the moment for information about putting together a system.

I have 1 IBC which i plan to use for my system but have been reading around and seeing most of the system has a sump tank.

This might be a silly question but I have not actually seen anywhere that has an explanation as to why a sump tank is used.

Could someone please explain the pros and cons of using a sump tank?

Thanks
Steeden

If you're starting off (like I did) with the basic single IBC version (cut the top off and flip it) then you don't need a sump.

Sumps are helpful in supporting a more stable system (less fluctuations) and store additional water so you don't need to top up your tank as often.

Hi LunchGuy,

Yes I am starting off with a simple 1 IBC system and am planning to do as you had suggested. However, I had in mind that I would want to expand this in future.

I thought I'd set it up right so that it'll be less work later on when I do expand it.

steeden

It allows room for a mistake.

So if a pipe breaks, it'll only be the sump tank that drains, not the whole FT.

Plus, several GB's can hold a lot of water, the sump allows for water levels to rise and fall, without draining the fish tank, so the fish tank isn't half empty when you've got 5 GB's about to dump.

If your tank is large enough, you don't need to worry too much, but for an IBC, I would have one.

Click on the link at the top of the page, for the IBC of aquaponics, it should point you in the right direction.

Yes I have looked through that IBC of Aquaponics and have seen sump tanks being used but until now have not really known the reasons why.

Thanks for clearing this up.

One other question, how big should the sump tank be?

I undersized my sump tank, and it's led to all sorts annoyances.

But big enough to hold the entire amount of water that your beds can store, and then depending on how often you want to top up. So if you go through 100L of water a week (for example, I'm not quite sure how much an IBC uses, and it's different with plants/seasons), add 200L to the sump tank size, if you want to top up once a month, add 600L to the amount in the sump.

And allow room for expansion if you plan to expand. I didn't do that enough in mine, and it kicks me in the butt when 4 drain all at once, and overflow my sump, and then the water level drops to low levels when they are all full again.

theres a thread discussing sump tanks in detail.

here it is:

http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum ... hilit=Sump

as the title says , sumps are not always necessary! I have some systems with, some without, depending on design constraints and what I am trying to achieve with the system.

Personally, I think my sump tank systems do not work any better than my non sump tank systems, though they do require more plumbing and hardware! I think it is debatable whether they are more 'reliable' yes a leak may not drain your fish tank, but a leak may drain your sump, stopping water turn over and kill your fish if you have no supplementary aeration. and with more plumbing in sump tank systems you may be more likely to have a leak. anyway opinion aside (everybody has their favorite about sump tanks ), the main thing I think is to not put a sump in your system just because most people have one.

You could choose to oversize your fish tank, and this would allow for future expansion, without needing a separate sump tank and additional plumbing...