Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Thanks Stu

Compared to $350 for a local producer for same thing or $120 for 6mm, very happy.

For those of you keeping up with cafe project, signed contract today, get keys next couple days.


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Whoop whoop!! Excepting the obligatory happy snaps when you get them :-)
Nice looking veg by the way


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How are you going to build the benches & grow beds? Out of all the same sort of wood with tables around them?

It depends on how far they are falling, but you might need a bigger pipe for the gravity feed back to the GB's. The flow isn't too fast for the amount. I'd go with the 90mm stormwater pipe, then steal Jay's reducer pipe trick for the beds.

The pipe going into the fish tanks seems a little small too for the amount of water I think you'll need to be moving. But it depends on your pump size.

Benches/booths and growbeds out of ibc's and recycled pallets.

Minimum I'll go back is 90mm, but it'll probably end up being 100mm or 150mm.

GB's won't be gravity fed, they'll be pumped from sump.

18k LPH pump, so think my pressure should be good ;p




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You're not doing the chop 2 setup are you (pumping from sump to GB & FT)?

Yup


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It's not the most efficient of methods around, probably one of the least. You'll need to double the size of the pump, so a more expensive pump to begin with, and then more on going costs with electricity. The water flow through the ft's won't be as much, or just hard to calculate. And the water won't be as filtered through the system (so you'll be pumping some of the water straight back from the FT to the FT, so it won't be filtered).

If you keep the fish tank above the height of the gb's, you can just gravity feed into the gb's, or dig the FT's into the ground. It'll save you a bit.

Thanks for pointers, but there is a myriad of reasons why I prefer to do this, some but not all are

- I need system to be able to rejigged with out disrupting fish (or alternatively GB's), as cafe expands things might get moved
- I like a bigger pump (which I already have an 18k lph 220w) as it gives me a bit more freedom to have to design everything completely perfect, and allow me to accommodate my whimsical nature in trying new things! For example I really like the idea of Diy ZGT, and might find something else I like, but isn't planned for, I want room grow/change without re plumbing.
- I have an aversion to aerators, for lots of reasons (logical and not so ahaha), so I use extra pumping power to recirculate back to sump to aerate things
- at 18k lph I reckon I'll have plenty of movement thru FT's!? I usually just measure output to work out what flow is going into them
- I like Venturis (I know, I don't like aerators but I like bubbles... Go figure), so if I use those in each FT, I'll need extra flow
- I employ a simple diy filter from all FT water before it goes into sump. One of those hang ups from my fish tank days, which I will make it not so much diy as needed (matala filter instead of green scrubbers, bio balls instead of rock etc). I know. It's not needed but I want ability as said above to bring components off and on line at different times, so I want a filter of sorts.
- I like big pumps and I cannot lie (Sorry couldn't help myself)

All those things can be achieved with minimal of ease with a gravity feed, and you don't need to stuff around with the other filters. Even easier if you buried the FT's, but I think you want them higher so people can see into them, which is cool.

I've rejigged my system many times now, many many times. And it's never taken that long to do (or connect up once everything is in place. Fish seem fine with the system turned off for a few hours though.

But it's your system, and you have to make it as you feel comfortable. Just give staff good warning on using spray and wipe or cleaning chemicals near the GB's. I could just imaging a waitress saying there was this green stuff in the garden, so she sprayed plenty of sanitiser in the bed.

Yeah mate, even if I find it psychologically easier, I'm happy ahaha

Yeah I'll fool proof as much as possible, but only going to be so much I can do, another reason I decided to have systems so they can be run independently.

I'm more worried bout customers then staff. Fish tanks will be under lock and key, but GB's will be accessible


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Is the cafe licensed?

Nah not currently. But one day will be. "Openness" to customers will change then ahaha.


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I'm being good, I'm being good.

DOH

Drunken customers would be a worry, I wouldn't be too concerned about sober ones. I don't know how you'd lock up the GB's though. A garden bed will be a good place to throw up into. But I don't think people would get overly drunk in a cafe.