Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

http://imgur.com/a/6S9JT(ignore the valve in picture 3, that's the drum)

If you want a simple explanation: gravel stuck in thin pipe which is clogging the flow of water. I can't pull it out without cutting the pipe, and there's no valve to drain the pipe directly. Any solution?
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So our school's aquaponic works like this:

Fish tank > barrel drum to trap solid gunk > gravel bed for plants > raft water bed for plants > fish tank. The pump is between the water bed and the fish tank. Between each system there's pipes.

The gravel bed flows water from one pipe to the side, and a drain hole is connected to tubes underneath (Picture 3, 4). That draining pipe has a long tube which has holes at the base to drain water. (Picture 2). Couldn't get a picture of the drain hole without the tube.

We noticed the aquaponic was slowing, so I had to clean it, but accidentally had gravel fall into the drain. The result is a worse clog, water too slow to pass. The water bed flooded (Picture 1), while the corresponding raft water bed also drained because of the clog.

The gravel is stuck in the pipe in Picture 4 and is likely half a foot to a foot deep. The pipes can't be removed without sawing (glued together, no valve for emergency drain).

The only solutions I can think of is to somehow pull the gravel out, or saw the pipe to clean and replace. I don't want to be invasive, but the drain is too thin (1.5in diameter) to pick with tools, and gravel too heavy to suction. I know the gravel is probably stuck in the black pipe (Picture 4), but we can't turn that thing between the black tube and the tub.

Any suggestions to solve this immediate gravel-clog and to protect it later? I know in the future I'll add a new guard (old one is tattered), clearing gravel surrounding the drain, etc.

couple of times it has happened to me I was able to back flush and they popped back out.
But I did it quickly after it happening - so guess that now depends on how firmly they are wedged.

If you can get it in a hose pipe running water back through the outlet might be enough.


Protection - all my outflows now have PVC pipe extending into GB inside another outer PVC pipe / half pipe.
Both have lots of small 7-8mm holes drilled in it/them.
Enough holes that I can cope with the odd one blocking - that has seemed to work so far.

also if it is accessible - you can try one of the bendy plumbers 'snakes'.

If the pipe is larger than the dia of the gravel pieces then that may free enough for them to flow down as individuals.
Though you say gravel rather than clay balls. (If you apply enough pressure to clay balls they will chip & fracture).

It appears to be dense. Maybe we can stick a hose in the exit pipe with proper sealing so pressure can build up to push the gravel. But I don't know how to fully seal the exit pipe with a hose inside.

Teacher said he bought some pipes already and will saw. I don't know if they have valves, but I hope we consider proper safety and future cleansing in mind.

I'd just stick a hose up the other way, block off any other exits, and put it on full bore. It should push them back the way they came.

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And if necessary ... a suitable pipe joiner, and a hacksaw, will see a quick fix.....

Question..... how did it get in to start with... there must be a problem... there must be significant Backflow and nothing to prevent solids. Being sucked up... could you fit a back flow preventer...
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You could try blowing it out with air pressure. They make a line tool for blowing out lines in AC/Heating that works off a CO2 cartridge(like a paintball gun uses) You can rent them I think.

Since I'm always monkey wrenching around my house, I've got compressed air lines that reach everywhere... I built the drains in this new house with the same principles I see here: Largest pipe at the bottom, like a tree. Conversely for my first house I was young when I engineered it and had plumbing problems, lines clogging all the time, especially on the French drain lines. The trick I finally came to was to place a pot over the drains in the shower, sinks and tub BEFORE I put the compressed air into the bottom of the French Drain. For it to work you'll need an unobstructed (no fittings) air line jammed as far up the clogged line as possible. Warn everyone in the house or your case the AP, turn on the valve at the air compressor, blammo! Never a dull moment living around Brian

We sawed the pipe in the other day and cleaned it out. The one under the gravel bed tub at least.

It seemed to work, until we turned everything back on. Even though the pipes are cleared and we reattached the pipe with no leak and a proper flow, soon the water backed up and the gravel bed started to build up too much water again.

We still need to investigate if it's something unforeseen, like more gravel deeper in the pipe or another reason.

My teacher said he has a plumber snake, I'll see if that or the hose-blasting will work later. Any idea on what could be used to seal off the pipe's exits while letting a hose through?