Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Water is back into the system and it is still like the last few photos. Just with more leaves on the ground.

Still not positive on what final plumbing I want to do. The other sump floats when it is about out of water adn the barrel below the beds would be a bit of a pain to plumb and not float either.

Just finished reading the thread, and i have to say, looking good!!

Thank You. Its taking a bit to work on.



I am looking at using a 110g poly stock tank under the grow beds instead of the barrel. This may look like over kill to have two sumps, but I'm still thinking for the expanding of the system later on.

For the math I'm looking at 24 cubic feet of media for the two beds.

24cft or 180 gallons
180 gallons or 681 liters

40% of 180 gallons is 72 gallons - 40% for media displacement.
40% of 681 litters is 272 litters

current sump is 55 gallons. If all beds are empty I will be having 17 gallons on the ground. Using the 110 gallon stock tank gives me another 93 gallons to use a buffer and top off.

I have an idea for draining the grow beds, but not sure if crazy enough...

Drain both beds together using a 5 gallon bucket and piping creativity.

Hi Rob,

If I understand you right, you're having problems with the ground water levels lifting the sump out of the ground when it's water level is low?

If this is what's happening you could use Constant Flood with a small sump that's completely above ground and an auto top up valve in the sump that's hooked to a water source (maybe even just a barrel of warmed water). This way the water level will stay the same in the sump and the pump will always be below the water level - and no more digging

It is clay rich soil. The hole is tight enough that keeping just a few inches of water in the barrel keeps it down. Over winter with a empty barrel I could bounce on it because it floated about a foot and a half up out of the hole.

I had no issues with it last year lifting when close to empty.

This year I hope to at lest have media in the beds and plants if I can get to it.

Sounds kind of entertaining

Although it works as is, the solution may be just to keep everything you can above the ground, instead of digging in. That's why I suggested CF, since it makes that easier. I suppose you could also just make sure the sump always has enough water in it so it doesn't float.



Looking good so far Rob, your not that far from getting it working

No idea if this will work. I need bulkheads to mount the pipe.

I got a 75 gallon rectangular stock tank for under the grow beds.

I will need to reorder bulk heads because the ones I used for this are now in the acrylic fish tank.

Nothing really going on right now. Ground is ether too wet I'm getting home late from work or some other crap.

Also the water is green again now. I still have that 18w UV that kept the water clear last year I just need to hook it up.

It is so green again. Visibility 1-2 inches below surface. When completed I will be covering the sides and top.

20 days later I order the bulk heads....

Looking at what I have to do now the grow bed frame which used to be level is now all jacked up. When I flipped the frame to start digging the hole deeper the pier blocks moved and twisted. Whole thing needs to be releveled. I need a hand for that. Moving it back myself will make it worse. Wooden frame has to be almost 250-300 lbs.

New bulkheads where ordered back on the 30th. They still have not shipped yet. My plans to get the sump plumbed over this weekend may not happen.

Never mind after sending them a email they had been shipped and are now waiting for me today.

Getting closer. The other sump is plumbed.

It started raining and I just kept on going, everything is wet. Growbed frame still needs to be releveled. This maybe next week hopefully and media added. I am thinking of using trap rock. It's a crushed basaltic rock. Someone near me is using it without problems.