Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

that is interesting about the sump not being low enough, I'm going to be up against the same issue

Another day at home and more steps forward




I'm so happy to have help two days per week. After I got the boards sized Matt painted them. Then it was off to the dentist for me. Of course I brought my dog Buddy and we took a little walk to the Mora River on the way back.

Next up; Fiberglass the insides of each GB, drill out the bulkhead connector holes and haul the boxes into the greenhouse. Now closer than ever to water Yes, it's been a year since we've begun this adventure

Yay! We've got Koi. This is a real boost to our aquaponics systems, especially for my wife. We both spent more time in the greenhouse watching our new friends than ever before!
okay okay, here are some pics...





Goodness gracious! Now I can see why many people become fanatical about Koi. They're gorgeous!
I still want to hook up this 55 gallon aquarium to a sump tank and grow beds, but haven't figured out how the create an overflow in the glass. Any ideas?
I would love to hear them. I suppose a diamond bit glass cutting hole saw... but I imagine we'd chance cracking the glass.

Yeah, you can drill a hole and use a bulkhead. Go slow with a diamond hole saw bit. Uniseals will break the glass, but bulkheads will work fine.

Very good I'll order a bit and a matching bulkhead . Are you getting Koi as well?

Going to get some of Ryan Blackwater Koi. I'm just still a bit concerned about my Nitrites. Still over 1ppt. Ammonia is low0-.25, but I can't keep the Nitrites down below the .5 like I would like to. The tilapia can handle it, but not sure how the Koi would do. I'm hoping that I can either get some better mbbr material, or put together another nitrifying filter and keep the nitrites down to closer to zero. I could use one of the IBC and put a layered lava rock type filter. I have a link from a koi forum somewhere. The guy used the plastic beverage containers and then just stacked them and added 3-4" of lave rock on each layer. He made a simple pvc manifold over the top and just let the water trickle down through the whole thing. If I did after the other filter and then just gravity feed it back to the sump, it would give me a ton more BSA.

Boss

If this is to be a miniature AP setup use a cannister filter (no drilling aside from a small hole in the intake pipe 2-3" under the FT water level) preferably NFT or Continuous Flow (if you want media).

I've ordered a diamond tip 45 mm hole saw so I can add a sump nad growbeds to this aquariun=m.

It is a bit difficult to see what is happening, but we've installed a dozen Western Red Cedar lattices on the ceiling for the grapes and kiwis and whatever else we can get growing in the dirt tanks at three corners of the greenhouse. The hope is this will provide more shade for the pond. Also my wife brought a VW Jetta TDI trunk-worth of copper and aluminum to the recycle place using the proceeds to buy molding strips for the vertical lattices. I installed all the lattices using spacers made from PEX to keep them away from the walls and ceiling. Hopefully the vines will find climbing on the lattices easy.

If it is harden glass forget it, have a look on Youtube for methods, cheers.

not getting this. Pictures may help.

Just google aquarium canister filter and you will see

Thanks CCBear, I've got the Fluvial canister filer installed now. Are you saying that if a hole is drilled below the water surface on the intake, it will keep it from draining any lower than that? That is too simple.

Hey Brian, those Koi are very cute. I have seen somewhere on the forum SLOs that you can run up over the side of your glass aquarium so you don't have to drill holes. They are not as reliable as I think they need to maintain their siphon in their U bends to operate, but if you are out there regularly it may not be an issue.

With your grapevine and kiwi, make sure you train your main branches over the lattice strips so that it will hold their weight once they get thick in a couple of years and the old tendrils breakaway. I have just spent 3 days pruning my ornamental grape on the 18 metre pergola along the sunny side of the house. I trained it to main branches that run over the rafters along wires, and prune back to one or two buds on spurs off the main branches. This lets in light during the winter and is completely covered in leaves in the summer. There were at least 3 growth spurts last season so I had masses of vine prunings that were 3 to 4 metres long which I have been making into wreaths, balls and my house number 8. The leftovers got mulched this afternoon and are now in the Chook Condo. Normally there is not so much growth and not such a big job. When its autumn, you might want to put black bird net over your open water to catch the leaves. The black net is not so visually intrusive, and it sure beats fishing out leaves all the time while they are falling.

Thanks joc, I too was thinking about somehow covering the pond while prunning. I may need more secure connectors on the horizontal lattice. Thanks for that info. I saw those wreaths you did, very pretty. Are the vines fairly durable? They look it.
a couple of youtube vids




and a pretty cool project by a reefer; employing three types of drains
http://www.beananimal.com/projects/silent-and-fail-safe-aquarium-overflow-system.aspx