Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Nice one Sammo, keep up the good work.
Remember that the top of the slo's tee needs to be lower than the top of the tank so it can act as a ft overflow if the holes at the bottom of the slo get blocked.
Are you putting in a sump?

Thanks skeggley. Good point, I'll buy the 90mm T before cutting any holes! Yes, I'm burying an IBC just inside the back wall of the greenhouse. Hoping that will be big enough for the 10 grow beds to drain into.

Eg, a 300L GB should flood about 100L of water, so if all syphons trigger at once, that's 1000L. Meanwhile I have a 7600Lph pump that will move about 6000Lph at 1.5m head height. Am I cutting it too fine?

Hiya sammo,
The larger the sump the better IMO, it is a fact that you will expand....
From what I understand you have 10 x 300 litre gbs or 3kl gbs.
The ft water height is set with the slo, your GB water height is set with your siphon stand pipe, the sump is always fluctuating and needs not only to supply water to your ft but also to flood your gbs. So peak summer when you are losing water from the system to transpiration and evaporation the supply ability will diminish.
So let's say each GB needs 100 litres to start the siphon and you only have 950 litres in the sump, what happens, if by some coincidence, all the beds fill at the same rate?
So to answer your question, yes I think you are cutting it too fine but this is only my opinion based on my somewhat limited experience.

I made good progress this week before rain halted play this morning. I'm hoping to get the other roof panels done so I can start setting up the AP stuff inside where it's nice and dry.

Yesterday I got the FT into place, dug in roughly 150mm at the lowest point. This provides about 40cm head height from the SLO to the top of the grow beds.



Also started playing around with the GB layout inside. I'm going to move the whole lot about 50cm towards the back and slightly in from the side walls.



There will be another row of GBs down the right hand side and one (maybe two) IBC sumps buried between them.

Nice looking greenhouse.

Thanks Mark. It went together really easily and I'm rapt with it.

I finally got the 90mm SLO through the uniseal this morning. The overflow runs under the GH base and I'm Tee-ing off into these 90x50mm reducers and running 50mm pipe down each side of the GH with 25mm risers into the GBs.

Sammo, not that I know a lot but a couple of suggestions/ comments for what they are worth.

The bottom of your SLO in the fish tank, remove the elbow and replace with a end cap and plenty of holes drilled around the edge... you'll get better solids removal, also if your FT is flat based I'd try and get the SLO further into the middle, that way more even coverage of removing solids.

the growbeds, in the pic the middle two have no support under the middle of them, with a heavy load they should have more support otherwise they could start bowing bending. Then the last two ...you can undo the feet and have them all the same height

Just my 2 bobs worth, but I am no expert..

Thanks Tonzz. The SLO isn't finished and I will be adding more aupport under the GBs. I see what you mean about removing the IBC bases - thanks for the tip!

A few mates dropped over yesterday and we set about digging a hole for the sump, which will be two interconnected IBCs (poctured below with cage removed). Man that was hard work and I still have a ways to go, mostly clay too!

I scored some cheap corrugated iron that I'll wrap around the IBCs and I'll make a trap door so I can get to the pump, etc.

Here's my solution to joining two IBCs together as a sump.



Finally got them buried! Hoping to fit the pump, float switch and 40mm pressure pipe to FT on the weekend.

Awesome. Jealous

I know it sounds like a lot of work, it is, nevertheless I think you and your fish will be happier with the fish tank sunk in the ground so you can see the fish and you get the benefit of the Earth's temperature as stabilization. Plus you can see your fish, and show them off to every body like I do You could leave it a sticking up a meter or so. You probably are already planning to build an observation deck around that amazing tank. Good luck on an outstanding start.

Hi boss. The top of the FT is roughly 1.5m, which allows 40cm head height from the SLO to the GBs. Most adults will be able to see the fish if they look over the top and I didn't want a drowning hazard with children.

I finished off the SLO yesterday. 4mm slots were made with a cold saw and I drilled 8mm holes in the end to pickup larger pieces of uneaten feed. I'll be using sinking pellets for the silver perch so I didn't want too many larger holes. I've also opted for stainless screws rather than fixing permanently.



Next task is a roof to shield the FT from all of the leaves and sap from the gum tree overhead.

I rigged up the Laguna pump and float switch today. To tether the float I screwed and zip tied a 25mm T piece with a length of pressure pipe to the perspex plate. This also acts as a handle to lift it out of the IBC for maintenance. Tested in the FT, works a treat!