Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Thank goodness hubby picked up two extra IBCs today.

I was going to use them both for rainwater harvesting but I'll just have to sacrifice one.

As Gunagulla and Buidoi both pointed out better to sacrifice a $20 IBC now than have a leaky sump tank and have to remove full grow beds and dig it up...

Achieved today:

- Cut up second IBC cage for grow bed supports. I must be getting tired because my Father in law was watching me cut it with the angle grinder and his observation was: "You broke it!" (Meaning the cage)

Not usually a sarcastic person but I couldn't help responding in a very dramatic fashion: "OMG! Is THAT what the angle grinder does!?! Oh NO!"

- Prepped the pristine two "rainwater" IBCs as the new sump tanks. Drilled holes for fitting in CORRECT spots this time and installed fittings nice and flush. Also cut flaps from the tops to provide two 19cm wide access hatches. One for each sump tank.

The IBCs I botched yesterday will make fine rainwater harvesting tanks with some new fittings to connect them.

- screwed wood packing onto the cages for the sumps. This will make cladding them nicely a lot easier. Too risky to screw wood packing on from the outside once the blades are in place, I can't risk puncturing those bladders!

- Decided I needed to make the hole for the sump tanks longer so there is sufficient space for the connection between the tanks. I might have been able to cut the barbed tails of the fittings down and make it work that way but frankly didn't want to risk it.

The extra space I'll be creating between the two sump tanks actually works out well though because the grow bed on ST2 can now sit partially over the bigger void between the two cages - which means I'll have more room for the access panel on ST2 which will house the pump.

So I started digging and finishing the hole (again) is on the to-do list for tomorrow.



Plumbing question: the grow beds on top of the STs... Is it ok if they just drain pretty much straight into the sumps?

I assume with such a short plumbing connection there should be very few reasons why I would need to access the bottom of these two grow beds?

Isn't it always the way with people to watch you work. Never offer to help, just offer smart arse comments, lol.

Think you did the right thing in getting a new tank, it should save a lot of potential headaches in the future. And if the botched one happens to leak in it's new role as rainwater tank, it's going to be a lot easier to deal with if it's above ground. Oh how I wish I had access to $20 IBC's though! Muchos jealous, lol.

The GB draining directly over the ST shouldn't be an issue. I can't really imagine any need for accessing the underside of the GB's once they are in place properly. The ones that you'll have to attach more pipe to to reach the ST's you might need to fiddle with to ensure there is no leakage, but you'll probably have much easier access to them anyway.

You are going great, but I demand more photos! Hehe.

..
You could try driving around industrial areas, looking for stacks of IBCs..

I have found a few places that are prepared to part with old ones
..
.

Doing my happy dance! Pit for the STs is FINALLY big enough. No more digging! Woot woot!

I have tightened the fittings and given both STs a thorough rinse to get rid of any residual plastic bits/dust from cutting.

Just have to wrap them in shade cloth, make the connection between the tanks then fill them up!

I have decided to use the plastic pallets I have to "wrap" the STs and keep the soil off the bladders after I back full. They are strong and will not rust or rot so they're kind of perfect retaining wall material.

Plus - they were free!

Looking good! A much more functional height now for the GB's. The plastic pallets look so handy, I wouldn't mind having some to play with, hehe. Hopefully that's the majority of the hard work over and it won't be long before it's all ready to go.


Yeah I tend to always be on the lookout. But most places know people want them so they tend to average around the $100 mark.

A peek inside one of the partially wrapped STs - you can see how much the shade cloth cuts down on light getting in



Fully wrapped STs



A close up of how I cut the access panels - leaving plastic "hinges". A little tip - duct tape sticks to the IBC but NOT the shade cloth. Clothbinding tape sticks to both.





Wrapping the STs should buy me some time until I can get the cladding properly organised.

Well I made the connection between the two sump tanks

Which should make me jubilant - but instead I am worried. One side of the connection went on fine with a little hot water.

The second side I can force no further than just covering the second barb on the tail.

So it essentially has only one barb holding it. Do you think this is enough?

There's more than enough hose and I tried pouring boiling water over it but no luck pushing it any further.

Here's the comnnection I managed to do correctly that covers two barbs:



Here's the connection I can only get to cover one barb: (Frustrating because it just covers the second barb but is a few millimeters off actually gripping anything!)



The connection:



So my question is: Do you think it's ok that the second side of the hose only covers one barb?

And should I clamp it?

try soaking the end of the hose in container of boiling water rather than pouring boiling water onto hose and fitting. That way only hose will be expanding. Dont heat too much hose else it will be too soft to push on.

First clamp one is good.

Best to clamp if you can. One less thing to worry about.
it would take quite a bit of pressure to force the hose backwards, maybe even some IBC or hose flex movement,
but while unlikely anything is possible.....

Is that hose soft enough on the inside to seal properly against the barbs? Outside of it looks like HDPE, which wont seal against HDPE very well unless you use teflon tape or soft rubber in between the pipe and fitting, even with a hose clamp.

You can use a heat gun or hair dryer to soften also.

>> but instead I am worried

I would be too, very, very worried!
If it is that corrugated drain pipe you were asking about before, it is doomed to be a really big PITA when it splits/leaks and empties your ST.

The hose shown is flexible spiral hose. Also known as pond hose. It was the recommended hose when I bought the fittings.

It's quite thick and rigid. It's described as being UV resistant and crush- proof.

I have since clamped the end that's only holding onto one barb. Nothing I tried could persuade the hose to move further down the barbed tail...

It definitely does "grab" onto the barbs. The first time I tried to make the connection I inadvertently cut the hose too short after already connecting one side. When I removed the clamp and went to remove the hose it required all my weight and a fair deal of wiggling and swearing to get the hose off the barbed tail again...

It looks like the same stuff I'm using on my pumps. It's a pain to get on the barbs and almost impossible to get off. Thick walled and smooth on the inside. It's nothing like the corrugated, thin walled grey (or similar) water hoses that split if you look at it sideways.

If you got enough of it over one barb that you could use a hose clamp on it then it should be ok.

Phew! Thanks Azira!

I filled the Sump Tanks a little and they're not leaking from anywhere I can see...

On to planning for back-filling!

One plastic pallet (P1) is going on the left and will only be cut down a little bit to make it level with the top of the STs.

This will then form one of the supports for the galvanized fence poles which will support the last two grow beds.

The plastic pallet in front of the ST on the right (P2) m I plan to cut in half and the other half will hold back the soil off the left hand ST at the front.

There's a third plastic pallet (P3) that I will use to hold back the soil on the right, the short end of the right hand STs. (Where the seating area is)

As for retaining the soil at the back of the STs... I was planning to use the two metal plates from the IBC cages I cut up for grow bed supports.

Anyone see any flaws with this plan?

Do I need anything to place between the STs?

If I do, it's easy enough to sacrifice half of the third plastic pallet (P3) to go between the STs and I can make a cut out to accommodate the connection between the tanks...

I plan to clad the system with colorbond which is why P2 and P3 can be cut to ground level as they will otherwise get it the way of the cladding.



Close up of P1 which needs to be cut down just a few cm to accommodate the galvanized fence posts which will support the remaining two GBs