Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hello all,

I'm new to aquaponics and am working to design my first system. I'll have two 180 gallon fish tanks that flow through a SLO to a 45g barrel radial flow filter, then through a 45g barrel moving bed biofilter, then to a 100g rubbermaid stock tank sump. The pump will be in the sump tank.

My question is about the levels of these containers. The fish tanks and the drums are roughly the same height and the sump is a bit shorter. Since my fish tanks are flowing through to the 55g barrels via gravity, how much do I need to raise my fish tanks up off of the ground?

I've found a lot of information about RFFs but I can't find any information about the height of the plumbing.

Thanks so much.

..
OK.. taking a.hip shot....

In my new system... The water levels in the fish tank, and the filters, are essentially the same.levels, and.so mechanically the three need to me arranged that way.
You pump to the GBs, which flow onto the. FT which overflows via.the SLO, to the filters..
The SLO thus sets the level within the FT, and the flow restrictions within the pipe work and the filters, will.vary the actual levels in the filters.
You can have the filters.at different.levels, assuming always sequentially lower, and that they are each designed to overflow to the next.device..

To me.. the important considerations.for plumbing heights are. .
You can happily feed in from the bottom or the side, provided that you don't create air lccks, and there is sufficient flow that sedimentation does not happen..
An advantage.of entering.lower, is that you can mortify the true entry, with an.adjustable.elbow... ie my swirl filter has theside entry and half way down, and inside, there is a riser and angles to get my injection, to where I want it..

Air locks .. or plumbing that goes up and Down, just must be avoided.... but down and back up, is OK, (but agsin - provided strong flows)
..

Thanks, that's very helpful!