Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Thanks very much guys! Been looking at tanks. Here we have Vasallo (among others) who have a 1000g "Vasstank". I just got a quote for $1500 (ouch). The blue tank you see on the neighbor's roof is one of these Vasstanks, but it looks like a 600g. I may just have to give up one DWC . Back to the drawing board!

You know I love watching our fish. If it was me, I'd use two round tanks set out where you can see the fish and under woven bamboo shade cloth and use one IBC for a sump. Anyway, don't you need less sump in a raft (DWC) system than a media bed auto-siphon system? I wonder if two different types of fish could be run?

Hi Brian. The reason for a larger sump is to be able to flush the filters without wasting water. With a larger sump filled half way, I can turn off one filter, let the gunk settle, open a valve mid way in the filter and send it to the sump, then open a bottom valve in said filter and flush the gunk to the MT.

I see. hehe I still like a round fish tank and RFF

Felix, why don't you set up some wicking beds in the extra space and just feed them water from the AP system. You can fertilize them directly and adjust the soil pH to grow whatever you want.

Now that you're thinking you'll have an empty spot, if you want another challenge, you could try growing blueberries. Some of the University of Florida blueberries will grow in the tropics but you'll probably need to adjust the acidity and maybe grow in wicking beds. If you don't want to eat them right away, you could dry these like raisins. Grapes would be another option that lets you do this. You have so many good fruits that grow there you have lots of easier options as well.

That does sound good, and I would certainly consider the wicking beds once the system is up and been running for a while. I was just looking at my drawing. I havent done the nutrient math yet, but I may end up doing just 3 DWCs, and 4 ibc fish tanks, keeping the same filtration from the drawing. The excavator dude just called to come check out the latest version of the project. I hope to break ground soon!

Hey Scotty, are you saying the water from wicking beds doesn't need to return to the FT? We'd just trickle the water from the ST into the WBs? This Summer I have to build some.

Yep, that's what I'm saying. You can make them either way Brian. Personally I like the ones that don't return water to the AP system. You can fertilize these separate from the AP and adjust the soil pH without risking this affecting the AP system pH. You also don't have to be concerned about oil or soap sprays getting into the AP water as long as you're carefull.

I think you could setup something like this several different ways but I'm still toying with the idea.

Manual is what most people are doing and that's the way my wicking beds are setup.

Using a float valve/fill valve would be another way. This would probably need to be set within the wicking bed somehow but should be accessible.

Using a pump and timer would be a third way. You would have some overflow from the wicking beds this way but might be better in some circumstances - hilly sites where a fill valve won't fit well.

I'm still looking for an easy way to do the float valves with different situations so post up when you get yours' figured out.

I can see where you don't want to do too many of these hooked to an AP system since taking too much water out will rob the AP of some of the nutrients as well.

Update! Will explain later. Gotta go to work!

Good morning! Ok here goes, suggestions are very welcome!!

Palm tree and gardenia are gone. On the top left of the photos, you'll see a small cement base. I have electricity and water there. There's another one on the right side of the yard, behind the IBC's.

I'm going with Sam's suggestion of using (4) fish tanks instead of (2), and the idea of (3) Troughs instead of (4). (4) was just going to be too tight.

On the top right of the pictures, you'll see (6) IBC's. (4) are FT, (2) are going to be Rff's. The (4) fish tanks will be raised on a row of cement blocks, so I can have the maximum water volume in the RFF's.

The RFF's will have (2) drain lines. One at 6-8" above the bottom that would go into the sump, and one at the very bottom that would go into the RFF. When cleaning time comes, I shut off whichever RFF I'm cleaning, drain the bulk of the water to the sump, then I open the bottom valve and drain the gunk into the MT.

Of the (5) blue drums you see, (1) will be the MT, and (4) will be either bottle cap filters or bird netting filters. I haven't discarded the bird net idea yet, as I saw this rigid plastic mesh at Home depot not too long ago. I'm thinking about building sort of a cylindrical plastic "cage" which I would fill with bird netting, that would fit snugly into the drums. When cleaning time comes, I shut off that particular drum, shake up the "cage", pull it out and give it a quick rinse, drain the gunk out of the bottom of the drum into the MT, and put the cage back in. Voilá (In theory). The blue drums will also have (2) drain lines each, and will work in a similar manner as the RFF's.

The 600 gallon fiberglass tank will be the sump, which will be buried.

The gray box is the lizard's cage.

I plan to buy a pump similar to the one I have in my other system, which is a Beckett 3600GPH from Home Depot. If you don't think its big enough or have a better suggestion, please let me know!!

For air, I'm thinking about using one pump for each trough, and it would be this Elemental O2 1744GPH pump http://alliedaqua.com/elemental-o2-comm ... 4-gph.html
plumbed the same was as Andrew has (PVC pipe down the edge of the troughs, and then connect to flex line and air stones.)

The water flow splits as follows: Pump in sump to (X2) (2) FTs - (1) RFF - (2) blue drums - manifold - troughs.

I'm still debating if the water from the RFF to the (2) drums should be in series or parallel. Parallel would certainly slow the flow, but I'm trying to figure out an idiot proof way to even out the flow to each, every time I have to shut one down for cleaning. (Again, suggestions welcome)

This layout keeps the bosswife happy (sort of), and i have access to the lemons and bananas with no problem.

Any thoughts? Please feel free to tear up the system! (Now, before I build it and I REALLY have to tear it down!)

op right of the pictures, you'll see (6) IBC's. (4) are FT, (2) are going to be Rff's. The (4) fish tanks will be raised on a row of cement blocks, so I can have the maximum water volume in the RFF's.

The RFF's will have (2) drain lines. One at 6-8" above the bottom that would go into the sump, and one at the very bottom that would go into the RFF. When cleaning time comes, I shut off whichever RFF I'm cleaning, drain the bulk of the water to the sump, then I open the bottom valve and drain the gunk into the MT.

Felix,what are you planning as your cleaning regime on your RFFs ? In my opinion RFFs need to cleaned daily,this then being put into the MT after the equivalent amount of water is removed from the MT. I think using IBCs for your RFFs is not the best way to do it, purely based on the difficulties of cleaning,on the big system I used a 200 litre barrel as the RFF one for each fish tank,this gives a retention time of 3.5 mins,cleaning involves switching off the system then when the flow stops give the RFF a quick swirl then open into a 20 litre bucket, we give the buckets time to settle,the clean water goes back into the RFF the muck in the bottom goes in the MT.
On my system I don't need to switch off,I have an ajustable outlet,so at cleaning time I raise the outlet which stops the flow,the extra just flows down the surface drains,I then give the RFF a gentle swirl so pushing the solids to the centre and the drain,the bucket is filled with three fills a gentle swirl between each fill,this removes the majority of solids from the RFF,to start the flow I just drop the outlet height. I switch of the airlift on the MT and let it settle as iam cleaning the RFF,I decant 20 litres of clean water from the MT and switch it back on,then the water and muck from the RFF is dumped in the MT,the clean water from the MT is poured down the outlet in the RFF so as it goes through the cap filters. And breath,sounds long winded but is a quick and efficient process taking not much more than ten minutes done every morning,because of my high stocking,anymore than 24 hrs and I get clumps floating in the RFF and when it's drained there is quite a strong smell with it.
Hope this makes sense....
PS....I have found no difference in the results between the net filter and the cap filter,the caps are a lot easier and cleaner to clean and I reckon it's close on how much water is used to clean both.

That is great to know! I need to send a test package to see, but I figure my chances of getting something like K1 media in Costa Rica is pretty slim. I have yet to find any sort of bulkish ways to find bottle caps -- it would take years for my household to save up enough. But bird-netting, that I can find. Any quick estimate of how many square meters of netting nicely fills a 200L barrel? I haven't found it yet, if it exists, but has there been a thread about cleaning bird-netting used in an AP filter? Rinsing it with some plunging action I assume is not enough?

--
Sam

Not so slim - You may not be able to buy it there but there appear to be several ebay sellers that ship to Costa Rica according to their ebay information. You'd still be better off if you can find bottle caps though

Hmm, I still like the idea of a wicking bed, from your description Scotty, what would be the harm of running a little soak hose off our AP to a dirt garden with an automated to-up system on the sump? I may start a thread and do a test of this idea for the Summer.

Andrew, I plan to clean the RFF weekly.

Could you share a photo or two of your adjustable outlet which you raise at cleaning time?

Also, What would you say about getting rid of the RFF altogether,and turning them into a couple more fish tanks, and having the water go straight into the cap filters?

The wicking bed idea is a no go. I have no more space!