Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hello from Florida. Thank you for having me on your forum. We started out our aquaponics build a few weekends ago. We have come pretty far with the structure and gathering and cutting materials. I am at the stage where I am arranging the grow beds, fish tank, and something.

My system set up is a 550 gallon cylindrical fish tank. I have three IBC totes and a 1000 fog pump. I have cut two totes to have for grow beds 12 inches in height. I will use expanded clay in the beds. I have one IBC tote left. I need to create a sump.

I have elevated the grow beds three cinderblocks high. This puts the bottom of the grow beds about 2 feet above ground. I am now need him to consider a sump. My question is should I cut the IBC tote in half and have two sumps joined with a u-siphon or should I bury the IBC tote whole? If I do the burry, how many gallons or how large should I leave the IBC towed intact? If I cut it for two sumps, I will locate them under respective grow beds for space. If I burry, it will be located off to the side. I guess either way is fine. Burying it gets it out of the way. Or having the two low cut sump tanks will allow me to have separate fingerling species growth in respective tanks. My future consideration is adding a float tray system on the other side of the greenhouse. So please keep this in mind with advice for sump tank Set up. Thank you very much for your suggestions and comments.

Welcome to the forum

>> I guess either way is fine.

yep, either will work. If you cut an IBC in half then the volume of 2 halves is approx same anyway.

The only considerations (very minor) would be:
(1) access if you use the sump for anything (fingerlings etc as you suggest)
(2) any difference in head (difference between water level of sump to water level of FT which might slightly affect pump rates)
(3) that single sump may be more forgiving with respect to low water levels/volumes and pump* stop/fail than 2 side-by-side sumps.
(4) grow beds being over sump versus pipes to sump at side (minor but may affect pipe configuration).

and (5) - whether you have to dig a hole [that one might win if it were me]

* would depend on brand of pump and what it does when water level gets too low.

I decided to burry it yesterday. Sore muscles but worth it.




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I think that burying the sump was the right choice . Looks great so far, Where is/are the fish tank/s going? Have you decided on filtration for the float tank and where you'll put it?

did you shore up the sides of the hole ?
The IBC bladder is not that strong. Usually people put something on outside of the frame.
Maybe it is not obvious from the picture.

few discussions on that topic around the forum - risk depends mostly on soil type and local water tables.

also you may want to eventually cover or shade the sump tank.

Water table very deep here. Filled with water and then filled in hole with packed dirt and watered it down to solidify. Feel confident for now that those dirt walls should stay packed good. No sand. If any push ins, I'll go back and throw some boards in when my arms heal.

Fish tank going to the side of it. 550 gal. Haven't decided on adding filtration. Was going to have the grow beds in front of the float tank if I add one. Will have some catfish in the sump. Tilapia and few cats in the main tank. May add a barrel filter system where the solids can collect and waste out the bottom. Sound ok?


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Also will be shading the sump. Still all early. I painted the tank and beds to reduce algae growth.


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willisbr
I was wondering why you cut the other IBC's in the background cross ways so that you left no support for the other two sides.

So how many gallons of FT water is needed to fill the pore space in your media, till the Syphons kick in?

For a 12" deep GB, with a 2" Freeboard, and a 2" below the surface of the Media, how many gallons for 1 GB??

The biggest Sump u need is a 30 gal barrel.