Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi all -
I see that people are posting completed systems, so if this is the wrong place for this I apologize. New guy and all...
The system will be in a nine by twenty-seven foot run on the south side of the house, as this is about the only space in a large yard not taken up by business. Last year I grew vegetables in five gallon buckets here. The squirrels were a serious problem at first, so I enclosed the entire space with poultry wire, and covered the top with shade cloth. (Shade cloth is a requirement here in Tucson, Arizona.) Now we call this space the screenhouse.
The system will actually be two separate systems, mostly (theoretically, laughably) identical. The plan is to build one system, work out the kinks, and then build a second, identical system. Of course, the first system will certainly need adjusting, tweaking, rebuilding, so the second system won’t actually be identical.
The System – as envisioned
Fish Tank – 275 gallon IBC
Sump – Rubbermaid 150 gallon poly stock tank, buried under grow beds
Grow Beds – IBC tops and bottoms, cut off at fourteen inches
Media – Lava cinders, ½” – 1”, twelve inch depth
Pump – TBD, minimum 550 GPH at six feet head height.
Cycling – Flood and drain, bell siphons
Fish – 50 Tilapia.
Mechanics – as envisioned
The system will be a basic CHIFT PIST system, pumping from the sump tank into the fish tank. From the fish tank, the SLO will supply water to the grow beds and back to the sump tank (to keep the pump submerged at all times.) Bell siphons will drain into the sump tank, and emergency overflows from the fish tank and grow beds will also drain into the sump tank.
Ideas – good, bad, ugly
SLO – I like this design by Smoky Aquaponics Design http://community.theaquaponicsource.com ... y-mountain
Plumbing – I think I want 1” S&D from the sump pump to the fish tank, 1 ¼” S&D SLO to the grow beds, and 1 ½” S&D drains and emergency over flows. TCLynx is recommending much larger drains at The Aquaponics Source http://community.theaquaponicsource.com ... bing-sizes but those drains might be a touch spendy. I will need some advice on this. Well, I will need advice on everything.
06/20/2016 – Dug in the 150 gallon Rubbermaid sump tank today.
It is amazing how much dirt is in a hole that size.

Oh look! IBCs!!!



One fish tank looks pretty much like all its brothers, LOL.

I have a 600 gph pump feeding water from sump to ibc ft. It's probably doing more like 450 gph at current head height, but i'm not sure exactly how much. The pipe going from ft to swirl filter (the to gb) is 1.25". I currently wish that pipe were slightly larger. It is enough for my current pump, but just barely. That pipe is like 90% full. If i had it to do over again i would have a larger pipe and bulkhead fitting there.

There are many factors but i have found the chart below to be a somewhat accurate rule of thumb for pipe throughput for gravity feeds. It can vary depending on drop and stuff i guess though.


http://aquaponicsnation.com/forums/topi ... pipe-size/

Thanks Ace

I like the way that you clad the ibc. Mine looks kinda trashy with bungy cords and twisty ties holding the tarp on there. For some reason it didnt occur to me that algae would be an issue!

Thanks Ace. I went high tech and first class. $7 Harbor Freight tarp and duct tape!

Finally got some time to work on my system today. I didn't get much done, but I was able to weld the frames and mock up the layout.

Just a growbed frame, 2" square tube, 12 ga. wall.

A growbed. It is obviously not wrapped yet. Also, I want to put a wood frame around the top.

TWO unfinished GBs!
As I said, I didn't get much done, but time is a precious commodity. I am just happy that I am still moving forward.

I had mine painted, rather than wrap it:

Hi Asia. I thought about paint, but I decided, perhaps erroneously, that the tarp would be cheaper.

Maybe not, if living in the US? Here in Cambodia, one can of spray paint is 5000r, or $1.25 USD. I have all of five bucks in that paint job.