Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Yeh dave, but if its under the bottom then you need some more hardware, i think he's trying to keep it simple at this stage. Thats why i suggested lowering the return to the tank much deeper, this will circulate water and kick up sediment. I think the water "over flows" into the stand pipe, there is no "pull" as such. I think.

I know a person who owns a plant nursery and she is fixing to retire from the business. I'm working on buying some of her lights that she used for growing plants. I will soon find out what kind of lights they are but hopefully they will be what I need.
Also my drawing is not to scale. I have not yet decided how big to make the sump or the growbed, so the sizes in the drawing are not absolute.

My system will be in a basement. The grow lights will be the only lights that will be on in the basement. Will there be that much evaporation down there? I don't know anything about how much is lost through transpiration.

There is no pull on the water out to the sump. It is done by gravity. The only pump on the system is between the sump and the growbed.

I don't really understand how this will work. I mean if the return pipe is deeper then it will be below the water level in the tank and if it is below the water level will the water in the tank not just fill up into the return pipe to the surface water level in the tank?

Trox - water losses through transpiration and retention by plants will be significant.

Hi Trox:
I'm thinking like this picture:

You might also consider putting the barrel on its side, ala a barrelponics setup.

No trox, it will fill up to the water level in the pipe, than as more water comes in it will flow out of the bottom to maintain an equal level inside and outside the pipe. It sort of confusing explaining it without hand actions

If you were to lower the return, having the water come in half way down the barrel as suggested by Steve, you may want to add a venturi, because you will no longer be getting waterfall aeration.

It seems that maybe my design is not so good for a beginner set up. Maybe I should try a simpler design.

Trox, don't ditch it!

Just extend the pipe down, trust us, it won't overflow You seem to like drawing the pictures, draw one up with the pipe extended and post it, i will verify it for you.

VB is correct about the oxygen, thanx VB, it slipped my mind!

If you don't want to experiment with venturi then just make the pipe that extends to the bottom "open to the atmosphere. Hell, this will be getting confusing for you, I'll scratch out a picture................gimme a sec

Steve

Trox, slight mods to your design. See picture!

Also bio bucket will nees to be sealed. You can use a 10 litre bucket with a snap on lid.

Thanks for the picture. The one part I don't understand is the open neck part on the return. Are the pipes attached to each other where the open neck is?

Two questions before I go and buy materials. What diameter pipe should I use for the stand pipe, the return pipe, and the pipe that gets the water from the tank, through the gravel, through the pump, and up into the grow bed.
My other question is what size pump should I get. Like what would the ideal head pressure and flow rate be?
Thanks.

Trox, others will be able to help you better with pipe sizes.

Think of the "open neck" sort of likelike a funnel, not physically connected just pouring into it. you should get a bit more O2 this way.

Just looking at the pic again, drop in water level is going to be a major pain in the ass, as it will run the pump dry!................you cant have the stad pipe submerged at all other wise the fish will get sucked in.

TROX, this is getting really confusing, but if your set up will look very much like my picture (as far as vertical heights of each of the components, then why use a stand pipe at all?

You need to be able to visualise water levels and flows. If the biofilter is sealed then makee the take off to the pump and biofilter a perforated horizontal pipe in the bottom of the tank! Get what i mean?

If you are going to have trouble with a sealed biofilter then just put an open one in between the grow pipe and the return pipe. I'll draw up a few variations for you. Its so hard in words sometimes..........................But don't ditch the plan