Hi
Decided to set up a mini test system. Already have a pond so the object was to build it as cheaply as possible.
Have six planter boxes (courtesy of a Telstra renovation) approx 22” in diameter 1’ deep with a 1” hole in the bottom centre, decided to use three of these.
Placed two milk crates upside down on the decking at the side of the pond. Two lengths of 2” galvanised pipe locked together between the crates (something to stand the planter boxes on). Have a number of excess pipe fittings but as usual had to spend $6 on extras (it’s strange that you never seem to have all the right bits). Ok used 1” threaded pipe fitting with O rings through the holes.
This is where I started getting slack, decided to use only one loop siphon for the three beds. Plumbed a 90 degree bend under planter one and two Tees under planters two and three. Ran ¾” hosepipe between the beds and the loop off the T on planter three.
Was originally going to use slotted drainage pipe, cut in half, over the drain holes but this would have not allowed me access to them ( remembered my drama’s with tomatoes and their roots in my hydro systems). The planters had a small ridge about 2” round the drain hole so ferreted around in the garage with the vernier until I found some pipe that fit snugly over them. Cut it into 1’ lengths and drilled holes all over them (pain in the ass job). This is where I got lucky, but did not realise it at the time.
Before I put media into the GB’s I took a feed off the pond pump and alternately into each planter to see what would happen. This is when things started to look bad, GB’s would not balance out levels before the siphon cut in and the vortex in GB 3 (next to the loop) dropped enough air to stop the siphon. Could have tried to put a header across and tried to balance the water to each GB but would still have left me with the problem of the vortex (anyway would be fiddly and more work).
Had a couple of beers for therapeutic reasons. This must have worked because two table tennis balls later and a slightly reduced flow only into number 2 GB and it was sweet.
Put the table tennis balls into the drainpipes on GB’s two and three so what happened was the reduced water flow levelled out the GB’s and when it started to siphon it dropped GB 3 to a point where the TT ball locked off the drain hole, same with GB2, number one just drained and broke the siphon. It sounds like bonk bonk, delay bonk delay then sluuurp.
Next was the almost boring bit, the media. Had some pea gravel which was originally the filler in the top pond but had to be removed; I had placed it in another part of the garden. So out with an old security screen and grade all the honkey nuts etc out, this was the not so boring part when a small scorpion ran up my wrist. Don’t know who was more surprised, managed to flick it into the garden. Washed the gravel and put it in the GB’s. Found two more mini scorpions, these went into the pond. Total cycle now 9 mins with the drain about 1 ½ mins.
Bought some strawberry plants (four into GB 3) a roma tomato plant into GB 2 and two cherry tomato plants into GB 1 (it is a mini test system as the pond does not really need it).
Best news, all up cost $15 (it ain’t fancy but was certainly cheap)
Backyard Aquaponics
. When I started, pond water was Ph 7.2, ammonia 0, nitrites 0 and nitrates 0. I started feeding the fish (usually very infrequently in winter) twice a day. Three days ago I put in the three fat and lazy goldfish from my bedroom aquarium.