Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

My test system has proved itself so my 'real' system is almost ready to recieve the SP's that Monya is ready to supply. Before I post the details in 'Members Systems", I need some advice....I have one 1500 lt fish tank and two 200 lt GB's.The GB's will be gravity fed from the fish tank with F&D to a 240 lt sump. One pump in the sump, controlled by timer, will return to the fish tank. My question is....do I supply water to the GB via a single pipe buried 200 mm in the media (14mm blue metal), or do I build a distribution grid on the media surface? Any advice will be warmly recieved. Photos next week in 'Members Systems"...I promise.

Our latest incarnation has 10mm holes in the underside of a pipe down the centre of each bed. The single feed on top of the gravel in Steem's system causes algae build up around where it splashes and not great solids distribution. That said, VB has had a great run with a single feed point, but he doesn't have much sunlight hitting his gravel and his worms make all the difference to solids break down. Probably haven't helped much there. All i reckon is complex irrigation grids have been proven to be surplus to requirments IMHO

I have both as far as i see theres verry little difference

"All i reckon is complex irrigation grids have been proven to be surplus to requirments IMHO"
Thanks Monya, my thoughts exactly...my test system seemed to have more grid than vegies. My preferance is for a single deep entry but I would like to know the downside.

Maybe if you have the pipe buried, as the water and solids come out in a stream the size of the pipe, there will be a build up at that point, maybe a single entry point on the surface with a "hat" over the outlet to keep out the sunlight and keep down the splashes?

if you have the "correct" ratio of growbed then i agree its a mute point.

my bed was VERY undersized so i think a distrubution grid may have helped if i had one;)

Yeah I was going to say a surface pipe with a bucket over the top to stop splashing and algae.

Yeah Monya, that is my concern, I have a 25mm pipe buried about 200mm down so it stands to reason that any solids would gather at that point and potentially cause a blockage. Maybe I should test that setup in one GB and do a surface grid on the other???

any test will be a long term test. true outcome will manifest when plant root have also started taking up space.

if you're concerned then just do the grid

and plant roots will definately head up the buried pipe.

Yep, I'd be very concerned about roots in the long term... If you bury pipes, then you'll be digging them up again at some stage when the roots get into them.. I have very few problems with surface grid, but minimal surface grid work..

My single entry point actually gets quite a lot of direct sun because it is towards the front of the bed and not shaded by the plants. No algae buildup on the gravel and only a bit at the openning of the pipe (nothing to worry about). As Stu said, worms do a great job of cleaning up solids at that point (if I scratch the gravel at that point - it is thick with worms just below the surface). The flood and drain action also helps with solids distribution I expect - once worms help break down. I would never bother with a grid unless I was doing a continuous flow system.

I agree with the single entry point. I hae used this method for 13 months and it works well for me. There is actually buildup there but I simmply use a garden spade every two or three months to turn it under or to even "seed" other systems I am developing.

On one growbed I had trouble with birds coming in and trampling on the plants while trying to drink for m the pipe. So I simply placed a bowl under the pipe and created a birdbath for them to splash in without tramping the plants.

I have single entry points on my hydroponic systems that are tuned down and go to the bottom of the bed (8")with holes drilled up the side. I have had no problems with roots and if I ever do the top hole will start to spurt water out and I will see that. I did not want to be hitting the pipe every time I planted something.