1000 or 1500 lit fish tank????

[Colin Fisher]

Shalom all I'm a organic farmer but intend to convert to AP once Ive compleated my tests.

I Have 2 tanks for fish  1x IBC 1000 lit  & another being a 1 mt dia x 1.6  1500 lit tank. 

I have plenty of grow beds and space but my question is.is it advisable to use my big 1.6 mt high tank? 

Most of the tanks I have seen are .5 or IBC in height.I need advise here every thing else is set up  for me to build.many thanks all.

Shabat shalom 

[TCLynx]

Think about harvesting fish and start out with the tank you think will be easiest to handle.  Aquaponics is addictive through and I expect you will eventually wind up using both thanks.  It is often handy to have two systems ya know.

[Colin Fisher]

TCLynx thanks for a quick reply  but before I invest $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ into swimming pools  I have 15 or so of these 1.5 meter high tanks  but I need to know the pros & cons if I can use  use a tank that high.
TCLynx said:

Think about harvesting fish and start out with the tank you think will be easiest to handle.  Aquaponics is addictive through and I expect you will eventually wind up using both thanks.  It is often handy to have two systems ya know.

[TCLynx]

You can certainly use a tank that high.  The logistics all depend on how you want to lay out your system and how you will be going about the harvesting.  My big system has a tank that is about 1.2 meters high and I stand on a bench for netting the fish.  1 meter high for the fish tanks is probably a bit more convenient for accessing fish but if you are trying to do a CHIFT PIST where the water will flow from the fish tank directly to grow beds you may be a little more limited in your layout.

 

Anyway, pros for tall tanks will be more height to work with for CHIFT PIST systems.  Cons against taller tanks are the possible difficulty in harvesting fish or needing a platform around the tank to make access possible.

 

Also, deeper tanks require more air pressure to run air stones in them, something to keep in mind.

[Colin Fisher]

TCLynx said:

You can certainly use a tank that high.  The logistics all depend on how you want to lay out your system and how you will be going about the harvesting.  My big system has a tank that is about 1.2 meters high and I stand on a bench for netting the fish.  1 meter high for the fish tanks is probably a bit more convenient for accessing fish but if you are trying to do a CHIFT PIST where the water will flow from the fish tank directly to grow beds you may be a little more limited in your layout.

TCLynx  many thanks for watching over my shoulder.This is how I see it 

1. 1.6 lit fish tank

2.  200 lit  bio filter.

3  .an additional 3 in line filters

4.  700 lit sump tank  (chop 2 system)

A 3500/4000 lit pump if not sufficient Ill go bigger.Air pumps with stones isn't a problem.

Any other suggestions you might have would be greatly appreciated.

once again many thanks .Shalom Shalom,Colin

 

.

Anyway, pros for tall tanks will be more height to work with for CHIFT PIST systems.  Cons against taller tanks are the possible difficulty in harvesting fish or needing a platform around the tank to make access possible.

 

Also, deeper tanks require more air pressure to run air stones in them, something to keep in mind.

[TCLynx]

What sort of system?

 

1. 1.6 lit fish tank

2.  200 lit  bio filter.

3  .an additional 3 in line filters

4.  700 lit sump tank  (chop 2 system)

A 3500/4000 lit pump if not sufficient Ill go bigger.Air pumps with stones isn't a problem.

Any other suggestions you might have would be greatly appreciated.

once again many thanks .Shalom Shalom,Colin

 

I'm a bit confused.  I'm used to doing media based systems where I like to have at least as much media bed as fish tank and prefer twice as much grow bed as fish tank.

 

So if I had a 1500 liter fish tank, I would want 3000 liters worth of grow beds total.  My grow beds are my bio-filter along with being my plant growing space.

 

However you mention bio-filters so I'm guessing you are planning a raft type system in which case you probably need to be working with the UVI numbers if you will be removing solids or you could work with Friendlies methods if doing less fish and more plants.  I'm not an expert on DWC or raft systems so I should defer to people with more experience there.

 

Pump sizing, for a constant run pump media based system you need a pump that will move at least the volume of your fish tank per hour at the height you will be requiring of it minimum and going twice that is usually good to allow for extra aeration and flow.  If running timed pumping then you need to move at least the volume of your fish tank in the time that the pump will be on each hour.

 

Perhaps you want to be starting another discussion with the "title" of you planned system and you could show a diagram of your plans and get some help/input from people who know the type of system you are planning.

[David Waite]

Colin keep in mind you can bury your fish tank in the ground like me and TC do to the height you want the rim at. So height is not so important as balancing the systems fish tank volumn to grow bed or raft. If you have the grow beds I cant stress enough on building the smaller system first and get your feet wet. I will guarantee your perspectus on design will change with some experience on your first system. Then after you have made all the rookie mistakes we have you can build system #2 the  way you want.

[Colin Fisher]

David Waite said:

Colin keep in mind you can bury your fish tank in the ground like me and TC do to the height you want the rim at. So height is not so important as balancing the systems fish tank volumn to grow bed or raft. If you have the grow beds I cant stress enough on building the smaller system first and get your feet wet. I will guarantee your perspectus on design will change with some experience on your first system. Then after you have made all the rookie mistakes we have you can build system #2 the  way you want.