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hello, everyone.  I have bought IBC tanks.  I cut them where the top and the bottom will make grow beds.  each one is 20inches high.  I really hate to cut them down to 12.  Any reason, that we do NOT make the GB deeper than 12.  Would not that help in growing plants with big and long roots?  Thanks

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George,

What method of draining you use?

My tank is in the ground and my grow beds are raised above ground.  My beds drain back to the tank.


Moe said:

George,

What method of draining you use?

Your drain time will be determined by the size of the 'weep holes' that you drill in the bottom of your stand pipe. If 30 minutes is too long, go to the garage and grab a larger diameter drill bit 

My beds fill in about 9 minutes (the fill time is determined by the size of your pump. I have a ball valve plumbed into the outlet side of my pump so that I can adjust (slow down, or speed up) the fill time. The "extra" water coming out of the ball valve just dumps right back into my fish tank...while the water from the grow bed(s) drains via gravity into my sump.



Moe said:

Vlad,

Thank you for your suppot.  question: What method od drain do you use?  I have a bit of a concern, I do not know if it is valid.  Right now, as you know, I have 1/2 IBC tanks for GB.  I have not filled them with media yet, I am in the stand construction phase.  This is my second system, so I have a bit of experience.  in the past I drained using a syphon, and that was the only thing that kept failing.  I want ot get rid of this point of failure.  now back to my question, if I use the plan that you are suggestion, to "on" cycle enough to fill one GB and "off" enough for it to drain, suppose the on is 20m and the off is 30.  That means every GB needs 50 minutes.  This means that if I have two GB, one of them will be "waiting" for water for 50 minutes.  if I have 3 GB, that means each one will wait his turn for 50+50minutes and so on?  would it be a waste to have beds wait this long?  your thoughts?  Thanks

 

'Weep holes'? That makes it sound like your aquaponic system is always crying....Timer based systems have suddenly become depressing :*(

Vlad Jovanovic said:

Your drain time will be determined by the size of the 'weep holes' that you drill in the bottom of your stand pipe. If 30 minutes is too long, go to the garage and grab a larger diameter drill bit 

My beds fill in about 9 minutes (the fill time is determined by the size of your pump. I have a ball valve plumbed into the outlet side of my pump so that I can adjust (slow down, or speed up) the fill time. The "extra" water coming out of the ball valve just dumps right back into my fish tank...while the water from the grow bed(s) drains via gravity into my sump.



Moe said:

Vlad,

Thank you for your suppot.  question: What method od drain do you use?  I have a bit of a concern, I do not know if it is valid.  Right now, as you know, I have 1/2 IBC tanks for GB.  I have not filled them with media yet, I am in the stand construction phase.  This is my second system, so I have a bit of experience.  in the past I drained using a syphon, and that was the only thing that kept failing.  I want ot get rid of this point of failure.  now back to my question, if I use the plan that you are suggestion, to "on" cycle enough to fill one GB and "off" enough for it to drain, suppose the on is 20m and the off is 30.  That means every GB needs 50 minutes.  This means that if I have two GB, one of them will be "waiting" for water for 50 minutes.  if I have 3 GB, that means each one will wait his turn for 50+50minutes and so on?  would it be a waste to have beds wait this long?  your thoughts?  Thanks

 

They're tears of joy Alex...tears of joy...

Alex Veidel said:

'Weep holes'? That makes it sound like your aquaponic system is always crying....Timer based systems have suddenly become depressing :*(

Vlad Jovanovic said:

Your drain time will be determined by the size of the 'weep holes' that you drill in the bottom of your stand pipe. If 30 minutes is too long, go to the garage and grab a larger diameter drill bit 

My beds fill in about 9 minutes (the fill time is determined by the size of your pump. I have a ball valve plumbed into the outlet side of my pump so that I can adjust (slow down, or speed up) the fill time. The "extra" water coming out of the ball valve just dumps right back into my fish tank...while the water from the grow bed(s) drains via gravity into my sump.



Moe said:

Vlad,

Thank you for your suppot.  question: What method od drain do you use?  I have a bit of a concern, I do not know if it is valid.  Right now, as you know, I have 1/2 IBC tanks for GB.  I have not filled them with media yet, I am in the stand construction phase.  This is my second system, so I have a bit of experience.  in the past I drained using a syphon, and that was the only thing that kept failing.  I want ot get rid of this point of failure.  now back to my question, if I use the plan that you are suggestion, to "on" cycle enough to fill one GB and "off" enough for it to drain, suppose the on is 20m and the off is 30.  That means every GB needs 50 minutes.  This means that if I have two GB, one of them will be "waiting" for water for 50 minutes.  if I have 3 GB, that means each one will wait his turn for 50+50minutes and so on?  would it be a waste to have beds wait this long?  your thoughts?  Thanks

 

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