Idea for top-drip, media based, and constant flow system.

[John Appleweed]

This is my idea for a constant flowing, top-drip system that uses only 1 pump. You might have to zoom in to get a better view. This system isn't built yet. Sorry about the rough draft. I haven't used Paint since jr. high. This system would use many 3 or 5 gallon buckets or both. Basically, the water gets pumped into a lidded 5 gal bucket through the lid or top side. You could use any biofilter material inside this first bucket. The biofilter bucket would have a air stone in the bottom and the water outlet would be at the top on the opposite side of the intake valve. Gravity does the rest of the work after the first bucket. I haven't decided to use square or cylindrical buckets yet. Any suggestions are welcomed.

[RupertofOZ]

Small holes... and/or drippers... tend to clog rapidly with any suspended solids in AP....

Even with a pumped system... and your drippers are gravity fed.... don't like your chances...

[John Appleweed]

How rapidly are we talkin? What if I use 1/2 inch flex pipe or hose so I take away almost all angles and add in-line, removable, female ball valves to the water distribution bucket to make it easier to clean? I also thought about making a few removable filters for the water distribution bucket that would only go half-way down and fit flush against the sides. I would have a spare bio filter bucket that I could switch to if the current bucket got too toxic or clogged and a spare water distribution bucket for easier cleaning. The pump would have its own exchangeable bucket filters too.

 

Thanks for the advice. I'd be fine with trying 3/4 or 5/8 inch plumbing for the irrigation as well. I realize the picture isn't very detailed. I'm gonna try to make my own drippers or bore out the holes and lower the pressure. I think I could lower the pressure in the irrigation lines without closing the ball valves by lowering the height of the overflow drain hole.

 

 
RupertofOZ said:

Small holes... and/or drippers... tend to clog rapidly with any suspended solids in AP....

Even with a pumped system... and your drippers are gravity fed.... don't like your chances...

[Simon Joseph]

if you wanted to you could just just have it flow constantly,rupert right about clogs in drip holes.put a 3 way T for each bucket with a ball valve on it to control the flow,and you might want to put it on a timer

[Roger Eagle]

[Benjamin Wasserstein]

I would recommend finding a way to imbed your biofilter into your fish tank in case your pump goes. The clay pebbles that the plants sit in provide additional surface area for your bacteria, but if your pump dies on you near harvest you might lose your fish product to ammonia toxicity very quickly. Perhaps just have it sitting under your drain pipes as a cylindrical casing that spins with the flow of water over it - this way you always have bacteria sitting in your grow bed in the event that flow stopped.

 

You could then replace the biofilter image in your design with a solids filtration system that allows solids to collect on the bottom. Periodically, you would drain the solids from the bottom of this settling basin. This could help prevent problems with clogging, but your design on the plant side of things could definitely be done in a more cost effective manner. Just drill holes in your buckets, fill them with hydroton, and stick 'em all in a big tub of some sort and use a CHOP system that drains the tub with an autosiphon. This will greatly reduce the amount of tubing, fittings, and various piping that you will need to buy.

 

Derp. Why'd I even bother responding to this one!...just realized its from 2012! What the heck Roger!

[Roger Eagle]

Well I got some knowledge from your response so thanks for that. When I get to that side on my system planning on using the tall Folgers coffee containers, I have a swirl filter that feeds a media/bio filter. From there out into a 4" PVC pipe that goes halfway around GH.This acts as a reservoir/manifold before it goes out to GB. Guess I didn't see the date on that, thanks Benjamin.