Rough Draft- System Design - Aquaponic Gardening2024-03-29T12:48:46Zhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/forum/topics/rough-draft-system-design?commentId=4778851%3AComment%3A336842&feed=yes&xn_auth=noAll right then. Appreciate th…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-05-24:4778851:Comment:3406662012-05-24T20:22:28.253ZLance Rosehttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/LanceRose
<p>All right then. Appreciate the information and detail.<br></br> <br></br> <cite>TCLynx said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://aquaponicscommunity.com/forum/topics/rough-draft-system-design?commentId=4778851%3AComment%3A339312&xg_source=msg_com_forum#4778851Comment339142"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>Yes Brandy and Lance, pretty much. Now many people will use distrobution grids around the outside edge of the grow bed to distribute solids more evenly. However, I've only bothered…</p>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p>All right then. Appreciate the information and detail.<br/> <br/> <cite>TCLynx said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://aquaponicscommunity.com/forum/topics/rough-draft-system-design?commentId=4778851%3AComment%3A339312&xg_source=msg_com_forum#4778851Comment339142"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>Yes Brandy and Lance, pretty much. Now many people will use distrobution grids around the outside edge of the grow bed to distribute solids more evenly. However, I've only bothered with such things on one grow bed. Most of my beds I just have water enter at one point and exit at one point, usually I try to make them as opposite as possible but it isn't mandatory since flood and drain usually takes care of mixing pretty well.</p>
<p></p>
<p>The media and the bio-slime usually takes care of retaining most solids in the grow beds.</p>
<p></p>
<p>I have sometimes, with constant flow to the grow beds as you would have with siphons, had a slime build up where the water enters the grow bed (dubbed this fish poo pavement if for any reason it drys out) and you sometimes have to stir this slimy area with a stick to keep the water flowing down into it instead of flowing over the gravel before draining down into it, this would probably be why many people bother with distrobution grids. With timed flood and drain, this has not been an issue for me, seems the worms have time to keep the slime from building up when there is intermittent flow.</p>
<p></p>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote> Jon
No, my fish tank will hav…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-05-24:4778851:Comment:3394452012-05-24T15:28:19.764ZBradlyhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/Bradly
<p>Jon</p>
<p>No, my fish tank will have a static 330 gallons quantity. The pump will bring water up from the sump tank and drop it into the fish tank which will overflow out to the beds. My grow beds will have about 45 gals of water each when full, so I've sized my sump tank to be able to hold all water from all 3 beds in case they all drain at same time.</p>
<p>The sump and the fish tank will have air pumped in to help O2 the water.</p>
<p>Bradly</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Jon</p>
<p>No, my fish tank will have a static 330 gallons quantity. The pump will bring water up from the sump tank and drop it into the fish tank which will overflow out to the beds. My grow beds will have about 45 gals of water each when full, so I've sized my sump tank to be able to hold all water from all 3 beds in case they all drain at same time.</p>
<p>The sump and the fish tank will have air pumped in to help O2 the water.</p>
<p>Bradly</p>
<p> </p> Your grow beds will use appro…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-05-24:4778851:Comment:3393122012-05-24T05:37:27.410ZJon Nosehttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/JonNose
<p>Your grow beds will use approx 211 gallons of water leaving 39 gallons for your fish ? ... add a sump tank beside your fish tank. Have grow beds overflow into sump ... pump from your sump to your beds.. don't need air in grow beds .. unless this is DWC ... just a thought!</p>
<p>Your grow beds will use approx 211 gallons of water leaving 39 gallons for your fish ? ... add a sump tank beside your fish tank. Have grow beds overflow into sump ... pump from your sump to your beds.. don't need air in grow beds .. unless this is DWC ... just a thought!</p> Yes Brandy and Lance, pretty…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-05-24:4778851:Comment:3391422012-05-24T03:04:29.825ZTCLynxhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/TCLynx
<p>Yes Brandy and Lance, pretty much. Now many people will use distrobution grids around the outside edge of the grow bed to distribute solids more evenly. However, I've only bothered with such things on one grow bed. Most of my beds I just have water enter at one point and exit at one point, usually I try to make them as opposite as possible but it isn't mandatory since flood and drain usually takes care of mixing pretty well.</p>
<p></p>
<p>The media and the bio-slime usually takes care of…</p>
<p>Yes Brandy and Lance, pretty much. Now many people will use distrobution grids around the outside edge of the grow bed to distribute solids more evenly. However, I've only bothered with such things on one grow bed. Most of my beds I just have water enter at one point and exit at one point, usually I try to make them as opposite as possible but it isn't mandatory since flood and drain usually takes care of mixing pretty well.</p>
<p></p>
<p>The media and the bio-slime usually takes care of retaining most solids in the grow beds.</p>
<p></p>
<p>I have sometimes, with constant flow to the grow beds as you would have with siphons, had a slime build up where the water enters the grow bed (dubbed this fish poo pavement if for any reason it drys out) and you sometimes have to stir this slimy area with a stick to keep the water flowing down into it instead of flowing over the gravel before draining down into it, this would probably be why many people bother with distrobution grids. With timed flood and drain, this has not been an issue for me, seems the worms have time to keep the slime from building up when there is intermittent flow.</p>
<p></p> My thinking is that most of t…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-05-23:4778851:Comment:3390212012-05-23T15:49:46.553ZBradlyhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/Bradly
<p>My thinking is that most of the solids are introduced from on top, and will thus stay in the media. The drainage it seems only removes the water... if I'm understanding the process. It might be good to maybe put a few supply pipes spread around the grow bed to maybe evenly distribute the water and solids...my guess.</p>
<p>Now in the fish tank, it seems to me you want movement of water and solids so I'd guess you want water flowing in a specific direction.</p>
<p>We'll see if anyone…</p>
<p>My thinking is that most of the solids are introduced from on top, and will thus stay in the media. The drainage it seems only removes the water... if I'm understanding the process. It might be good to maybe put a few supply pipes spread around the grow bed to maybe evenly distribute the water and solids...my guess.</p>
<p>Now in the fish tank, it seems to me you want movement of water and solids so I'd guess you want water flowing in a specific direction.</p>
<p>We'll see if anyone comments about my guesses :-)</p> After looking around, the ans…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-05-23:4778851:Comment:3389302012-05-23T15:25:31.085ZLance Rosehttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/LanceRose
<p>After looking around, the answer to the question about putting the siphon drain in the middle is, like most questions about AP, it depends on your setup. I get the feeling that the issue is "dead" corners. So a more square design may not work as well with a middle drain as a more round design. But either could be handled depending on where the water enters. For all of this, I assume an ebb and drain system (why else would you want a bell siphon?). </p>
<p>I could still use some validation…</p>
<p>After looking around, the answer to the question about putting the siphon drain in the middle is, like most questions about AP, it depends on your setup. I get the feeling that the issue is "dead" corners. So a more square design may not work as well with a middle drain as a more round design. But either could be handled depending on where the water enters. For all of this, I assume an ebb and drain system (why else would you want a bell siphon?). </p>
<p>I could still use some validation from experience.</p> Good point... I got the origi…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-05-23:4778851:Comment:3387902012-05-23T15:19:55.375ZBradlyhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/Bradly
<p>Good point... I got the original standpipe suggested 1" size from Univ. of Hawaii at Manoa's paper on line. </p>
<p>I'll probably go back to their suggested 1" standpipe with the 2" bell then....or maybe when I build this thing I'll build 1 as a test and then see if I like the results before I build the other 2.</p>
<p>Thanks for the heads up.</p>
<p>Bradly</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Good point... I got the original standpipe suggested 1" size from Univ. of Hawaii at Manoa's paper on line. </p>
<p>I'll probably go back to their suggested 1" standpipe with the 2" bell then....or maybe when I build this thing I'll build 1 as a test and then see if I like the results before I build the other 2.</p>
<p>Thanks for the heads up.</p>
<p>Bradly</p>
<p> </p> I generally say bigger is bet…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-05-23:4778851:Comment:3388282012-05-23T02:05:13.763ZTCLynxhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/TCLynx
<p>I generally say bigger is better for plumbing but when it comes to bell siphons, that isn't always the case. Siphons actually drain water faster than a gravity drain of the same size.</p>
<p>I generally say bigger is better for plumbing but when it comes to bell siphons, that isn't always the case. Siphons actually drain water faster than a gravity drain of the same size.</p> Lance, one more little chang…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-05-22:4778851:Comment:3386742012-05-22T23:30:15.397ZBradlyhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/Bradly
<p>Lance, one more little change I think:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I think I'm going to upsize the standpipes to 1-1/2" pvc with 3" pvc size bell pipe over it.</p>
<p>I'm guessing that the 1" pipe will drain kind of slowly (maybe like 4 gpm) so I'm upsizing it to speed it up a little with the 1-1/2" standpipe to maybe like 7 gpm.... (a calculated guess on the gpm actuals). </p>
<p>Bradly</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lance, one more little change I think:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I think I'm going to upsize the standpipes to 1-1/2" pvc with 3" pvc size bell pipe over it.</p>
<p>I'm guessing that the 1" pipe will drain kind of slowly (maybe like 4 gpm) so I'm upsizing it to speed it up a little with the 1-1/2" standpipe to maybe like 7 gpm.... (a calculated guess on the gpm actuals). </p>
<p>Bradly</p>
<p> </p> I'm leaning towards IBC Totes…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2012-05-22:4778851:Comment:3386732012-05-22T23:03:19.298ZBradlyhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/Bradly
<p>I'm leaning towards IBC Totes for the grow beds, fish tank, and sump. I'd like to get a 500 gal circular UV resistant water tank for the fish tank if I can make budget work-but will kick cost of system up by like $300 more...so likely won't happen. I contemplated building out of wood and lining with EPDM Pond liner but would cost more $$$ and would likely be more difficult to make pipe connections to pond liner.</p>
<p>I'll probably just paint exterior surfaces of plastic with white Latex…</p>
<p>I'm leaning towards IBC Totes for the grow beds, fish tank, and sump. I'd like to get a 500 gal circular UV resistant water tank for the fish tank if I can make budget work-but will kick cost of system up by like $300 more...so likely won't happen. I contemplated building out of wood and lining with EPDM Pond liner but would cost more $$$ and would likely be more difficult to make pipe connections to pond liner.</p>
<p>I'll probably just paint exterior surfaces of plastic with white Latex to help protect them from the sun as well as reflect sun off the surfaces to keep cooler.</p>
<p>Great question on the drain being in center...I'll see what gurus say also. They can be moved off center of course to whereever...</p>
<p>I use Autocad 2004 to draw with, I draw electrical plans right now for a living for past 3 years....when there's work to draw that is.</p>