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Comment by Layne allen on January 1, 2014 at 6:41pm

I am looking to do my first system and wonder how small is big enough?

Comment by TCLynx on December 22, 2013 at 8:18am

I recommend build one system first, make it a slightly smaller system but yet big enough for temperature and chemistry stability.  This will eventually become your "quarantine" system where you bring in new fish.  You will learn much from this first system which will help you design your next slighting larger system which is where you will want to grow out your fish to eating size and will hopefully be less likely to bring a disease or parasite into the grow out system since you will be keeping new fish for at least 6 weeks in quarantine to check and make sure they don't come in with Ick or something that requires you to salt and kill strawberries or totally clean out and start over in your grow out system.

I like to build systems that have at least twice as much grow bed volume as fish tank volume but if you can't manage that then you need to add sine solids removal and bio-filter OR never stock the system anywhere near it's max capacity.

Decide what the goals and priorities are for your systems?  If you want more veggies, then concentrate on grow beds.  If you want more fish, then you will probably wind up needing the solids removal and bio-filter elements to help your plant beds keep up with filtration for your fish tanks.

Comment by Anthony Payne on December 19, 2013 at 5:57pm

Good point Leo. I may have to consider this.   

Comment by Leo White Bear on December 19, 2013 at 5:38pm

One suggestion is a bio-security format.  With multiple tanks, a disease will actually stop all production of growing fish and vegetables.  In commercial systems a bio-breach can and does cause a devestating loss of income.  With a small hobby system, this can cause a problem if you want to can or perserve any product at the end of the year.

  In my 14-tote system, I divided my IBCs into two units each with one pump driving both totes in turn filling both grow beds.  This way if a disease is introduced into one unit, I just have to shut down that one unit (2-totes) for sanitization instead of all fourteen. 

Comment by Jeff S on December 19, 2013 at 4:29pm

I am in the process of setting up another tank and have buried it about 18" in the ground. This will allow me to put grow beds at a more workable height and still utilize a gravity drain system without using a separate sump tank. I didn't have a real long term plan when I started so now I'm re-doing things. Once I get it going (probably this week) I will take the other tank out of the GH for more space to grow. All the videos are great and I feel like I'm learning a lot from them.

Comment by Anthony Payne on December 19, 2013 at 4:04pm

Thanks guys, I'm not cutting the top off the tank at the first rib I wanted to have the room for fish and build boxes with liners. The guy that sold me the tanks sold me a quick disconnect fitting that fits standard plumbing fittings. Now I have been thinking if my tanks sit in the corners and bio-filter with sump just below in the center, I may not be able to access the fish when harvest comes. I may want the tanks along the wall and bio-filter in the corner. The gh will be inside detentions 9'5” wide x15' 5” with a center height of 9'6” a gambrel roof. This can give me a bed down the center and beds along the other wall or DCW NFT. I could put tours down the center. Well so many configurations I have some time. I feel like a kid in a candy store. I could put the tanks outside along the gh and have all the room for plants and just have the sump in the green house. Hummm.

Comment by Leo White Bear on December 19, 2013 at 2:18pm

I put in a 14 unit IBC system in a barn and have tried using the 2" plug in the cap as a place to put in the bell siphon in 4 units.  Every one of them leaked profusly.  Granted, they leaked into the FT but it drove me nuts.  I had to remove the media in that area so I could fix the problem, I moved the siphon to the corner of the grow bed.  I, personally do not reccomend using the cap as a place for the bell siphon.  I have heard of people using this area for the siphon with reasonable good luck, but I have not.  Just my 2-cents worth.

Comment by Jeff S on December 19, 2013 at 1:08pm

I  also have a 330 tote. I cut off the top at just below the first rib to use as a grow bed putting a 2" drain ( the same size as the hole in the cap) in a gravity drain system. I later converted to a bell syphon by adapting both sides of the 2" hole to 1" stand pipe and drain. just put a 1 1/2" to 1" adapter at the top and a 90 under the bottom drain with a 3" bell. Works fine. You may have to play with the water flow to get the best results. Mine fills in about 5 minutes and drains in around 8. One thing I have recently figured out is I don't need 250 gallons of water for 12 Tilapia so I have lowered my water to about half that to cut back on heating cost for the winter. A few fish go a long way toward fertilizing a garden.

I am using 3/4 supply line but could easily get by with 1/2. 1" would be overkill I think. I've only been at this for about six months but I've picked up a lot of ideas I can share if you're interested.

Comment by Robert Rowe on December 19, 2013 at 12:50pm

correct

Comment by Anthony Payne on December 19, 2013 at 10:49am

Basically It would be and air gap. the siphon would 1-2 inch gap between 2 inch pie.

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