Swimming Pool System

[Pat James]

I have finally got around to start to work building my AP system. I bought two 55 gal barrels and eight 275 gal IBC totes a few weeks ago and then the weather got cold and wet- progress stalled. At least we have had a few days

The system I now plan to build is quite a bit different than the one I originally planned. That is due to the help and advice of some of the people here.. Thank you.

I will buy the piping itself at one of the big box stores, but I can save a bundle by buying the fittings online.

Today I will begin cutting the IBC's.

[Pat James]

Jim..Yeah, I saw that on you tube a couple years ago. That guy really got things going with a pool that he did not want.

[Jim Fisk]

Hi Pat. Have you seen this site? Right down your ally. http://gardenpool.org/

[Jim Fisk]

Hey Pat, it sounds like you are getting a handle on things. There are always more challenges down the road in AP but as the early ones become the norm things get easier for sure. At about the one year mark you begin to feel a bit more in control.

Thanks for the siphon description. I was getting a bit confused as to what you were up to. My only change on my system would be a bigger common drain, like 2", for future media beds due to bells popping up when the drain is overwhelmed. I stay away from too large a drain as I want nothing to settle out in transit but there is a sweet spot to be had. For now weights or covers in the case of the clear top bells will do. The original bells were heavy and never had this problem but as I moved into lighter materials for the sake of shipping the siphons (sold over 200 now) this minor problem poked it's head up. Pics?

[Pat James]

Early October update.

Converting over to 1.5 inch pvc for water flow has done the trick. The flow is great. In fact, the IBC tote  I use as my elevated cistern no longer stays full. I would rather return as much water as possible through the normal inground pipes of the original pool plumbing as possible. I am thinking that will do alot to slow fluctuation in water temps. We have not had cold days here yet but they are right around the corner.

One problem I did have was a drain getting plugged and causing an overflow. To prevent a recurrence, I installed some regular siphons between the growbeds. While I am home and can keep a close watch, I have even cut the flow into a couple beds forcing water to flow from one bed to the next. I did this to see if I could accumulate more waste than normal along the sequence,I will be out of town for a week in Nov so I will open all water flows and make sure all siphons are clear. I want to prevent a problem when I am out of pocket.

Our temps here have only dropped into the upper 60's at night at the lowest. Generally I find pre-dawn temps of lower 70's.  My fish are still eating voraciously. On occasion, I have taken to turn on the inground pool light and then thrown some feed into the lighted area to see how the fish eat late at night. (For those who wonder...NO I do not go out after midnight just to see the fish eat...I am letting the dogs out to do their business..)

My surviving catfish are larger than I thought they would be but still not close to what I want to harvest. I have some larger tilapia but also no where near filleting size. The best are the size of an acceptable bream. So any I harvest in the near future will be cooked as whole fish.

I am looking at developing some kind of passive solar heater from the scrap I have on hand that will at least keep the temp above minimum (fatal) temps...

[Pat James]

Jim, My fill lines were 3/4 inch. There were 4 of those stepped down from the 2 inch manifold coming off the IBC cistern. My drains from each bed were 1 inch flowing into a 4 inch common drain.

I had originally intended to use bell siphons in each bed, but when I started using the beds as nursery tanks, I pulled the bells and switched to suspended rafts.

One thing I have noticed is that styrofoam plates do not last long in the hot sun. There is a thin plastic sheath that gets fried off quickly. It turns into brittle snakeskin like mess. As that started, I pulled the rafts and hosed them off with a hose. I'd rather have bits of plastic in the lawn than in the AP system.
just thought about posting a discussion in the raft group about my experiences... :D

[Pat James]

I spent some time this weekend planting more of the beds. I pulled all the small plants that succumbed to the transplant process. I still have a few more spots.

One thing I did add that has not been discussed much are cuttings from my sweet potatoes. You can eat the greens raw or cooked, so I thought they would make an excellent warm weather crop. I only wished I had remembered this earlier in the season.

I also cut some of my pipes so the inflow water to the growbeds falls to one side of styrofoam rafts. I found letting it splash onto the raft was putting too much water on the plants. IT was probably contributing to some of my plant problems. It was also creating a dense algae growth on the raft.

I drained both my radial flow filters and removed pounds of garbage. The surviving fish from my disaster a few weeks ago all seem to be doing well. I'm feeding a couple pounds of pellets a day now. Hoping the fish grow to harvest size before the weather turns cool.

I am trying to design a passive solar heater to take the edge off the cooler water temps, at least to keep the fish alive.

[Jim Fisk]

Well that does sound a lot better.

As you know I have used 1" at each GB siphon flowing into 1 1/2" drain line back to the sump from day one. 3/4" would be way too small for IBCs. Good enough for barrelponics siphons but common drain should still be at least 1 1/2" even then. I will be using 2" common drain in the future as I do get a burp occasionally if 3 or more ibc siphons turn on at once. They tend to burp at break time. Those burps can pop up a bell made from S&D pipe and they need some additional weight or a cover to cure that. Nothing beats experience.

Don't know where you read 3/4" but I suspect they were talking barrelponics and not IBCs and never for a common drain. Glad to hear you are getting a handle on this and remember S&D pipe is cheaper and has quite a bit more volume due to the thinner wall and it is still rated 200# burst and we never get anywhere close to 20# even from the pump as there should never be any restrictions but rather a bypass return line to bleed off extra volume from the pump. Only the "A" size Lowes carry S&D (about 1 out of 5 stores around here). All but 2" for some strange reason starting with 3/4" all the way up to 4" in every size but 2". Best value by far. Easy to work with and noticeably more flow than sch. 40 and lighter weight as well.

[Pat James]

Two days ago, I re-plumbed my growbeds. This time I used 1 1/2 inch pipe and fittings instead of the 3/4 in I had. The cost was only $110. Water flow now is phenomenal in comparison to what it was. I have both water returns from the pump full open. Before I had the regular pool return open but had to restrict the IBC cistern flow or it would overflow faster than my relief system could handle.

I had read that 3/4 inch pipe would give adequate flow. Maybe in a small system , but NOT in one like mine.

@ Jim... If I had this flow from the beginning, I would not have experienced the catastrophe of losing most of my catfish.

I am also adding a group of new plantings. Most of them are cole crops and it is far too hot for them at this time of the year. My goal is to get something growing that has a fast growth rate.

I no longer have the churning of a shark-like feeding frenzy. But I do see a number of my tilapia feeding. I only hope they grow enough to harvest before cool months kick in.

I am now trying to develop a passive solar heater for my pool. At best I might be able to keep the water temps above the tilapia's lower limits. I am scrounging stainless steel coils from our heart lung systems when a case cancels or they do it off pump and we have to throw the system away. I'm hoping to collectenough this way without having to resort to using blood-filled coils that I have to sanitize (which will be a RELUCTANT step).

[Jim Fisk]

2 quick comments.

Jim, hope you live VERY close to your customer.

And Pat, this is all a good argument for starting small and conventionally. Hate to say I saw this day coming. Hope you can turn it around old friend. Must run 3% battery left!!

[Jim Troyer]

How are things Pat?  I've been wondering about you. 

I'm building a 10,00 gal AP system with 200 square feet of grow bed for a customer. 

I know the operator is a newby and problems will surely show up...

Any advice?