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Apollo
07-10-2014, 07:55 PM
Welcome, Bameroncrinkley, glad that you have joined us. May your journey bring you the knowledge that you seek, put a smile up on your face, create hours of pleasure to stimulate your mind, an a healthier life style for your heart...from Apollo__Phoenix, Arizona.

Tips for a beginner...read Oliver 101, be patient, read some more, browse through many topics on this site, be patient, ask questions, read some more, ask for advice on your build and above all BE PATIENT !

If you want to view my set up from start to now, check out “Fire Pit … AP” then “Pipe Siphon by Apollo” and ending with "Got Vertigrow?".

____________________________________
I HAVE NOT FAILED. I'VE JUST FOUND 10,000 WAYS THAT WON'T WORK. Thomas A Edison

topz
07-10-2014, 08:16 PM
Welcome bam. be patient, observant, and make small adjustments.

davidstcldfl
07-11-2014, 07:33 AM
Welcome to the forum Bameroncrinkley... :)

Roger L.
07-12-2014, 07:10 AM
Welcome to the group. You will find many here who will help you along the way. Study, plan, share your plan, get feedback, adjust the plan if wanted then go for it. Apollo was right, patience is a virtue. Do it right the first time, it's easier than fixing it after the fact. That's experience talking there, very impatient here. Good luck.

topz
07-12-2014, 11:29 PM
That looks to be a good setup to me. Thank you for clearly showing fill and drain flow. One thing might be to spend some extra time deciding on your pump.

topz
07-13-2014, 09:07 PM
I would grab the math out of the 101 threads that way you have some more solid Intel. I'm sure you can run several gbs with that setup. I trend towards 1cubic ft of grow bed per 7.5 gallons of fish tank.

As for the pump I use submersible pumps. I don't have any experience with any other styles.

semi
07-14-2014, 09:04 AM
bameronkrinkley, oliver's 101 series is toward the bottom of the main forum page. It is an awesome guide to starting an AP system. I am new to this as well. Whenever I have strayed from his (oliver) advice, he and others here have brought my system back to health. Keep in touch as you go. Patience is a virtue:-)

topz
07-15-2014, 03:27 PM
No worries man. That's what we are all here for.

Apollo
07-16-2014, 10:04 PM
Question, I'm not sure what an SLO is? How does it removes your water from the bottom of your FT back to your sump?

On the topic of pumps; I have a 3/5 HP submersible pump that has an output of 2,110 GPH, with a max. head lift of 16 ft. and Rated Pressure of 21 PSI with a 4 Amps draw.

This is my 2nd one, both have shorted out after only 6 months, cheap enough and are being replaced under warranty. But I would like to find a better pump, with good output and less than 4 Amps to run it. One that might run 2 to 3 years, cost will be more but if the SHTF I want something that is more dependable.

topz
07-17-2014, 05:27 AM
SLO: vertical pipe that surrounds your stand pipe with hole/notches cut in the bottom. Water by nature maintains constant height therefore forcing water up the SLO and then into your stand pipe. Someone correct me if I missed something there.

Apollo does your pump run constant or does it switch on and off.

Apollo
07-17-2014, 07:03 AM
topz, my pump runs constant.

So, an SLO works like a non-firing bell siphon...you have your stand pipe, cut to the height you want the water level at. Same as if it was a continuous flow raft system, then you add a non-pressuring bell or a pipe with notches on the bottom, over top of the stand pipe.

I guess I've been using an SLO on my new duckweed setup...works great, it only pulls water from the bottom of the tank as the duckweed floats on top.

Oliver
07-17-2014, 10:54 AM
SLO stands for Solid Lift Overflow. It is the pipe that runs from the bottom of your fish tank to near the top of the water then exits the fish tank through a bulkhead or Uniseal. From there it needs to have a tee, either inside or outside your fish tank, with a vertical anti-siphon stand pipe extending upward several inches above the water level.

All of the water from the top of the SLO goes to the Grow Beds (original CHOP design) or directly to the sump tank (CHOP II design), which is preferred. In the case of the CHOP II design, the pump located in the sump tank returns the water to the fish tank and to the grow beds through reduction valves.

CHOP stands for Constant Height One Pump. It was popularized by Murray Hallam of Australia. He advanced the design and created the CHOP II.

CHOP (original) is also known as CHIFT/PIST = Constant Height In Fish Tank - Pump In Sump Tank.

In my opinion, the CHOP II design is superior because it can have a greater flow of water from the fish tank thereby aiding in the solid lift part of the operation. It also macerates the solid fish waste by passing all of it through the pump prior to sending it to the grow beds. This is necessary to create a greater surface area of the fish waste solids in order for the heterotrophic bacteria in the water to more quickly mineralize them.

If the solid waste is not macerated then it remains in its sheath and breaks down more slowly, which allows it to accumulate in the grow bed. It is important to mineralize the solids instead of removing them as they add valuable nutrients to the system allowing for more and better plant growth.

The argument against CHOP II is that it sends some macerated fish waste back into the fish tank. This is true, but the amount of fish waste being sent back as compared to the mount of water that is flowing through the system is small and not noticeable. Eventually all of the solid fish waste is sent to the media filled grow beds where it remains and is broken down. This all assumes that you have enough media to handle the amount of fish waste being produced and enough dissolved oxygen (DO) to help perform the process. It helps to add heterotrophic bacteria to your system on a weekly basis to keep the process functioning at a high level and keep your water clear. Heterotrophic bacteria is sold as Stress Zyme, an API product.

Oliver

Apollo
09-08-2014, 09:52 PM
What happened to Bameroncrinkley...the Author of this post? How did I get listed as the Author?

topz
09-12-2014, 09:31 PM
He was accidentally removed when the site was under siege from spam bots. JCO said he would reinstate him when he sends him a mail.