taylor and carson backyard aquaponics setup

[tayl0r]

This weekend we started on our backyard aquaponics system. We live in South California so we didn't feel the need for a greenhouse (yet). I looked in an almanac it does drop into the 30s for < 10 days a year so we'll probably just grow things like lettuce in the winter. We plan on raising Tilapia and we'll probably have to run a heater (or hook up some solar heating) to keep the water temperature in an acceptable range for them, during the winter.

We based this system on Wolfracer's, but instead of using square tubs for the grow beds we are using 55 gallon drums cut in half length wise since I found a source for these @ $15 per barrel. We're also going to bury our sump (55 gallon drum that I already had) to hopefully regulate the temperature a bit.

I found a 275 gallon IBC water tank to use as the fish tank. It contained a substance called Gorilla Snot (bio-degradeable erosion control) which has hardened in the bottom of the tank. I tried to scrape and clean it off but it is in there pretty good. We filled the tank up with some water and will let it sit for a while. We're hoping the Gorilla Snot starts to degrade enough that we can scrape it all off. This stuff is apparently safe (http://www.gorilla-snot.com/material-sa ... sheet.aspx) but I may try to find another IBC tank if this one doesn't work out.

I ordered a Rio 17 Hyper Flow Water Pump that is rated at 660 GPH @ 6 feet, so that should be plenty of water movement. I owned a similar pump back when I had a saltwater aquarium and it worked flawlessly for 3+ years.

My uncle has a Bobcat and he helped us out with leveling the ground and digging the hole for the sump. I was pretty amazed with how effective the auger attachment was. It took him less than 5 minutes to dig this hole. The 55 gallon drum fit perfectly inside.

The other thing we did this weekend was build the wooden frame for the grow beds. We plan on having 2 rows of grow beds, each row consisting of 3 barrels that have been cut in half. Right now they're sitting on 6 columns of 3 cinder blocks each but I think I might change it to only 2 cinder blocks each, and add another 2 columns. The more I look at this picture the more I want to change it so the barrels sit side-by-side instead of front-to-back. It shouldn't be much work to change that. I think that would help to consolidate the plumbing.

I'm not going to be able to get the barrels for another 2 weeks so we won't be doing much until then.
As you can see from the picture, the ground isn't perfectly level so we may spend some more time working on that.




Any suggestions, comments, or advice would be appreciated. Hopefully we aren't making any (huge) mistakes.

[badflash]

The bottom of the barrel should be above the water line of your IBC for proper flow and drainage. Be sure the barrels are a proper height to work in so you don't kill your back.

Be sure to use ground fault protection on your pump and an alarm incase it trips. Submersible pumps tend to develope grounds over time.

[wolfracer]

Looking Good ! I like the buried sump, make sure and get some water in it so the rain doesn't float it out of the ground. Of course where you are that is probably not a problem. I think your heading the right way with the larger growbeds. More growbeds = more fish. Great start.

[jackalope]

I think you can get away with the end-to-end arrangement, one long supply pipe with tees to each GB, and collection pipes (outflow) with tees to the autosiphons running back to the FT or Sump. These collection pipes would be larger, of course ....... if your inlet is 1/2", and the outlets are 1/2" .... times 6 beds, that equals a 3" pipe for a collector .... I would go for a 4" just for good measure ....... just my two centavos .......... just one piece of advice I would extend for your stands, other that what others have pointed out, is that the cinder blocks should be directly under the weight of the barrel. You are depending upon the weak side of the 2x4 or 2x6 to hold the weight of two GBs ..... consider the weight of water .... roughly 8.3 lbs per gallon ..... times approx 25 gallons is about 207.5 lbs of constant pressure (dead weight) per GB on that board. If you turn that same board on edge, it will be about 3 times as strong, if you don't want to move the blocks. Consider this .... an engine block weighs 200-300 lbs. would you trust a flat-laying 2x4 to hold an engine block between two blocks and climb under it to work on it? I very much doubt it, because you guys sound like you're smarter than that. I'd rather turn it on edge (not that I would be stupid enough to climb under it with ANY board holding it up in the first place ) .......


All in all, it looks like you've got a very good handle on things and your setup plans sound like you've put a lot of thought into your design ..... I can't wait to see as you progress ..... I'm also envious ..... most people here in my part of Montana, aren't even getting their gardens planted yet, because we're still having snow storms every two or three weeks

[badflash]

If there are car wash places near you, check to see if they have barrels to give away. That is where I get my free barrels.

[tayl0r]

ernie- great advice. I wasn't thinking about earthquakes but you're totally right.
I was planning on going to only 2 cinder blocks high and adding more columns but after reading your post it sounds like I should go with a double or a triple stack. I'll have to make another run to Home Depot and buy more blocks =)

Good to know that getting the GSnot off is doable. This weekend I plan on busting out the power washer and going to town. Hopefully I can get it all off.
We're located in east San Marcos, only a few miles from the 15.

Jackalope- you're right about the base. It needs to be stronger. Right now we're using two 2x4s screwed together. We'll beef it up =)

badflash- "ground fault protection on your pump and an alarm", good advice =)

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!

[badflash]

Think about using an external pool pump, rather than a submersible. I recently got a couple of cmt 10148 pumps $100 on ebay (yep, $50 each). It is really easy to plumb up pool pumps to IBC's and they provide more flow and longer life.

[jackalope]

Jackalope- you're right about the base. It needs to be stronger. Right now we're using two 2x4s screwed together. We'll beef it up =)

Just make sure you turn them on edge, that increases the strength by leaps and bounds Two screwed together on edge might be enuff

[carson]

Almost done with our growbeds. We just have to do the plumbing. We plan on having 1 PVC pipe go right down the middle that each loop siphon empties into.

I don't think we're going to use the 275 IBC tanks. We can't get all the Gorilla Snot out and we'd rather play it safe than risk the long term health effects. Gonna have to pick up some of those big Rubbermaid tubs.

[jackalope]

lookin good, up here they want $30 apiece for those barrels