Results 1 to 9 of 9
  1. #1
    Members
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Las Vegas, NV
    Posts
    7

    Fish water level

    Hi everyone! I'm new here and am setting up my first small scale aquaponics system. It consists of a 18 gal. rez, and two 8 gal. growbeds. Obv. The rez isnt filled all the way, but its close. I just ran the water through the system to make sure everything is working before I add the hydroton. The water gets very low in the rez and I was wondering if thats ok for the fish. I plan on getting 15 goldfish (about 1fish/gal??). The cycle is like 10 grow bed fill, 5 min siphon. Is this ok? Or will the fish die or something?
    I'd upload an avatar, but I can't get it to fit the pixel size and/or the file size... so Im not doing it

  2. #2
    Members
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Deming, New Mexico
    Posts
    937

    Re: Fish water level

    welcom to our forum.

    you will be using 8-10 gals of water total from your fish tank if both grow beds are filled at the same time. why are you not filling the fish tank all the way? on a system that size i would be more concerned with temperature fluctuations if they aren't in a controlled enviorment. remember the goldfish grow very rapidly if fed and cared for properly. in my green house i have two 90gal tanks with 10 half-grown goldfish in each one and they mainatain the nitrates at about 80ppm they supply 4x4x6" grow beds with a mat system. one set-up serves to feed 3 good size producting tomato plants plus some odds and ends and the other is covered with sweet potato vines two potted chili plants, and i'm not sure what else.


    i do not have a reservoir or sump on my systems. i have a 600gal pond with four 100gal grow beds that use a Bell Siphon to drain and fill, one of my 120gal grow beds is on an irrigation system, one 120gal raft tank system and 4 small flood trays. the water some times is more than two-thirds empty in the pond when filling the different grow beds. then it dumps, each 100gal bell siphon grow bed probably has 50 gals of water in it. i have about 200 goldfish in the pond and they haven't filed any complaints, except for never getting enough food.

    i think it does wonders for the aeration of the water.

  3. #3
    Members
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Las Vegas, NV
    Posts
    7

    Re: Fish water level

    thanks for the welcome and reply. I dont fill it up all the way to avoid splashing out when water return through the siphon. I put in the hydroton and totally forgot it takes up space in the grow bed, duh! and the water level looks good now. However I was letting the system run, and my bell siphon just stopped working. It was fine with and without the hydroton, but when I came back it wasnt working. No blockages, what should I look for to fix it? How can it just stop working like that?
    I'd upload an avatar, but I can't get it to fit the pixel size and/or the file size... so Im not doing it

  4. #4
    Moderator JCO's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Orange Park, Florida
    Posts
    1,830

    Re: Fish water level

    Welcome to the show....pull up an easy chair, relax and stay awhile. New voices are always a welcome addition to our family..! Whatever questions you have on you mind, this is the place to get the answers so pick a topic of your interest and start your own thread and Enjoy. Please go to your profile and put in the city and state where you live, there may be members close by.
    JCO
    Irish eyes are always smiling but
    • "In the eyes of the world, you are only as good as your last success"
    so never forget
    • "MAN IS ONLY LIMITED BY HIS IMAGINATION"

  5. #5
    Members
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Deming, New Mexico
    Posts
    937

    Re: Fish water level

    quietlike how about going back to your avatar and put in the place you are from.

    the bell siphon has a number of different designs. each design has it's own little quirks. one thing to look at is the rate of water going into the grow bed, if it is too much the siphon can not break. if you put an air tube in the cap to help break siphon that can be raised or lowered. on the discharge if you install two 90degree elbows, the first going from vertical to horizontal and the second going from horizontal to vertical with a slight upword angle on the horizontal piece that can work. i don't know what you used as an example. i use an extremly simple design that never fails and it doesn't incorporate a tube out of the top and doesn't have a half a dozen different pieces inside of it. mine have a straight standpipe from 1/2" to 1-1/4" in dia. depending on how fast i want the grow bed to dump. the bulkhead fitting through the botton is the same diameter as the standpipe. creating a vortex is not necessary.

  6. #6
    Members
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Las Vegas, NV
    Posts
    7

    Re: Fish water level

    Thanks for the welcome, I'll get to my profile, dont worry...
    I have the two 90 degree elbows, and go from a 1/2" standpipe to a 1" pipe to the rez. I posted in another thread, but I am assuming this is my problem? I'm guessing that the 1/2" to 1" isn't causing the vortex? I need for the siphon to kick on. The bell itself has half cirlces cut on the bottom, and two holes opposite each other just above the half circles.
    Is the standpipe my problem? Im thinking it is, but sometimes it works and other times it doesn't. Also, sometimes the siphon breaks at the end, other times it stays on.
    Help! thanks
    I'd upload an avatar, but I can't get it to fit the pixel size and/or the file size... so Im not doing it

  7. #7
    Members
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Deming, New Mexico
    Posts
    937

    Re: Fish water level

    I drill 4 round opposing holes starting just 1/4" from the bottom of the bell. I use the same size standpipe as the return tube. The suction of the water going down the standpipe creates the draw. The round holes break the siphon. Half holes don't work for me. I am not an engineer, I just know that I have six of them running flawlessly. Pictures of mine are in my thread, rfeiller outdoor garden construction.
    You notice I don't have a photo in my avatar either, I have little patience for jacking around with that stuff.

  8. #8
    Members
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Location
    Pensacola Fl
    Posts
    2

    Killing fish

    Quote Originally Posted by rfeiller View Post
    I drill 4 round opposing holes starting just 1/4" from the bottom of the bell. I use the same size standpipe as the return tube. The suction of the water going down the standpipe creates the draw. The round holes break the siphon. Half holes don't work for me. I am not an engineer, I just know that I have six of them running flawlessly. Pictures of mine are in my thread, rfeiller outdoor garden construction.
    You notice I don't have a photo in my avatar either, I have little patience for jacking around with that stuff.
    I have a question. My water chemistry is fine, however my Goldfish keep dying at about 1 to 3 per day. I have a 220 gal tank, a bio-filter, sump tank, and 2 float beds and a flood and drain gravel bed. The Aquaponics quru down the road came by and said he thought my system was great and well thought out and to get it going with Goldfish. I stated with 30. After about 1/2 died I got the water tested, all was fine so I added 20 more larger Goldfish. Same result. Good aeration, added a water heater as it's winter now. I was feeding them twice a day but was told Goldfish should only be fed once a day. Still dying. Any ideas? Thks.

  9. #9
    Aquaponics 101 Oliver's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Show Low, AZ USA
    Posts
    251
    Pencolamale,

    Please do not hijack someone else's thread. You have even changed the name.

    If you wish to change the topic from quietlike's "Fish water level" then find the appropiate place and start your own thread.

    Oliver
    To measure is to know

Similar Threads

  1. Fish to Water Ratios
    By Oliver in forum Part Five: Fish to Water Ratios
    Replies: 26
    Last Post: 01-06-2017, 12:12 PM
  2. Iron level is way low!
    By Apollo in forum Aquaponics Knowhow
    Replies: 11
    Last Post: 04-09-2015, 09:42 PM
  3. Need Help With Siphon Level
    By Timothyw0 in forum Want To Know HOW TO..?
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 08-31-2013, 11:57 PM
  4. working level of nitrates
    By rfeiller in forum Veggies in General
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 04-14-2011, 03:28 PM
  5. Cold water fish
    By jackalope in forum Fishy Questions....
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 02-23-2009, 10:15 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •