Thank you for your videos and for acknowledging others' ideas and giving the links to them. I love your updates and upgrades and the way you show your mistakes and what you will do/have done to improve them. You make me feel like I belong to a very supportive aquaponic-diy-community.
Cheers.. Lost 10 fish through a silly mistake last night so have been kicking myself all morning.. On the + side though, the new fruit trees will be going into some very rich soil in a few months time. Cheers & have a great one..
Nice Rob. You and Mr. Paul have inspired me and so now I am building a Dual Loop System modeled after Mr. Paul's design as best I can. I have nearly completed the fish loop and will begin the plant loop this week. Thank you for giving me many ideas and making those mistakes so I don't have to learn the hard way. Look forward to watching you on the silver screen in the future.. Jim
Hey Jim & thanks mate :-) Am counting down the days until the fish farm is wrapped up here & moved out so I can pop in new grow beds.. Hope to be moving some of the fish farm fish over to the aquaponics this weekend.. All the best to you & yours Jim, Rob..
Love your videos! Your system is very inspiring! I just started in aquaponics less than a year ago, but I have learned quite a lot from your videos! Thanks!
I'd love to have the space and money to set up something like this to be able to just walk through each day and pick whatever I fancied eating that day and cook it up in stir fry's etc plus just being able to sit out there with the relaxing sound of running water and the nice smells of all the plants growing.
Love it Rob! As always, your videos are great!! As far as all of those holes go in your tanks, one must experiment, it's how we learn. Drill more holes and continue to share your knowledge with us! Cheers from Silverdale, Washington.
Thanks Ron.. Really appreciate the support mate :-) Am looking at setting a bit of coin aside in the coming weeks to make a start on the new filter barrels.. Cheers sir & all the best, Rob..
Thank you for your kindly sharing on everything on Aquaponics. I'm building my first aquaponics on my rooftop. Everything is in place and i'm checking for leaking today. Fixing couple leaking joints. I will be running water flow tomorrow. Progress!! :)
great video I'm still conducting my research to eliminate any future problems when I start my system. I've watched many of your videos and have learned a great deal. keep up the good work have a great day!
Great video Rob. Planning the round 2 start of my system. I wish I had gotten to it earlier, temperatures here are starting to warm up moving out of winter.
Hey mate.. Am always about 2-5 months behind what I have planned to do here it seams :-D Hope the system grows well for you over your spring & summer mate.. Cheers..
I've been slowly getting my little system back up to speed. My planting methods are rather chaotic though. I love letting my plants naturally seed the grow beds, and then it becomes a mystery to see what starts growing! But I have some ideas to add some Dutch Barrels to the system, which I think will be my next project. Thanks to you for all the inspiration and good videos, Rob!
RobBobs Backyard Farming Your system and vlog was part of the inspiration for me to get in to AP. Thanks. I've had a DWC bed for a couple of years and it works well, particularly for greens such as lettuce. It took me ages to come up with a method for supporting the pots. The breakthrough for me was to realize that I didn't need them to float, but could rest them on the sides of the bed. Floating rafts are specifically for commercial/production systems where they need to move rafts along a very long trench. Here's some photos: community.theaquaponicsource.com/photo/img-6587-medium community.theaquaponicsource.com/photo/img-6469 community.theaquaponicsource.com/photo/img-6471
John Malone Thats what I was thinking with DWC, as the water is at a constant height no raft's are really needed. You have done a really nice job with your DWC culture beds there John.
RobBobs Backyard Farming That's bathroom wall paneling. Fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP), I think. Very tough and resilient. Don't use your favourite hole saw on it, because by the time I'd finished I didn't have any teeth left on the hole saw. It was a cheapie, so all is good. I still like the design and it's stood up to a couple of seasons of abuse with no signs of wear. You might even be able to salvage the paneling from a bathroom remodel if you are in the right place at the right time. If you can't then 8' x 4' sheets are readily available at the hardware store.
Nice video! I have found that galangle ginger grows without any media. mine is in about four inches of flood and drain, it is about five feet tall, it gows so fast, i cut it with a sawsall,about a two gallon bucket every month or two! Im in process of building a much larger system on new place i bought Im going to use ibc for tanks,also incorperate deep water,ebinflow with rocks,my galangle system,constant flow through a small rock bed for watercress, and a nft with four inch pvc,as soon as i get the temp regulated on breeder tank i will be raiseing my own talapia. Also twelve chicks, twenty four rabbits,after the move i plan on quail to eat! M shooting for all solor run system and house. Thanks for the videos,all my stuff is DYI.
You've been quite an inspiration to me mate. To be honest, I wouldn't have been brave enough to have had a crack at aquaponics without having watched your journey. Thanks to a mate of mine who is just getting into aquaponics (and the silly bugger is asking for my advice), my interest has turned towards: how easy can I make this? I'm happy to report (and mostly thanks to your channel!), things are going pretty well. My biggest problem at the moment is, rats eating my plants.
Thanks for the kind words Andy :) Needed a lift today :-D I think this system could be simplified further with some neater plumbing too.. Just need a tardis so I can find the time to get to it ;-) Cheers mate & have a great weekend..
thanks for the videos. In aquariums, to raise PH you use a natural buffering agent, like crushed coral sand substrate, limestone, or concrete. perhaps some concrete blocks would help you out. Though the best method would probably be to export more of the decaying organics that is causing the drop in the first place. That may not be practical for the functioning of your media beds, and water use levels though. In my indoor system, I used potassium bicarbonate. it buffers PH and adds the missing potassium to the system.
Hi there.. The drop is mainly caused by the nitrifying bacteria's waste & decaying "bodies" that lower the pH as I understand.. I have the shell grit/calcium carbonate in the sump tank but have also been looking for local suppliers of potassium bicarbonate as well.. The extra potassium will help the tomatoes & other fruiting plants out I think.. Cheers & have a great one..
Hey rob. Looks great. I herd that a guy called murry has a good back up system.😉 Im just getting my system back up and running now. Was ready to go get some fish. But got a bunch of bills come in. So the fish will have to wait. Bummer again.
Hey Mr Daniel.. Think I'll stick with mine after seeing inside one a mate bought ;-) Is always the way mate :-/ what fish are t]you looking at running this time ? Cheers
Cheers Rob.. Had a minor catastrophe today & lost 10 of the large Jades & have been kicking myself all morning over it.. was showing some folks interested in AP around the system yesterday & turned the venturi off so they could have a better look at the large jades & got sidetracked.. Just spent the last few hours burying them in a tench where some fruit trees will be planted & scrubbing out their tank.. Not a mistake I think I'll make again in a hurry.. Cheers mate..
RobBobs Backyard Farming I've killed a couple of tanks of fish during my AP journey. It's a very helpless feeling, particularly if you don't know why. Learning the hard way can be tough, but you don't forget quickly.
love the video! sounds so soothing... wish I could do that, the season im afraid is too short for me. although I could in my basement, but it looks so confusing. and I can tell by all the holes. its a fix as you go process. confusing.
Hey Alicia.. The fish tanks & filters are second hand so it came with holes I didn't need ;) The plumbing is fairly straight forward & will do another clip once the new filters are in place to give folks like yourself a better idea.. Cheers & all the best, Rob..
great set up-- impressive! flow switch w/ the same relay you have . 12v to 230v ( for pump failure) w/bells and alarms for the neighbors---- its only quid , a$
Rob, have you thought about Ardunio for some control of your system? I run it on my system, and it is excellent, you can connect just about any sensor (flow rate, wet level, float switch auto fish feeder etc etc). It is only limited by what you are capable of designing for it. Might be helpful for your system I think
Hi there.. Have been told of few folks use them in their systems & hydro as well.. was talking to my brother that works in IT & he suggested a raspberry pi might also be an option so have been thinking about it a bit.. was going to see if my nephew might be interested in teaching me how they work.. Might also be a good project for his school tech studies I think.. would of come in handy last night to tell me I left a tap off & saved the lives of 10 fish :-/ Cheers mate & have a great one..
a couple suggestions for stuff mentioned in this video first, maybe go to stores that sell large appliances like fridges etc and see if they'd be willing to let you take or buy for very cheap the large polystyrene boards that are used for packing the larger items because it'd save them having to dispose of them themselves and those could be suitable for the deep water culture floats second, on your gravity fed water lines maybe install a few small hydrodynamo's in the lines that will reclaim some of the power that's used for the pump fed lines and it could also recharge your backup batteries so that if there is a power failure that you miss, the gravity fed lines will give the batteries a bit longer before loosing all their charge so that if it happens when you're not at home for a couple days or something you're not going to have as big of a problem to fix when you get home
Hi there.. Thanks for the suggestion.. Have also seen folks use the lids from broccoli boxes well as the packing foams.. The floating rafts need to be made out of something a bit stronger than the packing style foam though.. Extruded styro is what is normally used as it doesn't tend to crumble into balls as quick as the other foams.. Have spoken to a mate about installing mini turbines into the tubing.. I have left it with him to see what he can come up with,.. Cheers & all the best.
Heya Rob. Great video and great idea to do another full walk through. Can I ask how many water pumps you are running and where they are? I had so look up how a SLO works - what a great way to get the fish solids out! Thanks
Hi Ben.. Just the 1 Resun 10000lph pump mate.. Is in the sump & only mention it very quickly here ua-cam.com/video/N4mYcUvZ9cw/v-deo.htmlm48s Hope that helps mate :-) Have a great weekend mate..
Ahhhh - got it now. I didn't realise the bottom pipe went back to the fish tank. I thought you had 2 pumps running but I could only remember seeing the one.
Hey Rob, man I really enjoy your aquaculture vlogs. I was wondering have you considered using filters at certain points like say the water exit of the sump tank you're using to trap solids to really trap the solids at that point. Say making a filter out of a fine mesh material like a new paint strainer bag?
Hey Jack.. when the new filters go in there will be a solids filter after the bio.. Have found that the bio makes a fair amount of it's own solids via dead bacteria, their waste & there is also a small amount of solids that don't get trapped in the radial flow filter that pass through there as well.. Am not sure if it will be another radial flow or if it will have some sort of matting material like I'm using in the fish farm at the moment.. Cheers mate & have a great one, Rob..
Rob Love your videos. Thanks for sharing. Quick question for you. I've played with venturis in aquaria and flowing into my Matala BioStep pond filter. What I've found in an aquarium was that the lower I had the Venturi relative to the water level, the less air I was able to introduce into the outlet stream. With your moving bed biofilter, clearly you are keeping your medium moving but are you able to pull air all the way to the bottom of the barrel? Have you considered putting the Venturi inline but external to the moving bed biofilter or using an aerator and air stone to oxygenate the biofilter. Thanks once again, love what your doing, Tim
Hi Tim.. The venturi is pulling air down to the base of the filters fairly well at the moment.. I have been contemplating turning the venturi off & just running an air stone in the fish farm that way but am happy with the way the venturi is working in the aquaponics for now.. It might all change yet when the new filter barrels go in though.. Shall see what works best for the system at that time.. Cheers & all the best, Rob.
Great video as always rob! You mentioned you don't need a bio filter if you have media beds... What is the difference to the system if you do have both?
Thanks.. It means that if I wanted to I could increase the number of fish in the system without needing more media beds.. would still need more plants though to use up all the nitrates they would produce.. I hope to have at least 3 dwc beds in the end so the biofilter will come into play then to help process the waste.. Hope that helps some & have a great one, Rob..
Morning Rob; Great video. I have a question or two. I like your file pipe use in the grow beds, would it be ok to put some aquarium filter in the pipe to help filter out any solids in the system? Or would that slow the fill or cause it to be plug? My plan was to clean it every week or perhaps every few days. Thanks again, you all have a great day. Linden
Hi Linden.. Have used & seen a lot of folks use the green dish scrubbing pads as mini solids filters on their grow beds.. Just need to make sure they aren't impregnated with any detergent or anti bacterial products.. I did have some filter aquarium material under the inlets of the new beds but took them out.. They weren't really getting a lot of solids in them but as the pads were such fine grade they were clogging quickly.. There are a lot of fine roots travelling through the system from the reclaimed clay I'm using but that should settle down soon I think.. when I get a courser grade of filter material I'll cut some more out & pop them back in to see how they go.. Hope that helps a bit mate.. Cheers..
You mentioned you needed to find some suitable material for making homemade grow grips. I did some research for my own system design and found that there are several brands of "Pool Noodle" type foam pool floats that are made of expanded cell polyethylene and won't leech chemicals into water, hence they are totally nontoxic. They can be easily cut to fit your float-board holes for your DWC with a utility knife or a pair of scissors and won't degrade when exposed to sunlight nearly as fast as styrofoam will. Also, styrofoam (aka polystyrene) of ANY variety DOES leech toxins into water, so I am not sure why people are using it in aquaponics, because it IS toxic, as is PVC pipe, which should NOT be used in aquaponics/culture projects. POLY/PEX pipe is only slightly more expensive in most cases and is very flexible when needed, so it uses far less fittings and comes in small-to-large rolls, thus, it winds up being CHEAPER than PVC pipe and fixtures long-term. I decided to use an "A" frame style misting system set up OVER a DWC catch-bed that collects the runoff from the misting system. You can grow TWICE as much food in the same amount of space using the "A" frame misting setup than with a DWC alone. This way I can grow my plants ABOVE the DWC tank, leaving about a 1ft. gap between the bottom of the plywood board and the water in the tank. I then grow duckweed on the top of the water in that same tank, while also growing crayfish and fresh water prawn below the duckweed (the prawn and crayfish are in different DWC tanks of course). This allows plenty of sunlight for the duckweed to flourish, while the duckweed shades the crustaceans from all the direct sunlight. I get THREE uses from the same DWC water tank simultaneously that way. I used 1/4 inch plywood cut to 2ft x 4ft size and 4 inch staggered centers for the holes to make my grow boards for the "A" frame. I then sealed on both sides and all the edges with a product called "Pond Armor," which is a paint-on HDPE liner product that cures to a 10mm thick 'skin' that is 100% waterproof and protects the wood while also protecting the water from any toxins that COULD possibly leech from the wood if it was directly exposed to the water. FYI, I talked to the manufacturer of "Pond Armor" and was told that you COULD use it to paint styrofoam boards without any issues. So, if you ARE going to use styrofoam, then I suggest that, AFTER you get all of your holes cut, you paint it with the "Pond Armor" product until it is 100% covered, including INSIDE your plant holes. This will seal it up and prevent it from leeching into your water as well as protecting it from degrading for YEARS instead of months. Again, RoI for the Pond Armor is considerable when you start pricing styrofoam boards these days, as they are a petroleum based product, and the price for styrofoam boards is linked to fuel prices worldwide, so constantly replacing them because of degradation is costly. I then used the pool noodle DIY ‘grow grips’ in 2 inch net posts to hold them in the holes on the boards. The misting system is mounted on an open HDPE “A” frame structure that the plywood boards are then set on and leaned against to form an enclosed “A” structure. The misting heads are arranged in two rows on each side of the frame structure, one high, one low, and angled to spray to the opposite side of the interior of the “A” structure with substantial overlap of the mist in the center area for full coverage of the boards, which is where the bottom of the net pots with the DIY ‘grow grip’ and plants/seedlings are. The open ends of the “A” structure are enclosed by a "tucked under" black 45mm HDPE plastic sheeting so that sunlight does NOT enter and shine on the plant roots or allow air flow from any wind source to displace the mist being produced in the system. This uses MUCH less water than DWC for the actual plants and seems to help produce them faster as there is no dissolved oxygen issues to worry about in the water. The runoff from the misting system falls directly onto a ‘floor’ layer of the HDPE sheeting (again, this entire frame, including this 'floor,' sits about 1ft ABOVE the water level of the DWC tank), which then has several small cuts along its slightly lower hanging center line to allow the water back into the tank below. VERY efficient and cost effective with the RoI of being able to grow three things in the same space, with the plants actually being able to produce DOUBLE the amount you would otherwise be able to grow.
how do you top off your water? I'm loosing a lot of water to evaporation, and a minor leak I can't fix until I get a new barrel for my swirl filter. (used one of those red olive barrels and the uniseal isn't holding up). I have a pump in my sump that turns on when the sump fills, drops the water level about 6 inches then the slow pulls water from the fish tank to filters to sump to refill it. I'm thinking a float in the main tank is the way to go.
Hi Umesh. Those beds were roughly based on the "Dutch Bucket" growing system. Water trickles through the roots & there is a lot of air pockets amongst the media as well. Hope that helps some mate. 👍 Happy growing 🌱🌱
Hi there.. Those batteries should run for about 20hours by my calculations.. Apparently we are on the same grid as the regional hospital so it never stays off for long.. I am looking at getting a back up generator as well to run the main pump from just in case we lose power for a day or 2 like we did during the 2011 floods but think the batteries will do for the 1 or 2 small blackouts we get every year at the moment.. In the future there will be a more permanent structure over the system with either solar panels or mini wind turbines that will be used to run the system & charge the batteries.. Cheers & have a good one..
Permaculture Prepper No power AP would have to be going back to the original systems of the South Americans & other civilizations that used a chinampa style gardens I would think.. I have seen a post where a chap was floating plants on a raft in a fish pond but can't think where I saw it now.. would like to have a crack at that style of system in the future if we find ourselves on some land with a dam..
Hey Rob, How is it possible to watch your clips in chronological order. Watching chronologically will do a good bit to lessen my confusion as to what you are growing and which upgrade you are doing. As it is i think I am seeing a different layout with each clip i watch. I hope you understand my concern. Thanks!
Your capsicum... is what us Yankees call Bell Peppers... I learned the hard way, that if you just grow one plant by itself, you won't get anything... You need to grow at least three of em for cross-pollination.
Hello Rob, my shallots are growing with a quite light green colour, would you know why? My guess is something to do with the nutrients, my little system is under a 50% uv shade cloth as well. Cheers from Sydney
@@RobsAquaponics Hello Rob, thanks for the reply. My system is fairly new, about 6 months. The nitrates were off the chart once then it went to 0 a month ago, some people told me that the system has cycled. I've added a couple more fish to see if anything changes
@@EvertonM I'd say you need more Fish/feed in there too. Have you increased the feed much as they grow? 1.5% of body weight is standard for Silvers & Jades if you're running with perch.
@@RobsAquaponics I'm actually running with comet gold fish (7 of them at the moment) as it's a experimental thing for a future project. I'm trying different setups in the same system, grow-bed, that pvc pipe with holes to stick lettuce in it thingy and recently added a dutch bucket. It's a 60L setup only almost like chop without a sump but with a swirl/solids filter. I used to feed the fish once a day but now twice. had a problem with algae in the filter. I can send you some pics if you are curious. Thank you for the advises ;)
@8 min in bio filter you showed good movement of media through ventury below but which water is entering from down side along with ventury ? as radial flow outlet is on top so which point of water is mixed with air through that pipe , can u plz explain ?
Most of the water is entering at the top fro the radial flow settler with some coming from the pump through the venturi as it needs to be under pressure for it to work properly. Hope that helps.
So Rob, if I am using an IBC tote for my fish tank, would you recommend placement of my SLO off to the side over what would be the stock drain or place it in a corner for best result. I am assuming of course that would be better than setting it up in the middle of the Tote. I already plan on fabbing up a solids siphon job I seen in one of your clips for the extra cleaning as I am aware that round tanks are better for fish tanks, but hey "I gotta run with what I brought to the track." Thanx.
also what size PVC pipe are you using for your SLO out of the fish tank. I can go any size. I was gonna go 1 1/2", but I didn't know if it would effect the flow rate negatively to the swirl filter and pondered maybe I should go 1 1/4".
Hey Rob writing you from Colombia. I stared making my system. My huge question is: how I fill up my system with water so I get the right amount for the whole system. Thank you.
Hey Joze. It depends on if it's a flood & drain or constant flow. If it's a constant flow fill all the tanks & beds up & away you go. If it's a flood & drain system, you fill up the fish tank & any filters you may have as well as the sump tank, then turn the system on. DO NOT fill up the grow beds as they will over flow the sump when they drain. When you're wanting to top up the system up with water, you remove the stand pipes from the siphons in the beds & fill up the sump until its at the level you want it. Then you can replace the stand pipes & you will have no issues with the sump over flowing. Hope that helps some. Rob.
Hey Rob! Can you please explain the venturi in the moving bed bio filter starting at 7:54? I want to do this in my moving bed. I have 1sqft of K1 in a 50gallon barrel that being tumbled by an air pump but would much rather do it like this. What is the black pipe and fitting connected to at the bottom of the barrel?
Well done again rob yes you are correct as backyarders we do make mistakes yet videos from yourself and others make aquaponics a little easier ...... just curious why Paul Van was shaking his head besides the thousands of plugs in your tanks and filters it works ??? thanks
Hey Brett.. Think he was mainly siring ;-) There are a few issues like the main drain line from the tanks & using the bilge hose but nothing major really.. Could leave the system like this indefinitely if I wanted with no issues but some bit will be modified to help keep maintenance down.. Thanks mate & all the best to you all.
Hey mate.. Have thought bout getting someone with a drone & a gopro to do a run over the patch for us as I'be be interested in getting a clearer shot than what google earth can offer.. would be good to get them to check the guttering out on the roof as well while they're at it ;-) Cheers Keven & have a great one..
Had snails at one point & they ended up blocking pipes. Not sure how or why but they died off one year & haven't seen them since which I'm grateful for. Never had an issue with solids in the base of the round tanks. The "Plecos" some folks use are great at algae removal but anything that eats solids will also create solids so they will always be an issue. I prefer to remove them & use them as food for other food plants in our yard. Cheers.
This clip shows the 10000LPH pump in the sump that runs the system. I now have air stones in the fish tanks running from a 4000lph air pump but that is the only addition. Cheers.
I was trialing the Root Pouches in there to see if they would help to control the spread of roots. They helped with some plants but not others. I found that it restricted the roots of some to the point that they died. Cheers Steven.
+Jonathan Flud They came from a manufacturer here in Australia Jonathan. Searching online for "industrial tank manufacturers" might turn up a local mob that can help you out. Good luck in your search mate.
Your third tank, the solid trap. I don't think it has any role in your system since the water just simply go from the Bio filter straight out to the sump tank!
The 3rd tank was to have another filter set up in it but I just never got around to it after plans changed. It does serve as a settling tank though & I get a fair amount of solids collect in the base. It's also a very handy dosing point for when I want to mix in the calcium hydroxide as well. Cheers.
RobBobs Backyard Farming Something simple for the back up system would be to use a adjustable pressure switch (www.directindustry.com/prod/kaustubha-udyog/compact-pressure-switches-62335-419699.html) the one in the link goes as low as 3 psi so as long as where u place it u have back pressure and goes to nothing when the pump is off it will work good and is uber simple to setup no programing required. Me personally i would also put a small red led trailer on the outside of your backup box so that u can see at anytime of the day if the backup sys is enabled.
Now have one in there after a water pump failure. 😉 Caught it in time so there were no deaths. I know folks that run water over the top in spray bars & that's a great way to add O2 as well. Still think you need air stones as the bar won't work if the pump fails.
PVC only leaches as it breaks down as I understand it. In saying that, I suppose it would pay to do a water test to see if any stray chemicals are in the water. Some of which may come from the mains water supply as well. HDPE costs a fair bit more than the PVC as the fittings are very expensive. If I had the coin I would skip all plastics & use stainless steel. Cheers.
hi Bob, great video as usual. my only concern is about all that pvc piping. man, you are slowly poisoning yourself and your family with that stuff. haven't you got access to food grade piping down under? here in many european countries it's slowly taken out of market because of all the poisons it's releasing in the water and the atmosphere
Hey Gilles.. The PVC we used is the same used to transport drinking water into homes & is ratted as food safe.. The storm water pipe in Australia is also food safe now as many use it to run water into rain water tanks on homes.. I know in other countries that it isn't always this higher grade.. I do stay away from using the dwv to transport water in the system though as I know it's not rated as safe to use.. To be totally free of any potential leaching we would have to go to stainless I would think which is out of the question until we win the lotto.. Cheers mate..
They certainly do but as they're not a constant n a backyard system I choose not to include them where others do. Each to their own. Cheers & have a great one.
Greetings from the Northern Hemisphere 😀. Became interested in Aquaponics awhile back but hadn't had time or money to pursue. Now retired and seriously considering. First became interested with Aquaponics Book by Sylvia Bernstein (2011). Your videos throughly show the principles in Book 📖 and bring alot of clarity. Like use of full height IBC container for Fish 🐟 Tank. (Preserves Structural Integrity) Could you ACQ Lumber for a lid without harming the fish 🐟?? Probably build tank with pond liner due to size and height restrictions of planned greenhouse. Wanted to have counter above fish tank to start seedlings 🌱. IBC probably cheaper but too tall without cutting down and too wide front to back. Do like 👍 that they're transparent and could provide viewing windows 🪟 even if insulated. Thinking about raising Tilapia and need 70 degree temp at 39 degrees latitude. (Delaware in USA 🇺🇸) Have to really think about build versus IBC. Why not utilize the attached IBC container drain?? Already valved and could serve as both external lift pipe and clean out drain for FISH 🐟 TANK. Tee past the valve to external lift pipe still keeps constant tank volume. Would require some removable interior screening to block sediment and small fish 🐟 into lift pipe 🤔. Wouldn't require a Uniseal or bulkhead fitting below top of FISH TANK. I'll keep watching your videos 📹 for ideas 💡. WELL DONE!! From America 🇺🇸 Michael E Rhue
It wont oxygenate the bottom? Lol it's not blowing air into the water, its combining it before it even comes out of the tube, so 100% of the water that comes out of that tube has been oxygenated.....
Thanks for the look at how the water flows through your aquaponics system, Rob!
Cheers Patrick & Ahmed Kuta ..
Have a good one folks..
RobBobs Backyard Farming very good. Keep the yts comming.
Thomas Karrh Shall do Thomas.. Hope to have another updated posted by next weekend if all goes well :)
Cheers sir..
Thanks for the look Rob. I love watching your system evolve as you experiment with new methods. Keep up the good work!!
Thanks.. I really enjoy playing around with new ideas..
Cheers & have a great one..
Thanks Rob. I learn something new every time I watch one of your videos.
Cheers Mark :)
Have a great one mate..
@1:19 "CROW WHACKER" haha ! thanks mate ! you enriched my English vocabulary ! keep up the amazing videos !
Glad I could help. Had to re watch it to see what you meant & it does sound a bit off. 🤣
Thank you for your videos and for acknowledging others' ideas and giving the links to them. I love your updates and upgrades and the way you show your mistakes and what you will do/have done to improve them. You make me feel like I belong to a very supportive aquaponic-diy-community.
Am glad the clips have helped in some way 👍😊
Cheers & all the best.
Great video! I was also wondering how the water flows through your system too. Thanks mate! Fish and your system are looking great!!!!
Cheers.. Lost 10 fish through a silly mistake last night so have been kicking myself all morning.. On the + side though, the new fruit trees will be going into some very rich soil in a few months time.
Cheers & have a great one..
Nice Rob. You and Mr. Paul have inspired me and so now I am building a Dual Loop System modeled after Mr. Paul's design as best I can. I have nearly completed the fish loop and will begin the plant loop this week. Thank you for giving me many ideas and making those mistakes so I don't have to learn the hard way. Look forward to watching you on the silver screen in the future..
Jim
Hey Jim & thanks mate :-)
Am counting down the days until the fish farm is wrapped up here & moved out so I can pop in new grow beds.. Hope to be moving some of the fish farm fish over to the aquaponics this weekend..
All the best to you & yours Jim,
Rob..
Love your videos! Your system is very inspiring! I just started in aquaponics less than a year ago, but I have learned quite a lot from your videos! Thanks!
Hi David.. Am glad that the clips have given you a few ideas & hope the system is chugging along nicely..
Cheers mate..
I'd love to have the space and money to set up something like this to be able to just walk through each day and pick whatever I fancied eating that day and cook it up in stir fry's etc plus just being able to sit out there with the relaxing sound of running water and the nice smells of all the plants growing.
Constantly improving your system. AP beds look great & great job explaining on how your water system works.
Thanks Larry.. Hope all are well mate..
Cheers..
Looks great, Rob. Looking forward to Spring so I can get my own back up and running. Good to see you.
Thanks Eric.. Have fun setting the system back up mate..
Cheers..
Fantastic aquaponics set up.
Looks great, Rob. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Jim..
Have a great one..
Love it Rob!
As always, your videos are great!!
As far as all of those holes go in your tanks, one must experiment, it's how we learn. Drill more holes and continue to share your knowledge with us!
Cheers from Silverdale, Washington.
Thanks Ron.. Really appreciate the support mate :-)
Am looking at setting a bit of coin aside in the coming weeks to make a start on the new filter barrels..
Cheers sir & all the best,
Rob..
Thank you for your kindly sharing on everything on Aquaponics. I'm building my first aquaponics on my rooftop. Everything is in place and i'm checking for leaking today. Fixing couple leaking joints. I will be running water flow tomorrow. Progress!! :)
Nice one Kenny.
Hope it's running smoothly for you.
Cheers.
great video I'm still conducting my research to eliminate any future problems when I start my system. I've watched many of your videos and have learned a great deal. keep up the good work have a great day!
+Chris Kellogg
Hi Chris.
Am glad the clips have helped you out in some way 👍😊
Cheers & have a great one yourself.
Fantastic video Rob. All well explained. Thanks for sharing
Cheers Patrick..
Great video Rob. Planning the round 2 start of my system. I wish I had gotten to it earlier, temperatures here are starting to warm up moving out of winter.
Hey mate.. Am always about 2-5 months behind what I have planned to do here it seams :-D
Hope the system grows well for you over your spring & summer mate..
Cheers..
Excellent video as usual, Rob. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I need to do another update on my little backyard system, now that I've seen this. :)
Thanks mate.. Must be nearly time for you to start planting out again..
Cheers mate..
I've been slowly getting my little system back up to speed. My planting methods are rather chaotic though. I love letting my plants naturally seed the grow beds, and then it becomes a mystery to see what starts growing! But I have some ideas to add some Dutch Barrels to the system, which I think will be my next project. Thanks to you for all the inspiration and good videos, Rob!
Great update Rob, your system is really growing and improving all the time. Can't wait to see your DWC system up and running.
I can't wait ether mate :D Trying to find reclaimed material is proving a bit harder than I thought though..
Cheers Phil..
RobBobs Backyard Farming Your system and vlog was part of the inspiration for me to get in to AP. Thanks. I've had a DWC bed for a couple of years and it works well, particularly for greens such as lettuce.
It took me ages to come up with a method for supporting the pots. The breakthrough for me was to realize that I didn't need them to float, but could rest them on the sides of the bed. Floating rafts are specifically for commercial/production systems where they need to move rafts along a very long trench.
Here's some photos:
community.theaquaponicsource.com/photo/img-6587-medium
community.theaquaponicsource.com/photo/img-6469
community.theaquaponicsource.com/photo/img-6471
John Malone Thats what I was thinking with DWC, as the water is at a constant height no raft's are really needed. You have done a really nice job with your DWC culture beds there John.
John Malone Thanks for that John.. Looks more like a Kratky design.. What sort of board did you use ?
RobBobs Backyard Farming That's bathroom wall paneling. Fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP), I think. Very tough and resilient. Don't use your favourite hole saw on it, because by the time I'd finished I didn't have any teeth left on the hole saw. It was a cheapie, so all is good. I still like the design and it's stood up to a couple of seasons of abuse with no signs of wear.
You might even be able to salvage the paneling from a bathroom remodel if you are in the right place at the right time. If you can't then 8' x 4' sheets are readily available at the hardware store.
Thnx rob great help, gives me a much better idea of how ur system works
+MrTstilly
Glad it helped some.
Cheers mate.
Its so much fun watching your videos
Thanks Jon..
All the best mate..
Nice video! I have found that galangle ginger grows without any media. mine is in about four inches of flood and drain, it is about five feet tall, it gows so fast, i cut it with a sawsall,about a two gallon bucket every month or two! Im in process of building a much larger system on new place i bought Im going to use ibc for tanks,also incorperate deep water,ebinflow with rocks,my galangle system,constant flow through a small rock bed for watercress, and a nft with four inch pvc,as soon as i get the temp regulated on breeder tank i will be raiseing my own talapia. Also twelve chicks, twenty four rabbits,after the move i plan on quail to eat! M shooting for all solor run system and house. Thanks for the videos,all my stuff is DYI.
Sounds like you have a great set up here Douglas.. Are you in an urban area or on a bit of land.
Cheers mate..
what a great vlogs. big fan of your channel. and thank you for sharing the knowledge
Cheers Michael.
Have a top one.
You've been quite an inspiration to me mate. To be honest, I wouldn't have been brave enough to have had a crack at aquaponics without having watched your journey.
Thanks to a mate of mine who is just getting into aquaponics (and the silly bugger is asking for my advice), my interest has turned towards: how easy can I make this? I'm happy to report (and mostly thanks to your channel!), things are going pretty well. My biggest problem at the moment is, rats eating my plants.
Thanks for the kind words Andy :) Needed a lift today :-D
I think this system could be simplified further with some neater plumbing too.. Just need a tardis so I can find the time to get to it ;-)
Cheers mate & have a great weekend..
thanks for the videos. In aquariums, to raise PH you use a natural buffering agent, like crushed coral sand substrate, limestone, or concrete. perhaps some concrete blocks would help you out. Though the best method would probably be to export more of the decaying organics that is causing the drop in the first place. That may not be practical for the functioning of your media beds, and water use levels though. In my indoor system, I used potassium bicarbonate. it buffers PH and adds the missing potassium to the system.
Hi there.. The drop is mainly caused by the nitrifying bacteria's waste & decaying "bodies" that lower the pH as I understand.. I have the shell grit/calcium carbonate in the sump tank but have also been looking for local suppliers of potassium bicarbonate as well.. The extra potassium will help the tomatoes & other fruiting plants out I think..
Cheers & have a great one..
Amazing Chanel, thank you for posting this videos!!!
No problem Pablo & hope the clips have given you a few useful ideas.
Cheers mate.
Hey rob. Looks great.
I herd that a guy called murry has a good back up system.😉
Im just getting my system back up and running now. Was ready to go get some fish. But got a bunch of bills come in. So the fish will have to wait. Bummer again.
Hey Mr Daniel..
Think I'll stick with mine after seeing inside one a mate bought ;-)
Is always the way mate :-/ what fish are t]you looking at running this time ?
Cheers
Ill see whats available from aust native fish. Burpengary. Great guy. Silvers or jades.
looking good!
Cheers Rob.. Had a minor catastrophe today & lost 10 of the large Jades & have been kicking myself all morning over it.. was showing some folks interested in AP around the system yesterday & turned the venturi off so they could have a better look at the large jades & got sidetracked.. Just spent the last few hours burying them in a tench where some fruit trees will be planted & scrubbing out their tank.. Not a mistake I think I'll make again in a hurry..
Cheers mate..
RobBobs Backyard Farming Not good...I think we've all been down the road making dumb mistakes. I've killed plenty of fish and plants!
RobBobs Backyard Farming I've killed a couple of tanks of fish during my AP journey. It's a very helpless feeling, particularly if you don't know why. Learning the hard way can be tough, but you don't forget quickly.
John Malone
Thanks John.. Am ho[ping these will be my last..
Cheers mate..
Great system!
Thanks David..
Have a great one mate..
The only sad part is the poor fish. Imprisoned.
But other than that, Love your Inventions!!!!! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK MY FRIEND!!!!
The fish will get Due Process! It is their constitutional right! LOL!
Incredible system. The lack of solids surprised me.
The tanks do run fairly clean which is great for the fish..
Cheers & have a great one..
love the video! sounds so soothing... wish I could do that, the season im afraid is too short for me. although I could in my basement, but it looks so confusing. and I can tell by all the holes. its a fix as you go process. confusing.
Hey Alicia.. The fish tanks & filters are second hand so it came with holes I didn't need ;) The plumbing is fairly straight forward & will do another clip once the new filters are in place to give folks like yourself a better idea..
Cheers & all the best,
Rob..
great set up-- impressive! flow switch w/ the same relay you have . 12v to 230v ( for pump failure) w/bells and alarms for the neighbors---- its only quid , a$
Excellent video, my friend ; )
Cheers Keith..
Have a great one mate..
RobBobs Backyard Farming Mate, do your siphons make a loud sucking noise near the end of the water dump? If not, how do you get around it?
Rob, have you thought about Ardunio for some control of your system? I run it on my system, and it is excellent, you can connect just about any sensor (flow rate, wet level, float switch auto fish feeder etc etc). It is only limited by what you are capable of designing for it. Might be helpful for your system I think
Hi there..
Have been told of few folks use them in their systems & hydro as well.. was talking to my brother that works in IT & he suggested a raspberry pi might also be an option so have been thinking about it a bit.. was going to see if my nephew might be interested in teaching me how they work.. Might also be a good project for his school tech studies I think.. would of come in handy last night to tell me I left a tap off & saved the lives of 10 fish :-/
Cheers mate & have a great one..
a couple suggestions for stuff mentioned in this video
first, maybe go to stores that sell large appliances like fridges etc and see if they'd be willing to let you take or buy for very cheap the large polystyrene boards that are used for packing the larger items because it'd save them having to dispose of them themselves and those could be suitable for the deep water culture floats
second, on your gravity fed water lines maybe install a few small hydrodynamo's in the lines that will reclaim some of the power that's used for the pump fed lines and it could also recharge your backup batteries so that if there is a power failure that you miss, the gravity fed lines will give the batteries a bit longer before loosing all their charge so that if it happens when you're not at home for a couple days or something you're not going to have as big of a problem to fix when you get home
Hi there.. Thanks for the suggestion.. Have also seen folks use the lids from broccoli boxes well as the packing foams.. The floating rafts need to be made out of something a bit stronger than the packing style foam though.. Extruded styro is what is normally used as it doesn't tend to crumble into balls as quick as the other foams..
Have spoken to a mate about installing mini turbines into the tubing.. I have left it with him to see what he can come up with,..
Cheers & all the best.
So Nice.Congratulations from Brazil.GOD bless vou.
Heya Rob. Great video and great idea to do another full walk through. Can I ask how many water pumps you are running and where they are? I had so look up how a SLO works - what a great way to get the fish solids out! Thanks
Hi Ben.. Just the 1 Resun 10000lph pump mate.. Is in the sump & only mention it very quickly here ua-cam.com/video/N4mYcUvZ9cw/v-deo.htmlm48s
Hope that helps mate :-)
Have a great weekend mate..
Ahhhh - got it now. I didn't realise the bottom pipe went back to the fish tank. I thought you had 2 pumps running but I could only remember seeing the one.
VERY nice!!
Cheers :-)
Have a great one..
Hi Rob.
Liking your clips they are great.
I am sure you have been asked half a million times but where in Oz are you.
We're West of Brisbane at Ipswich.
Cheers Mark.
Rob I have been waiting for this video! Whoooo hooooo!
Hope it helped some..
Cheers & have a great one..
Hey Rob, man I really enjoy your aquaculture vlogs. I was wondering have you considered using filters at certain points like say the water exit of the sump tank you're using to trap solids to really trap the solids at that point. Say making a filter out of a fine mesh material like a new paint strainer bag?
Hey Jack..
when the new filters go in there will be a solids filter after the bio.. Have found that the bio makes a fair amount of it's own solids via dead bacteria, their waste & there is also a small amount of solids that don't get trapped in the radial flow filter that pass through there as well..
Am not sure if it will be another radial flow or if it will have some sort of matting material like I'm using in the fish farm at the moment..
Cheers mate & have a great one,
Rob..
Rob
Love your videos. Thanks for sharing. Quick question for you. I've played with venturis in aquaria and flowing into my Matala BioStep pond filter. What I've found in an aquarium was that the lower I had the Venturi relative to the water level, the less air I was able to introduce into the outlet stream. With your moving bed biofilter, clearly you are keeping your medium moving but are you able to pull air all the way to the bottom of the barrel? Have you considered putting the Venturi inline but external to the moving bed biofilter or using an aerator and air stone to oxygenate the biofilter.
Thanks once again, love what your doing,
Tim
Hi Tim..
The venturi is pulling air down to the base of the filters fairly well at the moment.. I have been contemplating turning the venturi off & just running an air stone in the fish farm that way but am happy with the way the venturi is working in the aquaponics for now.. It might all change yet when the new filter barrels go in though.. Shall see what works best for the system at that time..
Cheers & all the best,
Rob.
What did you finally decide on for your raft system? Why not get a couple of foam pool floats? Chesp, non toxic, certainly no fire retardants.
I have proper hydro rafts but this system is no longer. The new one doesn't have room for rafts but the next build will
Great video as always rob! You mentioned you don't need a bio filter if you have media beds... What is the difference to the system if you do have both?
Thanks..
It means that if I wanted to I could increase the number of fish in the system without needing more media beds.. would still need more plants though to use up all the nitrates they would produce.. I hope to have at least 3 dwc beds in the end so the biofilter will come into play then to help process the waste..
Hope that helps some & have a great one,
Rob..
Morning Rob;
Great video. I have a question or two.
I like your file pipe use in the grow beds, would it be ok to put some aquarium filter in the pipe to help filter out any solids in the system? Or would that slow the fill or cause it to be plug?
My plan was to clean it every week or perhaps every few days.
Thanks again, you all have a great day.
Linden
Hi Linden.. Have used & seen a lot of folks use the green dish scrubbing pads as mini solids filters on their grow beds.. Just need to make sure they aren't impregnated with any detergent or anti bacterial products..
I did have some filter aquarium material under the inlets of the new beds but took them out.. They weren't really getting a lot of solids in them but as the pads were such fine grade they were clogging quickly.. There are a lot of fine roots travelling through the system from the reclaimed clay I'm using but that should settle down soon I think.. when I get a courser grade of filter material I'll cut some more out & pop them back in to see how they go..
Hope that helps a bit mate..
Cheers..
Thank you for the reply, will look for them.
Hope you and yours have a great weekend
I have been looking into a flow sensor to start the 12 v pumps in the event of pump failure. I let you know how I go.
would like to know how you get on Robert, thanks mate..
You mentioned you needed to find some suitable material for making homemade grow grips. I did some research for my own system design and found that there are several brands of "Pool Noodle" type foam pool floats that are made of expanded cell polyethylene and won't leech chemicals into water, hence they are totally nontoxic. They can be easily cut to fit your float-board holes for your DWC with a utility knife or a pair of scissors and won't degrade when exposed to sunlight nearly as fast as styrofoam will. Also, styrofoam (aka polystyrene) of ANY variety DOES leech toxins into water, so I am not sure why people are using it in aquaponics, because it IS toxic, as is PVC pipe, which should NOT be used in aquaponics/culture projects. POLY/PEX pipe is only slightly more expensive in most cases and is very flexible when needed, so it uses far less fittings and comes in small-to-large rolls, thus, it winds up being CHEAPER than PVC pipe and fixtures long-term.
I decided to use an "A" frame style misting system set up OVER a DWC catch-bed that collects the runoff from the misting system. You can grow TWICE as much food in the same amount of space using the "A" frame misting setup than with a DWC alone. This way I can grow my plants ABOVE the DWC tank, leaving about a 1ft. gap between the bottom of the plywood board and the water in the tank. I then grow duckweed on the top of the water in that same tank, while also growing crayfish and fresh water prawn below the duckweed (the prawn and crayfish are in different DWC tanks of course). This allows plenty of sunlight for the duckweed to flourish, while the duckweed shades the crustaceans from all the direct sunlight. I get THREE uses from the same DWC water tank simultaneously that way.
I used 1/4 inch plywood cut to 2ft x 4ft size and 4 inch staggered centers for the holes to make my grow boards for the "A" frame. I then sealed on both sides and all the edges with a product called "Pond Armor," which is a paint-on HDPE liner product that cures to a 10mm thick 'skin' that is 100% waterproof and protects the wood while also protecting the water from any toxins that COULD possibly leech from the wood if it was directly exposed to the water. FYI, I talked to the manufacturer of "Pond Armor" and was told that you COULD use it to paint styrofoam boards without any issues. So, if you ARE going to use styrofoam, then I suggest that, AFTER you get all of your holes cut, you paint it with the "Pond Armor" product until it is 100% covered, including INSIDE your plant holes. This will seal it up and prevent it from leeching into your water as well as protecting it from degrading for YEARS instead of months. Again, RoI for the Pond Armor is considerable when you start pricing styrofoam boards these days, as they are a petroleum based product, and the price for styrofoam boards is linked to fuel prices worldwide, so constantly replacing them because of degradation is costly.
I then used the pool noodle DIY ‘grow grips’ in 2 inch net posts to hold them in the holes on the boards. The misting system is mounted on an open HDPE “A” frame structure that the plywood boards are then set on and leaned against to form an enclosed “A” structure. The misting heads are arranged in two rows on each side of the frame structure, one high, one low, and angled to spray to the opposite side of the interior of the “A” structure with substantial overlap of the mist in the center area for full coverage of the boards, which is where the bottom of the net pots with the DIY ‘grow grip’ and plants/seedlings are. The open ends of the “A” structure are enclosed by a "tucked under" black 45mm HDPE plastic sheeting so that sunlight does NOT enter and shine on the plant roots or allow air flow from any wind source to displace the mist being produced in the system. This uses MUCH less water than DWC for the actual plants and seems to help produce them faster as there is no dissolved oxygen issues to worry about in the water. The runoff from the misting system falls directly onto a ‘floor’ layer of the HDPE sheeting (again, this entire frame, including this 'floor,' sits about 1ft ABOVE the water level of the DWC tank), which then has several small cuts along its slightly lower hanging center line to allow the water back into the tank below. VERY efficient and cost effective with the RoI of being able to grow three things in the same space, with the plants actually being able to produce DOUBLE the amount you would otherwise be able to grow.
how do you top off your water? I'm loosing a lot of water to evaporation, and a minor leak I can't fix until I get a new barrel for my swirl filter. (used one of those red olive barrels and the uniseal isn't holding up). I have a pump in my sump that turns on when the sump fills, drops the water level about 6 inches then the slow pulls water from the fish tank to filters to sump to refill it. I'm thinking a float in the main tank is the way to go.
Hi Rob,
there is no Bell Siphon on two yellow grow beds where you are growing ginger. how do the ginger plants get oxygen?
Sorry for silly questions.
Hi Umesh. Those beds were roughly based on the "Dutch Bucket" growing system. Water trickles through the roots & there is a lot of air pockets amongst the media as well.
Hope that helps some mate. 👍
Happy growing 🌱🌱
@@RobsAquaponics thanks again Rob. 😊👍
what happens if the grid goes down and the power goes out? how long is your battery supply good for?
Hi there.. Those batteries should run for about 20hours by my calculations.. Apparently we are on the same grid as the regional hospital so it never stays off for long..
I am looking at getting a back up generator as well to run the main pump from just in case we lose power for a day or 2 like we did during the 2011 floods but think the batteries will do for the 1 or 2 small blackouts we get every year at the moment..
In the future there will be a more permanent structure over the system with either solar panels or mini wind turbines that will be used to run the system & charge the batteries..
Cheers & have a good one..
Thanks for the info, Solar sounds awesome have you heard anything about a no power aquaponics setup?
Permaculture Prepper No power AP would have to be going back to the original systems of the South Americans & other civilizations that used a chinampa style gardens I would think.. I have seen a post where a chap was floating plants on a raft in a fish pond but can't think where I saw it now..
would like to have a crack at that style of system in the future if we find ourselves on some land with a dam..
it was Geoff Lawton, awesome info, thx for the share as always.
Permaculture Prepper Found the post
facebook.com/groups/aqua.centre/permalink/528117790663239/
It was on FacePalm ;)
Cheers
Hey Rob, How is it possible to watch your clips in chronological order. Watching chronologically will do a good bit to lessen my confusion as to what you are growing and which upgrade you are doing. As it is i think I am seeing a different layout with each clip i watch. I hope you understand my concern. Thanks!
Your capsicum... is what us Yankees call Bell Peppers... I learned the hard way, that if you just grow one plant by itself, you won't get anything... You need to grow at least three of em for cross-pollination.
Cheers for that mate Chillies I can do but have never dad the best of luck with sweet peppers..
Cheers & have a great weekend..
Hello Rob, my shallots are growing with a quite light green colour, would you know why? My guess is something to do with the nutrients, my little system is under a 50% uv shade cloth as well. Cheers from Sydney
Hi Everton.
How old is the system?
If it's fairly new it may be a lack of nitrate in the system as of yet.
@@RobsAquaponics Hello Rob, thanks for the reply. My system is fairly new, about 6 months. The nitrates were off the chart once then it went to 0 a month ago, some people told me that the system has cycled. I've added a couple more fish to see if anything changes
@@EvertonM I'd say you need more Fish/feed in there too. Have you increased the feed much as they grow? 1.5% of body weight is standard for Silvers & Jades if you're running with perch.
@@RobsAquaponics I'm actually running with comet gold fish (7 of them at the moment) as it's a experimental thing for a future project. I'm trying different setups in the same system, grow-bed, that pvc pipe with holes to stick lettuce in it thingy and recently added a dutch bucket. It's a 60L setup only almost like chop without a sump but with a swirl/solids filter. I used to feed the fish once a day but now twice. had a problem with algae in the filter. I can send you some pics if you are curious. Thank you for the advises ;)
@8 min in bio filter you showed good movement of media through ventury below but which water is entering from down side along with ventury ? as radial flow outlet is on top so which point of water is mixed with air through that pipe , can u plz explain ?
Most of the water is entering at the top fro the radial flow settler with some coming from the pump through the venturi as it needs to be under pressure for it to work properly.
Hope that helps.
So Rob, if I am using an IBC tote for my fish tank, would you recommend placement of my SLO off to the side over what would be the stock drain or place it in a corner for best result. I am assuming of course that would be better than setting it up in the middle of the Tote. I already plan on fabbing up a solids siphon job I seen in one of your clips for the extra cleaning as I am aware that round tanks are better for fish tanks, but hey "I gotta run with what I brought to the track." Thanx.
also what size PVC pipe are you using for your SLO out of the fish tank. I can go any size. I was gonna go 1 1/2", but I didn't know if it would effect the flow rate negatively to the swirl filter and pondered maybe I should go 1 1/4".
Sorry I missed this Jeff. Just found it by chance. Hows the system running at the moment?
Hey Rob writing you from Colombia. I stared making my system. My huge question is: how I fill up my system with water so I get the right amount for the whole system. Thank you.
Hey Joze.
It depends on if it's a flood & drain or constant flow. If it's a constant flow fill all the tanks & beds up & away you go.
If it's a flood & drain system, you fill up the fish tank & any filters you may have as well as the sump tank, then turn the system on. DO NOT fill up the grow beds as they will over flow the sump when they drain.
When you're wanting to top up the system up with water, you remove the stand pipes from the siphons in the beds & fill up the sump until its at the level you want it. Then you can replace the stand pipes & you will have no issues with the sump over flowing.
Hope that helps some.
Rob.
Hey Rob! Can you please explain the venturi in the moving bed bio filter starting at 7:54? I want to do this in my moving bed. I have 1sqft of K1 in a 50gallon barrel that being tumbled by an air pump but would much rather do it like this. What is the black pipe and fitting connected to at the bottom of the barrel?
Hey Joshua. Did I reply to you about this on another clip the other day? If not let me know & I'll run through it for you.
Cheers.
+Rob Bob's Backyard Farming. Yes, you did. Thanks. I've ordered a 1" manufactured Venturi and will probably need to upgrade the water pump. Thanks!
Well done again rob
yes you are correct as backyarders we do make mistakes yet videos from yourself and others make aquaponics a little easier ......
just curious why Paul Van was shaking his head besides the thousands of plugs in your tanks and filters it works ???
thanks
Hey Brett.. Think he was mainly siring ;-) There are a few issues like the main drain line from the tanks & using the bilge hose but nothing major really.. Could leave the system like this indefinitely if I wanted with no issues but some bit will be modified to help keep maintenance down..
Thanks mate & all the best to you all.
Would love to see a panaramic or aireal view of the site.
Hey mate.. Have thought bout getting someone with a drone & a gopro to do a run over the patch for us as I'be be interested in getting a clearer shot than what google earth can offer.. would be good to get them to check the guttering out on the roof as well while they're at it ;-)
Cheers Keven & have a great one..
What about bottom feeders and snails in the fish tank and filter tanks?
Had snails at one point & they ended up blocking pipes. Not sure how or why but they died off one year & haven't seen them since which I'm grateful for.
Never had an issue with solids in the base of the round tanks. The "Plecos" some folks use are great at algae removal but anything that eats solids will also create solids so they will always be an issue. I prefer to remove them & use them as food for other food plants in our yard.
Cheers.
In this system, how many plumbing and aeration system do you use? Do you have video on aeration and plumbing system?
This clip shows the 10000LPH pump in the sump that runs the system. I now have air stones in the fish tanks running from a 4000lph air pump but that is the only addition.
Cheers.
I noticed in some of your media beds that you had individual pots inside the media beds is there reason behind that??
I was trialing the Root Pouches in there to see if they would help to control the spread of roots. They helped with some plants but not others. I found that it restricted the roots of some to the point that they died.
Cheers Steven.
Where do u get these round tanks from im in Fresno ca and i can't find them online or local at all thanks.
+Jonathan Flud
They came from a manufacturer here in Australia Jonathan. Searching online for "industrial tank manufacturers" might turn up a local mob that can help you out.
Good luck in your search mate.
Your third tank, the solid trap. I don't think it has any role in your system since the water just simply go from the Bio filter straight out to the sump tank!
The 3rd tank was to have another filter set up in it but I just never got around to it after plans changed.
It does serve as a settling tank though & I get a fair amount of solids collect in the base.
It's also a very handy dosing point for when I want to mix in the calcium hydroxide as well.
Cheers.
I see. Thanks for answering!
RobBobs Backyard Farming Something simple for the back up system would be to use a adjustable pressure switch (www.directindustry.com/prod/kaustubha-udyog/compact-pressure-switches-62335-419699.html) the one in the link goes as low as 3 psi so as long as where u place it u have back pressure and goes to nothing when the pump is off it will work good and is uber simple to setup no programing required. Me personally i would also put a small red led trailer on the outside of your backup box so that u can see at anytime of the day if the backup sys is enabled.
I can do up a diagram on my idea as to how i would set it up.
What about a water fall and air stone in the fish tank?
Now have one in there after a water pump failure. 😉 Caught it in time so there were no deaths.
I know folks that run water over the top in spray bars & that's a great way to add O2 as well. Still think you need air stones as the bar won't work if the pump fails.
nice. i like it
Thanks & have a great one..
Why do you use pvc piping instead of HDPE? I am hesitant to use PVC, despite it's availablity because it may leach into the water.
PVC only leaches as it breaks down as I understand it. In saying that, I suppose it would pay to do a water test to see if any stray chemicals are in the water. Some of which may come from the mains water supply as well.
HDPE costs a fair bit more than the PVC as the fittings are very expensive.
If I had the coin I would skip all plastics & use stainless steel.
Cheers.
@@RobsAquaponics Thanks for the answer, I have some PVC to raid.
hi Bob,
great video as usual.
my only concern is about all that pvc piping.
man, you are slowly poisoning yourself and your family with that stuff.
haven't you got access to food grade piping down under?
here in many european countries it's slowly taken out of market because of all the poisons it's releasing in the water and the atmosphere
Hey Gilles..
The PVC we used is the same used to transport drinking water into homes & is ratted as food safe.. The storm water pipe in Australia is also food safe now as many use it to run water into rain water tanks on homes.. I know in other countries that it isn't always this higher grade..
I do stay away from using the dwv to transport water in the system though as I know it's not rated as safe to use..
To be totally free of any potential leaching we would have to go to stainless I would think which is out of the question until we win the lotto..
Cheers mate..
Don’t the plant roots in DWC act as biological surface area?
They certainly do but as they're not a constant n a backyard system I choose not to include them where others do. Each to their own.
Cheers & have a great one.
✔✔✔✔✔
👍👍😁🌺
Let me know your bildge pump
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Greetings from the Northern Hemisphere 😀. Became interested in Aquaponics awhile back but hadn't had time or money to pursue. Now retired and seriously considering.
First became interested with Aquaponics Book by Sylvia Bernstein (2011). Your videos throughly show the principles in Book 📖 and bring alot of clarity.
Like use of full height IBC container for Fish 🐟 Tank. (Preserves Structural Integrity) Could you ACQ Lumber for a lid without harming the fish 🐟?? Probably build tank with pond liner due to size and height restrictions of planned greenhouse. Wanted to have counter above fish tank to start seedlings 🌱. IBC probably cheaper but too tall without cutting down and too wide front to back. Do like 👍 that they're transparent and could provide viewing windows 🪟 even if insulated. Thinking about raising Tilapia and need 70 degree temp at 39 degrees latitude.
(Delaware in USA 🇺🇸) Have to really think about build versus IBC.
Why not utilize the attached IBC container drain?? Already valved and could serve as both external lift pipe and clean out drain for FISH 🐟 TANK. Tee past the valve to external lift pipe still keeps constant tank volume. Would require some removable interior screening to block sediment and small fish 🐟 into lift pipe 🤔. Wouldn't require a Uniseal or bulkhead fitting below top of FISH TANK. I'll keep watching your videos 📹 for ideas 💡. WELL DONE!!
From America 🇺🇸
Michael E Rhue
It wont oxygenate the bottom? Lol it's not blowing air into the water, its combining it before it even comes out of the tube, so 100% of the water that comes out of that tube has been oxygenated.....
Yep, that's what I said. 👍