Free food production in your backyard
Posted on May 12, 2008 under Aquaponics, construction, Fish, Fish farming, Gardening, Self Sufficiency, Water | 7 CommentsSummer is really starting now! The last couple of days we’ve had 23 – 25C temperatures and the forecast for the next week is the same. While our friends from down-under are getting ready for winter, we can start growing all sorts of yummy things in the garden.
I thought I’ll use the long weekend to set up a little half barrel aquaponics system. I still had one of those blue barrels laying around, so I went ahead and cut it in half to create two grow beds. After filling the grow beds with washed gravel and filling them with water the troubles started: I was using a loop siphon to do the ebb and flow in the barrel, but the loop just didn’t work like it should. When filling the barrel, the siphon should kick in at a set level and empty the barrel again, giving the plant roots access to oxygen rich air. After the barrel has been emptied the siphon should break and the barrel should slowly fill up with water again.
My siphon either wouldn’t kick in correctly, leaving the barrel flooded, or it wouldn’t break, leaving the barrel empty at all times. Some more tweaking is necessary for my barrelponics to work. Since I don’t have to go to work today, I’ll have all day to try to get this working.
May 12th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
Hello,
If I can be any assistance please let me know. I am the guy who invented the barrelponics method of aquaponics and coined the phrase. It looks like you are trying to use a siphon which can be problematic which is why I went with the method I did in the manual I wrote which can be found here: http://www.fastonline.org/content/view/15/29/. It may help you on your quest. I also have a yahoo group by the name barrelponics if you are interested. Keep up the good work!!
Trav.
May 13th, 2008 at 5:21 am
Not sure if the other reply made it through so I will try again. I am Travis W. Hughey (the fellow who wrothe The Barrel-Ponics Manual) If there is anything I can help with please let me know. The problems you are having with the siphon is common if the flow isn’t right. Too little and it just trickles, too much and you can’t evacuate the tank fast enough. Ths is why I invented the Flood Valve which is the heart of the Barrel-Ponics system. It allows the infinite control of flood volume and cycle time. I have run one of my units here on as little as 10 gallons per hour. Wih a two barrel half growbed system that is once every two hours. I know it seems complicated at first but once you build one you will find it is realy quite simple. As far as reliability, I just changed my first flapper on the toilet valve since I built one of the first units here in 2004. I have a barrelponics yahoo group here in the states if you are interested. Keep up the good work!!
Trav.
May 13th, 2008 at 8:53 am
Hi Travis, thanks for your reply! Your first reply was caught by the anti-spam software, maybe because you put a link in there, anyways, I’ve saved it from the trash bin.
One of my barrels is flooding and draining perfectly, while the other one (that has been constructed in exactly the same way…) sometimes gets stuck on the drain. It makes a slurping sound, while pulling air into the hose and then continues flowing again. I think I can probably fix this by adding an air-tube in the top of the loop and putting the other end in the grow bed at the desired empty-level.
I’ve seen the Flood Valve in your manual and it looks fascinating! If my loops fail, I’ll look into building one of those.
May 13th, 2008 at 10:29 am
It sounds like you may be flowing a bit too much water for the diameter of tube you have so it never really breaks the siphon. A siphon break tube coming from the top of the loop down to where you want it to stop would do the trick for sure.
Trav.
May 13th, 2008 at 11:32 am
Yes, I think the flow into the barrels isn’t balanced correctly, but since the water is just divided with a T in the line, there is no real means of controlling it. I’m pretty sure the air-tube will work, so no worries.
October 2nd, 2009 at 12:39 pm
hello,
ive been trying to develop a system that would be suitable for se asia. i am currently working with ethnic minorities in the mountain area china/vietnma/laos.
i want cheap. i saw earth solution had a trickle valve as an update to barrelponics.
i was wondering if anyone had anyexperience with this. i would like to know what this is “trickle valve”
my aim is to distribute or develop 1000 systems to give away by the end of next year in quang tri (heavily hit by agent orange during vietnam war) and other places in this region. but i have a difficult upstart to get it just right.
it has to be made for less than $50 and provide enough food for 2 people. is that possible?
October 3rd, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Seth, I think building a system for under $50 is going to be a very tough challenge…