Dr Bees First IBC System

dr bee

Hello AP world,

Have recently started an IBC system near bunbury. Was shifting to a new house so had to keep the system small to start, as I didn't want to shift too much weight around on trailers, and a doubting other half.

Cut an IBC 3 and 2, Top section at 90 degrees to bottom. Made a simple bell siphon, and running small fountain pump from the B shop. Has been running well until rain increased water level to height of outlet, and siphon wouldn't stop sucking. Have diverted some water to spray back into sump, and siphon now stops again. FT appox 500L

Have filled grow bed (200L) with blue metal, and put in plants. Just started with easy plants, lettuce, brocs, Toms, cucumber and starwberries. Had first crop of chinese cabbage last week. Had a tank full of green for a while , but then almost over night, went clear. Guess it has started cycling. Just feeding with Seasol and wee twice per week.

Now looking to put fingerlings in the tank, but no trout left, and SP's not yet ready. Don't really want to heat tank to keep barra.

How many SP fingerlings would be appropriate for this sized system.

RupertofOZ

Welcome Dr Bee.... 10-12 fish max... and with the view to adding another grow bed as they get bigger...

arbe

Hello Dr Bee.

I had a similar issue with my siphons when the rain increased the water level in my sump. To resolve it I attached a T piece to the pipe as it exits the bottom of the grow bed allowing it to draw air from there to break the siphon.

dr bee

Thanks Arbe,

Have had no siphon problems up to now. Kept it simple, with 25mm pipe through the top (now bottom) of the tank lid, with about 4" down pipe underneath. I found I needed just a little bit of down pipe to maintain siphon else stopped when bed half empty to an elbow. Drew a good suction, and broke at the end no probs.

Had trouble visualising what you suggested so jumped on Affnans site and saw one of his setups wiith tee on end of horizontal. Will give it a shot tonight.

Dave

Peanut

Maybe try fitting an overflow just below the outlet for the siphon, this will prevent the siphon failing and also prevent escapees if the tank itself overflows (assuming you have fish in it).

arbe

If you are referring to this then it is close to what I was trying to describe (just a better version)

dr bee

Arbe,

Yep thats the one. I have just gone for a straight tee and it seems to work. Might need breather and other mods it it goes too far under water, but keeping it simple for time being. Prefer the kiss theory. Fewer moving parts the better.

Will experiment with increased depth in FT and GB. I have kept the grow bed to about 20cm deep, as the volume change in the FT is significant, but will raise bed depth after current lot of seeds sprout.

Dave

arbe

A straight T is all I have. As long as it is above the water level it will work.

gorotsuki69

Hi
how long did it take your water to clear? mine's in the green murky stage now.
did you add fresh wee or aged?

arbe

Green murky stage. Sounds like algae has formed. Best thing to do is cover the fish tank and stop feeding fish (or if you have any, or stop adding ammonia if you dont).

Zman

+ lots of air!

gorotsuki69

I've been fishless cycling for 2 weeks. It's more brown than green, a lot of it is just silt from the gravel

gorotsuki69

edit: just measured ammonia is 0.5ppm
didn't bother testing nitrite/rate

dr bee

Never tested my water, was cloady from the blue metal, then cleared. Went green after about a month. Was running pump 15min every hour 12 hours per day. After going green, changed to run continuously for 12 hours per day. It took about 3 weeks but was during winter. Was just feeding plants with cap full of seasol at that stage twice per week. I only had seeds in the bed, and they took slowly. Then, blam, over a weekend clear, rapid growth rates from then. Have three 400ml bottles of wee maturing, dosing with two per week. Water smells like in fresh flowing creek, and clear as alpine spring. Seeds sprouted over winter in less than a week and florishing, even with the move from rental to new house (forgot to hook up water and cabbage went to seed). No fish yet.

dr bee

Ooops, may have upset the levels a bit over weekend. Bit green in tank. Thought I'd water it down a bit. Over filled the tank too much (note to self, don't leave tap unattended if filling) then emptied too much (note to self don't leave siphon unattended if draining tank), now rain filled too much. Tried Afnans modified for high water levels, but can't seem to break auto siphon. Need to play with fill rate a bit more, or maybe just lift GB a bit higher off the FT.

Will continue with Seasol onto foliage but back off on wee(aged about 1 week).

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