Single Barrel Aquaponics - Part 1 of 5

Part 2 : Here  Part 3 : Here  Part 4 : Here  Part 5 : Here
14th November 2010 update : Here

I have been wanting to try out Barrel-ponics system by Travis Hughey , this system which make use of recycle plastic drums for Aquaponics are among the early setup widely tried by Aquaponics enthusiast everywhere.


If you check out Travis site, their barrel-ponics make use of half barrels as growbed.., fish tank using barrel and water feed using a barrel with toilet cistern type flood and drain.


The one I am making may be on a different approach toward barrel-ponics where I am just using one barrel making the entire setup with it. This approach is already done by others, the one I saw uses loop siphon so I am making this one with my mini siphon.


Additional Note : 
I am downloading the Barrel-ponics Manual to check whether this setup I made is actually a Barrel-ponics system, because from what I understand Barrel-ponics is a system and not just by using these Barrel as containers it could be classified as Barrel-ponics. 


After having read through the Barrel-ponics manual, I concluded what I build here is not a Barrel-ponics system.. its just a Siphon Flood & Drain Aquaponics using a barrel.

Bought a blue barrel from local scrap yard for RM 35.00, that about USD 10.00. It may be a bit overprice but I just wanted one and I've never bought any before. BTW these barrel are widely use here as pontoon, so the guy that sell me this ask whether I am making a pontoon. It will takes half a day to explain to him about Aquaponics, so to cut the time short.. I said yes making a pontoon.


This barrel already been washed internally but have a bit of a smell, Blue barrel normally use for storing non poisonous chemicals. The black color barrel is the one we should stay away from.

Barrel cut to my required size, let it dry out in the sun. Its been very hot and will continue later on with cutting the access on the lower barrel and drill hole for my siphon on the growbed part of the barrel.


Continue...


Cannot go anywhere today.. its rain so I proceed in doing a bit more on the setup.

I've make cutouts on the lower barrel for access and stack the growbed part on top of the lower barrel.  I use cable tie to hold the top part to the lower half. These barrel are made to be stackable so not much of a problem here to have it this way.


I may have made the cut out slightly lower then necessary,, this will make my water level low and may at time fill to the brim.. well just have to see and find out.


Additional note : 
I should have cut the access hole the size of A4 paper one on each side, its better as compare to this one which is slightly bigger.

Mini Siphon stand pipe in place need to adjust it height next, its more to the side then in the middle, this is due to that uneven part running across from either barrel outlet. A flat place is essential for siphon stability so I have no choice but to have it here.


The point marked "X", I am thinking of making a hole for water inflow feed. I am still contemplating on making this hole or just have the water feed coming from the side to top of growbed.

Bottom of growbed, this show the siphon outlet.. its my mini siphon .. and due to its small size this setup will need a very small pump... I may use existing pump the 1000 L/hr rating and have a bypass for excess water returning back to tank.

Since this part of the barrel will be the growbed... its best to seal the two barrel inlet with a good sealer. I use Selleys' All Clear Multipurpose Co-Polymer Sealant for all my Aquaponics sealing needs... I believe its an Australian brand... so far I can say its the best I can find here in Malaysia.

Put everything loosely in place to test it. I use 1000 l/hr pump with lots of leak at the pump output giving a slow trickle in flow to the growbed.

Water in,, and slowly filling in the growbed, mini siphon is a rough installation. I need to adjust its length to cover the growbed height.

Not much of a guessing game on the siphon it flush first time, the more important is whether it cut off the flow.

Yes it does cut off without problem, this is the water level when it cut off. I need to redo just on the siphon and water feed inlet. Its a temporary installation which I need to redo later. In the mean time I will let it cycle and may put mild detergent to clean this barrel further.


It quite a simple thing to make, and took me approximately four hours to get to this stage, that inclusive of the time to make my mini siphon.


Total cost so far up to this point RM 80.00 thats about USD 22.00


Next will be putting gravel and let it cycle.

Finally the Problem Siphon Fixed

As I mentioned before : Here, this was sometimes last year I have endless problem with one of my siphon. I always though that all are identical.


Most of the time I just adjust water inflow to make it work, its working fine if its fed independently with a dedicated pump.. but once using the shared pump its always giving problem.


So finally today,, decide I have to get to the bottom of this problem. Its difficult to get at that's why all this delay in fixing it.  I have to go under the growbed from within the fish tank... and that's not a nice thing to do.


As they say "a man got to do what a man got to do" ... get myself into the fish tank... and remove the siphon.

I am a bit of a camera shy,, and professionally as a teacher, I always feel that the subject we're presenting is most important and not the presenter in person.


After removing the siphon then I realised that the failed one (on left) is not of the same design that I normally use. I wonder why was that... it must be a Sunday when I assembled it where I ran out of parts and all shops closed. At lease that what I told myself... to make it OK for this blunder.

As photo above the fail siphon use threaded coupling instead of the tank adapter that I normally use for my standard design on the right.


There is a slight difference in its inner diameter between the two as shown below. The failed siphon using threaded adapter is slightly smaller inner diameter as compared to the one on the right. This slight difference make it behave differently hence require slightly different water inflow setting to the other siphon.

What prompt me to check it is that while I am cleaning the siphon with a bottle brush, I feel restricted in pushing the brush into the failed siphon. This is the first indication to me that its not identical to the rest. Its been quite a while since I last cleaned it, and all this while I just adjust water inflow to make it good.

Finally its fixed .. :)

Home Kit - Dismantling

Today I had to dismantle my home kit, need the space for something else. Learned a lot from it and I must say its a successful setup giving plenty of herbs for the kitchen.


Fishes and plants I've transferred to my main set up and I'll concentrate on this main set from now on. My experimenting on siphon more or less over for the time being and I am set to continue with checking few plants and vegetable next on my Aquaponics experiments.

I have not decide what to do with it, my in law is moving few doors away and they are keen to have it in their backyard. That's a good idea, I still can check on it every now and then.


I am also thinking of redoing it, using 2 smaller growbed instead of the current big one. In this case its more of an experiment. A nursery growbed with removable tray with smaller growbed material is what I have in mind.


So until then the setup will be stacked in the alley behind my backyard.