Chain Multiple IBCs, use one pump

reese77

I am setting up my first system in my garage and I have 2 250Gal IBC totes and I purchased 2 pumps.
However I was just thinking that if I chain the 2 IBCs (connect them with a 2" PVC pipe on the bottom drains), then I could essentially just put a pump in one tank, then --> bio-filter --> plants --> drain into both tanks.

How does this sound?

bunson

With two IBCs and two pumps, you can have two independent systems; great for growing different species of fish, predatory fish separation, experimentation ,flexibility, redundancy etc.

RupertofOZ

Yep, Id' go for two seperate system as well... interconnecting tanks can cause problems...

Mr Damage

...or if you're set on having one system with one pump, have the GB's drain into one IBC that then feeds into the other via an SLO... rather than interconnecting them at the base. The second IBC would effectively be a large sump tank and would vary in height as the GB's flood and drain, but the water level in the first IBC would be constant.

bunson

Mr Damage wrote:

...or if you're set on having one system with one pump, have the GB's drain into one IBC that then feeds into the other via an SLO...

From another project:

Scott

reese77

Well, my plan initially was to have 2 pumps, one in each tank pumping into a Y connector and a single line into my bio-filter then on to the NFT trays and grow bed. Then have all lines from plants merge back into one and drain into both tanks.

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earthbound

reese77 wrote:

Then have all lines from plants merge back into one and drain into both tanks.

Be careful joining drains together, it's good if possible to have oversized or individual drains.

nebbian

reese77 wrote:

Well, my plan initially was to have 2 pumps, one in each tank pumping into a Y connector and a single line into my bio-filter then on to the NFT trays and grow bed. Then have all lines from plants merge back into one and drain into both tanks.

Make sure you put a one-way valve after each pump if you do things this way, otherwise if one pump stops for some reason the water will flow back through the stopped pump and overflow its tank.

SnowT

Ok... A few thing's..

1 Question.. Why Do you need a BIO filter in the system at all....

The Crud from the Fish tank you want to get into the grow bed's.. That is part of the Food chain for the plant's..

Me I would do this..
- Pump in 1 Tote.. OVERSIZE SLO from the second system to the Tote containing the Pump..
when I say over size go at least 4" and to help in the movement of water/crud from Tote put a small airlift in the SLO.. in case of the Airlift in the SLO working to well[at a higher rate than the pump have an overflow back to the Non pumped Tote..

Save the second Pump as backup.. and cut down your running cost of the whole system..

Juergen

vk3laj

I'm using twin IBC's - see my design here

http://aquaponics.radiogeeks.net/

RupertofOZ

I'd split them... and have two seperate systems.... especially as you already have two pumps...

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