Aquaponics System Design - Using a Swirl Filter to Remove Solid Waste
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- Опубликовано: 13 июл 2024
- In this video I discuss the importance of filtering solids from aquaponics systems as well as show you my swirl filter design. I will discuss how the swirl filter works and show you the effects of not using one. The swirl filter solves several problems and also provides nutrients for our other plants in and out of the house.
The main reason for the swirl filter is to remove solid waste from the system. This can collect over time and build up at the bottom of the grow beds which can create anaerobic bacteria and also impede water flow. Now, I am not saying that you cannot use worms to assist with this issue also but the swirl filter has its place as well. Worms will assist in breaking down organic matter such as dead roots, fallen leaves, etc. This is something that the swirl filter cannot do. However the solids from the swirl filter can be drained off (along with some awesome aquaponics water) and used to fertilize gardens or house plants as well. Since it is recommended to do some minimal water change out throughout the year anyway this is a perfect way to do that and not waste any water during the process. In my system there is no shortage of Nitrates and I love using it for fertilizer. The swirl filter has been an awesome addition to my system and I hope it works for your as well!
Thanks for watching!
Please visit us at www.simplesuburbanliving.com for more sustainability projects and discussions. 
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Engineers. We are a simple people. Going from running low voltage across parking lots, bees, aquaponics, paddocks, horses, tractors, south facing windows... anyways, always enjoyed the content! Merry Christmas T, L, & Co!
This is the best explanation and design of a swirl filter I have come across. Thanks for sharing and please do more videos on best practices and designs.
Thanks Beliot! I have new aquaponics episodes every 1-2 weeks. Thanks for checking it out!
I have subscribed to your channel, keep up the good work and do share with the world.
Great video. Thanks for taking the time. This will help me with my setup greatly.
Sorry, I do not have any detailed written plans. The design will largely depend on how your system is setup. In general it should be similar to mine but does not have to be exact to work. @ Bryan Wilson Thanks for watching!
+SSLFamilyDad There are many components to studying aquaponics. One place I discovered which succeeds in merging these is the Keiths Ponics Site (google it if you're interested) without a doubt the most incredible course i've seen. Check out this interesting site.
Great concept. Looking to build a system next year. Looks like you're making good use of gravity as well. Thank you for sharing.
I like the way you've set up your system ! I'm new at this and am still trying to understand everything !
Look forward too seeing more videos !
Glad to have you on board William! If you have not already check out the playlist that contains the aquaponics system from the start. First ten episodes are here - ruclips.net/p/PLL3IEVIDKMm7r16M-lvn951pXqI0-0wnF. Let me know if you have any questions and thanks for watching!
cool design, I like the cleanup tube/drain for siphoning waste
Awesome design. subscribed, and thanks a mil.
Thank. It's always good to see different ways of doing things. I got a couple of ideas watching your videos. Well explained and I like that you tell what went right and what went not so right during your build, along with alternative suggestions.
Thanks I hope it helps in some way, please let me know if you ever have questions. Thanks for watching!
like the set up.. informative ..thanks
Thanks for your information.
Nice job brother. I am going to embark on the adventure of building our aquaponic system this winter and your ideas helped a lot! I found some barrels on Craigslist and I'm going tomorrow to pick them up. I need to finish the Gasifier first though; one project at a time (so says the wife lol).
i love this video thanks
Great job sir!
The protein skimmer wouldn't take up so much room! I use one on my saltwater tank,it's a 220 gallon so I'm sure it could handle your system. Other then that bad ass bro nice setup and my hats off to you sir!
good job. I like it.
Thanks for sharing all the great information, getting ready to build here a system similar to yours, I got barrels and stuff but new to aquaponics and I'm still learning how this thing works. Can you please explain how water moves from the fish barrel to the swirl filter? I already have a water tank cut in half placed in to the ground for a fish pond.
Nice Job
Thumsup & subscribed. Awsome video.
I see your filter water feeds your grow beds. Do you get enough of a water flow to adequately fill the grow beds so they can fill and drain a few times an hour? Does the grow bed at the end of the pipe get as much water as the two grow beds closer to the swirl filter?
Looking good!
It is working well so far. It is nice because now I can see how much I have been over feeding the fish! lots of uneaten food in the filter already.
What about also having a valve on the bottom of each grow bed to drain the solid waste build up just like in the swirl tank?
The overflow pipe from the filter coming out of the bottom looks like a great place to add a venturi, if your system needs it.
I hadn't thought of that. I was not going to add one to the pump line since they reduce the amount of water that you can pump; but adding it to that drain might be something to think about. Thanks for watching!
Just discovered this and doing constant research. Your videos have been very helpful. Thank you! Cheers~
Glad to help, let me know if you come up with any questions. Thanks for watching!
For those who desire to build a workable, fundamental, efficient and cost-effective aquaponics system, you have to realize how to put it altogether and preserve it the right way.
+Carmela Keeling I highly recommend you to check out this, where it is possible to know every thing from beginning to end in an effortless methods: guide1.net/build-aquaponics-hassle-free-x00023
Hi do you have the link of you building the swirl filter? i looked in your description but it's not there. Would be amazing to see it, many thanks!
Fantastic! :)
Thanks a lot for all of your vidéos :D
did you put an overflow on your fish tank on this setup?
no overflow on the fish tank on this setup
I like your system. The one I am building is very close but I use gravity to my advantage a bit more. My fish tank is the lowest. My swirl filter drains into my plants and that drains into my sump which drains by float valve into the fish tank. This keeps my fish tank at constant level. Only my sump and plant bed goes up and down.
Cool, I don't think I have seen a design like that, but seems like that would work really well. Thanks for checking it out!
I'm only starting to look into aquaponics and love the idea. I found your video very informative. Would you mind me asking what the sump tank is and what its function is, please.
the sump tank is the lowest place in the system, it houses the pump, it also serves as a place for the water to fill and drain as the grow beds fill and drain at different times. Kind of a holding tank for extra water.
nice setup..
Thanks, glad you enjoyed and thanks for watching!
rite on
Dang, didn't know you used to do aquaponics Todd. Plan on doing any of this at the new house?
We do have a small scale one In our atrium but I am not sure about anything larger scale
I've seen other swirl filters that have the inlet pipe at the bottom or a few inches above the bottom. wouldn't it be better to have the inlet pipe in the middle of the barrel? wouldn't it give more time to the particle to move towards the wall of the barrel and eventually sink to the bottom? thanks for sharing
+Stavros Santis I would say inlet should be just below the surface of the water at the top so that the fasts lest moving water enters there and then slows down by the time it gets to the bottom
Is there a pump from the fish tank to the swirl tank, or a pump from the swirl tank to the grow beds? How are you routing the water to the grow beds?
I really like your system! A few of us are about to build an aquaponics farm in central Texas. I've been watching your videos and taking notes, thanks for the info!!
The pump is in the sump tank, it then pumps water up to the fish tank, gravity feeds to the swirl filter and then gravity feeds through the grow beds and back to the sump tank. Let me know if you have any questions and thanks for watching! Also check out the design video if you haven't already watched it - ruclips.net/video/lAzd9PhRM9M/видео.html
how about the nutrient on the water? is it not influece the nutrient?
Hi! nice setup im thinking about something simular. It looks like the pipe from the fishtank to the swirl filter leans upwards but maybe it dont? I mean an upward angel from the fishtank to the filter. Do you have any overflow secuity on the sump or have you had any problems there?
Thanks Gustav, yes that pipe does slant in the opposite direction than it should. I was using an existing hole in the barrel and that is just kind of how it worked out with what I had on hand. The system is gravity feed between the two tanks so they always keep at the same level no matter which way the pipe slants so it works:) I have some overflow protection on the fish tank, more on that here - ruclips.net/video/sP630lKKKd4/видео.html. Thanks for watching!!
SSLFamilyDad Okey then i understand. I had a small aquaponicssystem before but im not living in a house right now so im waiting for that.. Its really nice to grow fish and veg in the same system, and also i love building stuff and its not easy to design systems that works great!
i assume you dont use a biofilter to convert the liquid fish waste to nitrates/ammonia to then add to the media bed. I'm thinking about doing a ebb&flow/ DWC system where I think I would need to have the water sit in a biofilter before getting added to a DWC. How would using a swirl filter play a role in that type of system? After thinking this out, I feel I would need a extra bucket for a swirl filter, and an extra resevoir to convert the fish waste to nitrates, and maybe even a sump for overflow purposes. What do you think of that? Thanks a lot!
you do not need a bio filter if you are using a media based grow bed system such as mine. The grow media acts as the bio filter. I would still however, recommend a good swirl filter as it will keep the beds cleaner and working better for a long long time.
Would it benefit the system to use a tapered bottom tank for your solids? That way you can just open a ball valve connected to the center of it, and drain out the collected solids?
+Boosted98gsx yes, if you can make one or add a baffle that would taper the bottom that would be awesome
how do you clean it out? do you have to drain the filter every time? or do you have a vacuum type thing.
I have a video that shows the process I am using here - ruclips.net/video/6TbLRRWpocI/видео.html. Thanks for checking it out!
I'm debating whether or not to make a swirl filter or just use a biofilter where I have a water drum filled with filter media (sponges, bioballs) In your opinion what should i make?
Well in theory they should serve different purposes. The bio filter is a place for bacteria to grow and should not really also be a settlement take for solids. So in my opinion I would have both, a radial flow (swirl) filter before the bio filter. That way you can take out the solid waste before the bio filter. Just an opinion:)
try a filter sock for saltwater aquariums
nice setup, have you seen RobBob from austrailia's setup, he uses much cheaper rubber seals for his system. Also MHPgardener uses them. Keep up the great work!
I sure have, they use the uniseals which I wish I would have found before I spent so much on the bulkhead adapters that I have. In the future I will be buying those for sure, thanks!
SSLFamilyDad I dont like the uni seals...from my experience they will break down and leak after time.. the bulk head fittings are much stronger and will last 20 years with no problems. another thing with uniseals is if you rest any weight on your pipes the pressure on the seal becomes uneven and they will leak..
stick with the bulk head fittings..
check out some of my videos.. I always use bulk head fittings..
www.aquaponicgardens.ch
nice setup..
contact me if you would like to try out the best in LED lighting..
thanks again..
Paul
Aquaponic Gardens Thanks for the advice. I wondered about those uni seals but I still think they might have a place for my outdoor system later on. A few drips here and there will be ok outside but not for my indoor system. You have an awesome setup there, I wish I were closer for a tour! Thanks for watching!
Use the Wisy Garden downspout filter or the Wisy 100 vortex filter and you can bypass all of this and that way you won't have to use a rag or stockings. The wisy filter doesn't have to be cleaned but once a year. Check out Rainwater Management Solutions.
That is a great option for removing solids as well. However, I prefer not to use any filter media if possible and this way I can siphon off the waste to use as fertilizer in our garden. Thanks for the suggestion!
Would using red wigglers in grow beds result in the need not to use a swirl filter? The theory being that they would eat the fish waste.
Worms are a great way to turn dead roots, uneaten fish food, and some of the fish waste into something more soluble for the plants. However, I would still recommend a filter of some sort. There ends up being just too much solids collecting in the system that over time will just cause issues. I would promote the use of both worms and a filter.
SSLFamilyDad You mentioned using the fish waste outside as a fertilizer. Wouldn't it be better utilized inside this system as a fertilizer with the help of worms in the grow beds? Or do you think the rate of waste accumulation would overhwhelm the worms ability to keep it in check?
VikingMan44 this is a bit of an old post I've been reading in multiple places, so i thought I'd through this in to help... Worms don't swim or breath under water, in a typical worm bed they hang out in the drier area just above the flood lines.the waist falls all the way to the bottom were the worms wont go. my system uses a worm bed after my grow beds and before my sump, it is set up with a bucket next to it that directly reflects the water level in the worm bed and has a pump and switch system to pull the water out and back to the fish tank,(the worm bed is only ever getting 2" of water in the bottom leaving 12" for worm habitat.) this works very well for me.
The Rayl Family That is a really good idea. Many people have stated that the worms will take care of it all and I disagree especially with how many fish I have. My grow beds would be full to the top with fish waste by now if it weren't for that swirl filter. Thanks for commenting!
I'm sure some were someone has a good fish to worm to plant ratio, that being said.... If you have to many fish in the system the worms will be super happy, but will most likely not be able to keep up. That being said maybe eat a few fish if the worms can't keep up. Or add the wast directly to the worm bed so if there is more than needed you can feed other plants. In my opinion I'd run the filter and feed the worms manually. They like potato and old roots from harvested plants.
SSLFamilyDad Admire your efforts! If you ever come to Reno Nevada come visit me and I will show you a much simpler and effective way to do this. You start out with Good ideas but ultimately this will not be effective. Also I sugget put your toxic fish waste into a compost bin first rather than putting it directly on your plants and garden.
What could the solid waste be used for? Is there any chance you could sell or use it in a regular garden as fertilizer?
Andrew Stevens I use it for fertilizing my house plants and trees in the Winter and for our garden in the summer. The waste makes excellent fertilizer.
Could you explain how you get your overflow/skimmer pipe to pass all the way through the adapter in your barrel bung?
Sure can, I have a 2" threaded make adapter screwed into the bung on the inside of the barrel. That 2" pvc pipe is connected to that and it extends up to the water level. On the bottom it just pours straight down into my sump tank. Hope that helps! Thanks for checking it out!
SSLFamilyDad I'm still confused on how you got the piece to extend out the bottom towards your sump tank. Won't the 2" male adapter only allow you to run a 2" pvc pipe up to the top of the swirl filter? Somehow you have piping on both sides or through your 2" male adapter... If you could set me straight on that please do! Great job on everything by the way. I really appreciate the videos you put out.
sw114702 no problem and I see where I did not really clarify. You can screw in a male adapter on both the inside and outside of the threaded hole. That allows me to attach pipe on both side, one to direct the overflow down into the sump and one to attach the riser up into the swirl. Hope that helps!
Can you elaborate a little about the height of the center pipe and the overflow pipe?
Would appreciate it.
No problem. In this case since I am using a gravity system the pipe height is just set to make sure that the corresponding level of water in my fish tank does not overflow. I have the center outlet a few inches below the top of the barrel wall (about 3 inches) and the overflow is about 2 inches. Thanks for checking it out!
Thanks for your response. Made it quite clear.
Any advise on grow light's that won't jack up my power bill
LED's if you can afford a good one. I did a review on one from UnitFarm recently that I really like. - amzn.to/2wYpiGq
OMG u look like "JIM" from "The Office" !
Good video tho :)
Do you have a fish heater? Do the grow lights heat the beds at all?
I believe he has another video that shows a heater in a barrel that held his fish. You could put a heater anywhere in the system that gets deep enough if using a submersible heater, but not the grow beds. Unless in a separate area from the roots & media. The lights could provide some heat to the grow beds, perhaps more if they were specific lamps.
I'm assuming more heat would come from the bacteria and processes taking place in the grow beds. It should be reasonable to believe with at least a 30 - 50gal heater plus all the other processes, sufficient heat is maintained through the whole system if you include the ambient temperature of the surrounding environment.
You might need a larger heater depending on the needs of the fish and where the tanks are installed. Adjust according to whether or not they are tropical or coldwater natives. For plants, the water will be warm enough.
Water has a large specific heat capacity that increases substantially with volume. The more water in your system, the harder it is for the temperature of the water to fluctuate after it has reached the ambient temperature of the environment.
Why don't you add back the nylon sock to the intake to the planters off the swirl filter? It seems to me that would stop almost all solids? You could just take it off and rinse it in the same bucket. A 2 minute job that would really keep your system clean?
+VacUpacks I have thought about doing that but the swirl filter seems to be doing pretty well. I was allowing for some solids to get through also to provide some food for the worms that are in the grow beds as well
+SSLFamilyDad Oh, that makes sense. I have red worms in a traditional worm bed they eat quite a bit of food. Interesting the worms won't keep up with your system without the swirl filter. Looks like quite a balancing act. Thank you for your response. Great video very informative.
You have 78 fish in that one barrel? how big are they? that seems crowded, but i'm pretty new to aquaponics and don't know that much yet.
Adrian D'Atri-Guiran They are just goldfish so they don't really care but for any other kind of fish that would be way too crowded!
Do you ever have problems with your bell siphons? I've been wanting to do a flood/drain system, but I keep hearing about problems with the siphon.
Honestly I have not had any issues with the bell siphons in my system. I am still using the same ones I started with and haven't really changed much at all. I may do a video specifically talking about adjusting them and I have a little more info in my first video here - ruclips.net/video/eY7ViXV7K6s/видео.html. Thanks for watching!
Thanks!
Hi Can you help me to make an aqauponic systeym in my backyard. if so please call me at 310-408-2823
Quick question. Do you run your beds with red worms?
+WittyRat yes
+SSLFamilyDad shouldn't the worms dispose of the fish waste and suplu
how often do you have to clean your growbeds?
You should not have to clean grow beds for quite some time, potentially years. Especially if you have a sophisticated first catch system.
Please what kind of lighting is used to grow the plant and what its strength is in watts, sorry I do not speak English fluently
+Ahmed Shaker I have quite a few other videos on this if you are interested on my channel. But I use 23 watt 6500k CFL bulbs
SSLFamilyDad
Thanks for your interest ,what do you think of LED lamps?
Could you use crawfish in the filter system to take care of the waste? Or even use crawfish in the fish tank to better tackle solid waste
isn't it good if the solid parts go to the plants for nutrients?
mark louie panergo Some still do get through, all the swirl does is settle out the largest solids and allows you to get the grow beds cleaner. If you just let them all go through to the grow beds you will end up with a clogged up mess in no time.
What’s in your grow beds ?? And what type of fish are in your tank??
Very good video. I liked how you explained everything in a simple but effective way. My favorite part was the lack of movement from the camera !!! Can you send me your email address ? I have set up an aquaponic system but don't really now how to incorporate the swirl filter. If I were to show you pictures maybe you could help out.
Sure thing, I would love to help out all I can. Anyone can email us at sslfamily5@gmail.com. Thanks for watching!
Do you know a supplier for perch fingerlings?
Unfortunately only some suppliers I have fund online. I wouldn't feel comfortable recommending any as I have not ordered from them. Also a good idea to check and local fisheries if you have any nearby where you live. Merry Christmas!
SSLFamilyDad
Thanks, merry Christmas!
Fish should be based on water volume and fish types! But most of the time one fish per 5 gallons if a bass or similar type of fish. They're pooping machines you don't need many........you ever thought about using a protein skimmer! Should work great 👍🏻
Now that this system has been going a couple years nearly, how effective do you think the swirl filter is in respect of preventing that build up in the grow beds?
Ted Soloman I have not done a full cleanout on the grow beds since I put in the swirl filter a year ago. I have not dug through the beds yet so I can't say how muddy they have become but I can say that I empty out a lot of solids each week that would be ending up on the beds so I know it is making a HUGE difference. And it provides the absolute best fertilizer for my garden.
Have you in your journey found the initial start up cost as well as the maintenance costs to be easily outweighed by your yields? Meaning ha it proven to be not only cost effective but profitable in savings at the grocery store?
Ted Soloman it is hard to say if we reap enough vegetables out of the system to offset the cost of running the lights and pump (about $35 per month). I have done a lot of experimenting though and am not producing fish at the moment which would make the difference. The benefits of learning how to do this and also being able to get fresh produce right in my basement year round is priceless (well maybe not priceless but worth the $35!). If you did this in a greenhouse it would be easy to recoup your money.
That's great! Thank you for taking the time to reply. My assumptions were similar. In no way am I discounting the value of the knowledge but I tend to look at all aspects of any project. In no way is a negative aspect a reason to scrap the idea, more a reason to seek the key variable making it cost less money than going to a grocery store. Profitable in the sense that at the very least, the $420 a year is recovered by harvesting non gmo, clean food. However, observing all aspects also helps inspire innovations in making it surpass that very minimum expectation. Which I think will be important to popularizing this system. Because at the very least, supplementing ourselves and decreasing the overall demands of grocery stores allows us as people to vote with our dollars, force prices down, and see more non gmo products on the shelves. Which benefits everyone. All the best to you and yours, many thanks for sharing these educational videos.
Many thanks,
Ted
Id also be interested to see if ever the expansion of your grow beds demand the need of a breather tube on the bell siphons. Time will tell I expect. Keep trail blazing.
I have problem is the water from fish tank to swirl filter is slower than water from pump to fish tank. That made my fish tank overflow. :(
lower the output pipe from the swirl filter so it has a lower level than the fish tank
yeah, that's why. I put a same level out put from fish tank and swirl filter. :) thank bro
what size river rock you use ?
David Zick I have replaced all of my river rock with something called beechwood pebbles. The river rock was holding my pH too high
where do you get that beechwood pebbles?
David Zick Local landscape supply place had it for $90 per year. It took less than one yard to fill the four barrels.
Why don't you want solid waste getting into the grow-beds? I understand how solid waste gunking up your pipes is bad, but does it negatively affect the plants?
Ruairidh Macleod It does not negatively effect the plants but too much solid waste getting into the grow beds starts to build up on the bottom and then can cause several negative effects. The solid build up will start to get anaerobic and smell, cause pH issues, and other issues. Over time it will gum up the flow of water through the grow media and then you have to clean it all out. The swirl filter does not catch it all, but limits the amount to make it more manageable for the worms in the grow beds to handle and break down plus it gives me some fish waste to siphon off and give to my gardens:)
shia labeouf doing aquaponic for next movie..
not quite sure how to email you. please contact me SSLFamilyDad. could really use your help.
thanks.
Ugh. NOW I have to pee. You don't suppose you could extend your overflow pipe to below the surface of your sump's lower level, do you? Nice filter system though.
You need a better organization scheme for that system it looks untidy and like an eyesore.
Dude if you are in the northern hemisphere your swirl filter is running back to front.
Have you thought about using worms
Absolutely, worms will be added once I get the rest of my grow media switched over to my new solution. Then I will add some worms to help with cleanup in the grow beds. Worms are not a replacement for the swirl filter though in my opinion, but both together work great! Thanks for watching!!
Mostly good job but you're killing me with that crooked run...measure twice CUT ONCE!
lol, yeah I get it. the swirl filter was an afterthought and I had to use the existing bulkhead adapter hole in the fish tank so it is what it is. It wasn't a bad cut though, it was intentionally crappy:)
Take our company name off your title listing; it's illegal. You are not Friendly Aquaponics. My wife Susanne and I own Friendly Aquaponics and have not authorized you to use our name for this purpose.
+Tim Mann I saw your email as well, where did I use friendly aquaponics anywhere? Never heard of it and never used those words anywhere that I know of. Happy to change anything if I did though
Tim Mann Are you mad because of this because he uses Friendly Aquaponic as a name in the title 😂 . WOW , do you know what friendly means ?