Radial Flow Settler for Aquaponics Systems | How RFS work - How to Size Your RFS
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- Опубликовано: 2 окт 2024
- G'Day Folks. This clip explains how a Radial Flow Settlers work, where to place one in your aquaponics system & how to size the vessel for your needs.
Radial Flow Settlers are a fantastic way to remove solids from your aquaponics system so they can be processed the reused in your system or on your soil veggie & fruit beds.
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as to your flat bottom barrel, try this, using a barrel that is shot in the side for practice, set the flat on some blocks about 3 ft high, place a 5 gal bucket of sand in the barrel, then from the underside, use a heat gun or some other heat source to make the plastic pliable, the weighted bucket will apply an even pressure and should help the bottom to sag forming a more conical bottom.
Anyone else (us yanks) started using the noun "jobby" to describe things after watching this guy, My new favorite word lol
🤣 In some places in the UK, Scotland in particular, it also means 💩. Just thought I should let you know. 😉
Cheers Brad & have a top one mate.
every time rob says "job-e", take a drink. you wont grow any plants but you will have fun anyway.
In Scotland, Jobby means poo... I'm not sure if it means the same in Australia...
@@NotoriousPyro Same here, which is why I found it funny when he said it straight after showing footage of a sewer treatment plant.
I'm up for that game. 👍👍🥃
@@NotoriousPyro 🤣 I actually got it from reading Wee Free Men by Pratchett & yes, you're spot on. 🤣🤣😁
@@vk4vsp That wasn't intended to tell you the truth Steve. 🤣😁
Rob, instead of one large drum for the solid filter, would it be possible to chain several radio flow systems consecutively with the cheaper buckets 200 L buckets? That way you increase the overall retention time while keeping costs down? Of course this would still require more space though.
K JC my thought too but parallel to slow the water even more.
That's essentially what I'm doing. I've got 2 x 200L tanks in series; effectively that gives me about a 10 min time for water to move from the fish tank before it hits my MBBR. You'll notice a significant difference in the deposition load between the two tanks. About 7/10 of the material is in the first tank, and the remainder is in the second tank. I've got a set of filter brushes in the second tank for mechanical filtration of the micro-fines before they get into the MBBR.
will have to be in parallel not in series or you could use another IBC
I think it would be better to run them in parallel than series K JC.
That way you're dropping the flow rate into both settlers which would be doubling your retention time.👍
Cheers.
I'm learning about this subject, thank you for sharing your knowledge. These containers seem analogous to a capacitor in a circuit, if you put them in parallel it may be a cost-effective way to cycle out more solids with several smaller containers instead of a large one.
Adding another would definitely help to lengthen the retention time & collect more solids.
Cheers Aaron & have a top one mate.
I have a silly question, but how does the water flow from the fish tank to the radial flow settler? I don't see a pump or anything and it doesn't seem like gravity could go from the bottom of the fish tank up and then again from the middle of the radial flow filter to the top. Thank you for all your cool videos!
Hey Lemon Song.
The water coming into the fish tank causes water & solids at the base of the tank up the Solids Lifting Outlet (SLO) pipe & out the side wall of the tank. 👍
This link will take you straight to a section in another video that will give you a visual explanation.
ruclips.net/video/0QQA5BpWKec/видео.html
Hope that helps some.
Parabéns amigo muito bom seu sistema.... escrevi no seu canal.....se escreva no meu também....... Leandro Moletta...
Obrigado. I will look a bit later if I get the time.
Cheers.
Does the solids lifting outlet have to be at the waterline like you have in the video or could you have it below the waterline? I feel like you would have better flow if the pipe was underwater and your siphon prevention pipe was still out of the water
There is generally no issues with flow rate as long as you have the pipe sized correctly for the flow rate.
If the outlet was lower the water would naturally drain to that level 👍
hola quisiera que hagas un agregado que le hice yo a mi filtro hidrociclon, pero que lo apliques en tus videos que son tan buenos, tengo varias fotos para que lo hagas facil! si quieres mandarme un correo te mando mis fotos y evaluas si es aplicable. acuaponiaaguavida@gmail.com saludos!!!
Hola y gracias por la oferta. 😁👍Estoy un poco corto de tiempo en este momento lo siento. Siéntase libre de publicarlos en el muro de mi página de Facebook y los miraré cuando me ponga al día con algún trabajo.
Saludos y tener uno de los mejores.
(Google Translate)
Hi & thanks for the offer. I'm a bit short on time at the moment sorry. Feel free to post them to my Facebook page wall ^& will look at them when I catch up on some work.
Cheers & have a top one.
I get those 200lt drums free. Could I put 2 radial flow filters in line to achieve a greater retention time?
My guess is that you would see more benefit from putting the filters in parallel. Retention time is basically a measure of upwelling speed, which you want as slow as possible in order to allow the finer particles, which have lower settling velocity, time to fall out.
Splitting the flow to reduce the velocity as TG mentioned above would be the way to go I think mate. 👍
Cheers.
Great video, as always Rob!
Have you thought about putting in a bio filter after your RFS?
I use a 200l RFS into a 200l bio filter before going into my media bed
There is one of sorts in the sump that's filled with shade cloth but nothing like the old setup I had.
I'm going to remove it though & turn it into a static pack trickle bio/solids filter though as the shade cloth is a real pain in the rear to clean.
Cheers Indica Dogo & have a top one.
Hi Rob
I'm just in the process of building a radial flow settler. I have a piece of 150mm pipe like you used, or I have z piece of 200mm pipe. Would the larger diameter pipe increase or decrease retention time.
Thanks in advance.
Hi MFL.
The total volume of the drum will dictate the overall retention time. 👍 I do think that the 200mm pipe would allow the water to slow down a bit more before entering into the main chamber though which could help some.
Hope the build is coming along well.
Where are you? ì look for someone do aquaponic for my house. I have green house already.
I live in Queensland Australia. 👍
Cheers.
Got my IBC chop and flip aquaponics based on your instructions and supplies from www.aquagardening.com.au . Easier than thought. Many thanks mate, you are amazing.
Nice one mate. Hope the system is doing well. 👍
Hi Rob, with my fish pond i used to put cone at bottom of drum with circular pipe laying at edges connected to outlet valve. It created sucking at outer were waste collected. Basie
I have a similar arrangement in my parents system if I understand what you saying. 👍
Cheers & have a top one Basie.
Great stuff as always Rob! One idea, could you not do a T-split from the SLO and into 2 X 200L settlers for a cheap 12min retention time? :) (as an alternative to a really expensive 500L version). Also love the idea of the “fork” water outtake for the settler to slow it down. Might need to play around with that idea myself :D
A few folks have suggested that & it would increase the RT dramatically.👍 Helps if you have the space to be able to set it up & would work out a lot cheaper than a larger single tank.
Hope the build goes well. 👍
Rob Bob's Aquaponics & Backyard Farm also worth keeping in mind that if your plants are already happy, maybe the double maintenance and space is not worth it, even if it is a cheap solution :)
so i'm making a 10 gallon Aquaponics system and am confused because I've never done this before and am confused on the basics and don't fully understand the steps to making a system got any advice on how to get the bacteria in the system and how big a pump ill need for the grow bed circulation if i were to put the bed over top the tank
This playlist has some clips that will help you out Allen.
ruclips.net/p/PLBcWprMIwYYj8zCdbSzPJOR3HRXpxuBwf
What do you think of building an aquaponics system in a closed in carport that is connected to your house
I'm building an earthbag building to put my system in. I'd say go for it!
Would be a great idea as long as the plants got enough sun. 👍
Will be building a structure in the backyard for the larger system I'm looking at setting up.
Cheers.
Can biological filtration be added directly into this system?
IE. bio-beads?
Or do you put a separate bio bead filter after the mechanical filtration?
I prefer to have the biofilter separate to the solids filter. Makes life a lot easier when it comes to cleaning out the solids.
great article in the links below, thank you, by the way to make a conical bottom on a blue bin like that, try using any round weight, with a few bricks on it, in center of bin , with bin off the ground and only supported at edges, then simply heat using a heat gun (in an area with plenty of ventilation) soften it up and it slowly stretches out, do not do it too much or the base will get too thin , heat evenly and take your time is the key here, few goes and you get it pretty good each time, will not be a $500 tank but enough to get solids to settle closer to outflow to have most sucked up each time
Have sen folks dish out the base In the smaller drums but never thought about having a crack at a larger 55gal jobbie. Have you got one set up on your system Jennifer?
Cheers.
Thanks for sharing. New to your channel I’m going to convert my in ground pool to this system . Watching and learning. I want to use CatFish in my pool it’s 20’x30 feet 8 feet deep. I’m in Louisiana USA
Sounds like quite a system. 👍 Just remember that you need a large enough bio filtration system to convert the ammonia that the fish produce.
I've seen folks add a load of fish in pools & they end up dying as they produce far too much ammonia for a small amount of grow beds to handle.
The other issue can be that adding too few fish means the ammonia is very dilute & the plants don't grow very well. Not a real issue if you're in it just for the fish.
Hope that helps some mate.
What a awesome build! Love your videos! I'll have to upload my build based off all that I've learned from you! I still have a lot to build but I wanna say thank you for all your knowledge! Your rock rob!! Happy gardening from New Mexico!
Am glad the clips have helped you out with a few ideas Michael. 👍👍
Cheers mate & all the best.
Shouldn't this be called an axial flow separator? And the other a radial flow separator?
I'm just using the commonly accepted terms as that's what folks use in groups & forums. 👍
@@capturedflame Sorry but all of his animations and description are showing axial flow not radial (swirl or vortex) flow. I like that this is explained in such detail i'm just trying to accurately identify it. Radial doesn't describe what is going on in Rob's filter.....
1:52 what is the reason of using 2pcs of 45 degree elbow instead of 1 90 degree elbow????
Slower turn to obstruct the water flow less.
As Daniel said above, to create a softer curve so the water doesn't slow down as much.
Cheers Hendi.
Great job, well directed, acted and produced film. And as always the info was thorough and super useful by yours truly. Glad to see the system is doing well and humming along.
Thanks mate & glad you enjoyed it.
Cheers & all the best twafoster. 👍
Watching through this video I had a thought, maybe a elbow up on the drain side would increase the waste captured?
Some folks have something similar on theirs Michael. I just haven't found the need myself in these smaller systems.
Thanks for jumping onboard the members page as well mate. 👍
Cheers & happy growing 🌱🐟
hi. just a question. can i put in fishnets or shade cloths inside the filter to further help in filtering the water going out? or is it not necessary?
I have seen folks do that & it works well. Can be a bit messy to clean & you'll probably need to dump most of the water come cleaning time. Might have a few issues if you don't clean the netting out frequently.
Cheers Ivan.
Have you looked into using a Ram Pump to circulate the water ?
It wouldn't create enough flow for the amount of water exchange I like in my fish tank.
Land to House has a great explanation if it helps any.
ruclips.net/video/T2idony585A/видео.html
Hope that helps.
@Bob i have build a radial.flow filter for my RAS System.. what i am facing is.. even though i have cleaned the filter in 3 days there the waste of fish poops will pop up as a flock typical large in size of 5 cm to 10 cm dia.. why its happening my system.
Hi Mate. This is a copy of what I posted on the other clip as a response for you.
The reason most fish waste will start to float is due to the gases forming as it decomposes on the base of the settler. Some fish also have buoyant waste which can cause issues but that may not be the case if it's settling out for you to begin with.
I'd suggest that you need to clean the solids out more regularly to catch them before they start to produce gas & start to float.
I now some folks with a large number of fish in their systems that will draw off waste from the base of their drums daily to prevent the solids from floating up & moving on to different parts of the system.
Hope that helps some Sarath.
@@RobsAquaponics thank you very much for your kind suggestions dear.
I regularly clean the floating wast when ever its getting on top of the settler. As you have suggested for cleaning the settler i was using the botom valve that point to the botom of the drum. Unfortunately my design doesn't collect all of the solids from the bottom and it leads the solids to float.
For your information about my system i have a square tank that holds around 2000 litters of water and carries a 50 number of thilapia with an average weight of 150 grams.
Feeding them 3 times around 150 grams a day.
Using 2kg of K5 media and 1 squre feet bio-sponge for bacteria to colonise
Providing an air supply of 18 litter per min
The circulating pump recycle around 300 litters of water in an hour.
As you suggested i am going to update my drums bottom with some mechanisms that collects most of the settled wast out via the Drying valve.
If you need i can provide more information about my system. Interacting with a mate like you, considering it as an achievement.
is it possible to have multiple retentions? does that work out at all is it just a matter of having "too much" flow?
i agree being space limited is a huge problem, i just got a 110gallon stock tank, i'm sure a 5 gallon bucket would be fine, it's going to be home to a whopping 4 goldfish.
but I'm trying to figure out the best way to recreate a "natural" environment, this reminds me of a bog, where you have pools of water that just slowly drain into the next pool.
and i just like using 5 gallon buckets for everything dangit
Hi. Can you tell me where to find one of those metal stands that you are using for your grow bed in this video? Thanks!
This stand was custom build for the bed by the chap I bought it from SC. I'm yet to find a place that sells the troughs with a suitably high stand.
Cheers.
I'm still trying to figure out how that L -shaped pipe in the fish tank picks up the solid from the bottom center of the tank that then flows to the separator. Does the water flow in to the top of the pipe and then pull water/solids up the center pipe with it?
Not quite Jeffrey.
The water enters at the base & the flow is fast enough through the pipe that it picks up the light solids & takes them out to the settler.The hole in the top of the Solids lifting pipe is to prevent a siphon occurring & draining the tank.
Hope that helps mate.
If you need more Retention time use a IBC as your radial flow filter...
That's helpful if you have the space. 👍
Another option is to run due drains. 😉
Cheers.
I don't understand how the water gets pulled from the fish tank
Hi David. This section of the "9 Essential components" video explains how the water moves into the tank & taken out via the SLO to the settler.
ruclips.net/video/2FTlha0c2aA/видео.html
It's a part of this beginners playlist if that helps. 👍
ruclips.net/p/PLBcWprMIwYYj8zCdbSzPJOR3HRXpxuBwf
Cheers mate.
If you add red worms to your beds do you still need to add this filter to the system??
You still need a solids filter I think. 👍
ruclips.net/video/kADgNTtZIqo/видео.html
Don't forget to click the subscribe button if you found the video helpful, bit.ly/Subscribe2Rob
and share the clip around with family & friends if you think it will help them too. 🐟 🌱🍅
Cheers all & have a top one. 😊
Rob
8:17 RAT?!?! :O
@@timleeder3929 looks to be a grey house mouse. We get a few in our yard cause our neighbors have chickens.
@@timleeder3929 Was a mouse & have a pic of what happened to it late that night as well. Not sure if I should post the pic to the community wall though.
@@soarer282 It "was" a mouse AS. 😉
Reading the paper and comparing results of Swirl and Radial Flow, cannot see a statistical difference. If there is then it's so small that cannot believe all the extra cost of Rapid Flow design (they used the very best -- not typical DIYer unit) is worth the cost/extra effort. Thanks for including the paper and I'm glad you trying new stuff!
Can it possibly be?! The fabled radial flow settler video so long promised! Awesome as always buddy 👍
🤣 Feel free to come & answer some emails & I'll get then next one out even sooner mate. 😉😁
Cheers Sumpop & have a top one mate. 👍
@@RobsAquaponics Ah man if there wasnt 4300 miles between Oxford and N.Ipswich I'd be there! Sadly, as much as I like you Rob, I love my garden here more - esp with all the you inspired improvements I have made 😀👍
Thanks Rob for all your information I live in Mackay and wanted to visit you sometime.
Hey Rob, have you tried having 2 radial flow filters connected parallel to each other?
This way you can double the volume and retention time and still use the cheap components.
Also I had another though.
Do you need that much water flow through your fish tank?
You mentioned many times that you need to pump the entire volume of the growbed twice an hour for the bacteria to work. But that has to go through the growbed, not through the fishtank, right?
So if you have a split system you could slightly close the valve on fish tank side and reduce flow through the fish tank by half.
In theory that would double the percentage of ammonia in the fishtank water but since we are removing half, it would equalize and the same amount of ammonia will escape the tank.
The only question is if doubling ammonia concentration in the fishtank water wont kill the fish.
I run 2 radial flow filters (55g drums) in parallel. Works great.
I haven't due to space issues but think it could be done mate & the decrease in flow would help to a point. 👍 I'm not sure it would really be worth it in a small system like this current one I have on the go.
Cheers mate.
@@underdog5004 Cheers mate. 👍👍
@@hubertnnn The fish tank water needs to go through the beds twice an hour as that's where the ammonia is coming from & we want it processed ASAP so as to not build up & harm the fish. 👍
Hope that helps.
hi do u really need a pump to remove the solits or can u just use gravity?
You can just use gravity. I like to use a small pump as it creates a greater drag on the solids + I'm also now pumping the solids up into a tall mineraliser drum at the moment.
Could you use a gravel cleaning type tube to suck all the crud out as well?
I have seen folks use those to clean out the base. 👍 I was using a jiggle siphon to start out with. but found using the waste valve a lot faster.
Cheers & have a great one.
Hi Rob, I have a bit of a dumb question, but I can't wrap my brain around how the water in the flow settler is lower than the water in your main tank. I love your diagrams and I see it working in the video, but can't understand why the pressure isn't making a small geyser instead of the gental flow we see. This is coming from someone who has not yet started a project yet btw. I want to make a chop flip blue barrel with some decorative fish for my backyard and would like to include a small flow settler to it to help keep the tank clean and from gumming up the pump, but am having a hard time designing it while being radial flow illiterate. Long time follower, love your videos, I hit subscribe the first time I watched the IBC chop and flip, and will definitely buy your book before starting my project. Also, your the first person I've ever heard say the phrase "now your laughin" and I love it.
Thanks from MS, USA.
Hey Emry. It all has to do with the solids lifting outlet in the fish tank. It is only overflowing at the same rate as water is entering the fish tank if that makes sense. As the drain pipe is much larger then the inlet, the water velocity is not as fast. I hope that helps some.
Also, remember you can ask me questions through the guide as well and get to them a lot faster than I do here on YT. You're just lucky I was paying a bill & saw the notification email pop. 😉
Cheers mate & have fun with the build.
@@RobsAquaponics Ah! Yes, that makes things soooo much clearer, many thanks. I'm sure I will have fun with the build and you have fun with those bills. 😆
@@emrybennett8809 😅😅👍👍
Dumb question? I have watched so many of your videos (they're great! Thanks so much!) , but I can't figure out the start point - HOW are the waste solids and water being pulled up that pipe (solids lifting outlet)?
1:30
Hi mate. Just wanted to let you know I answered your question in this weeks video. 👍
ruclips.net/video/CyqHJDBrbLY/видео.html
Hope it helps some & have a top one.
@@RobsAquaponics thanks so much, Rob!! That was a good explanation for me! (A little embarrassed about not just "getting it", lol! I was going to find and delete my question and then it features in your next video!! 😂)
@@infiniLor Don't be at all mate. Took me a while to get my head around it when I first started. 👍
I was told by a few folks that I was better off running the system with 2 pumps, one in with the fish & one in the sump. I'm glad I never listened😉👍
@@RobsAquaponics thanks!! There certainly a lot of moving parts to these systems, but your collection of videos are incredibly helpful - really feel like I'm getting more and more of it all.
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK
@@infiniLor No problem 👍
Enjoyed the video trying to learn how to do aquaponics. Way before I start actually doing it 😂 very interested in doing it though. Thanks for information about it. I'll keep on watching. Have a great day
Hope the clips continue to give you some useful ideas OWG. 👍
Cheers.
Thanks for your excellent videos. What is the problem with just depositing the fish waste directly into your grow beds? I assume they'll end up fouling your system. I am certain the plants would like the fish poop. Thanks for any answer.
one doubt sir how does we can know our flow rate going out of fish tank is , like how u calculated ur flow rate is 2ooo plz reply under comment
Al you need to do is fill a bucket that you know the volume of with water coming out of the fish tank.
For example, if it takes 25 seconds to fill a 10L bucket.
Divide 60 seconds with 25 & you get 2.4 (the number of buckets that you can fill in a minute).
Then multiply the 2.4 with the bucket size, 10 & you get 24L in one minute.
You then multiply that by 60 to see how many litres in an hour, 24 x 60 = 1440 litres per hour.
Hope that helps. 👍
@@RobsAquaponics thank you so much for the details @making the fundamental calculation easier , you do remarkable work sir and i'm honored to get solution from you :)
My gosh where did you get those drums for only $15 Mr Rob?
I was looking to build a gravity fed swirl filter for a 300 gallon stock tank duck pond. I'm now thinking that one of these would be better at keeping the "solids" solid, vs emulsified at faster swirl/vortex speeds? That's the theory at least.
Would like to know how you get on if you give it a crack N4G. 👍
Brother I cannot thank you for all that you do to guide us! You’re a wonderful human! Could you give me any pointers on a system where a fish tank (100 gallon) would be located in my home but the rest of my system about 40 feet away? Thanks!
Hi SelfBuilt & sorry for taking a while to get back to you. Sounds like you would need some decent plumbing underground to achieve this. if the grow beds were out in the yard. Would work better if the beds were located next to the house so you could run the overflow from the FT directly into the beds at level, say if the beds were along the wall of the house. Once you send pipe underground you will have solids build up in there that will need cleaning from time to time.
Mr. Bob,
I'm designing and setting up a new system from an IBC chop and flip with two 55 gal barrels. I am planning on using one a a radial flow settler and the second as a bioreactor. I don't plan on starting with a separate sump, but want to use the bioreactor as the location for the water pump, just prior to the pant media bed. Is this something that is frowned upon in your opinion?
It can be done. Just need to make sure that the media is well screened & kept away from the pump inlet.
Good job sir. Iam arif. I also using RAS system for my tilapia farm.
I am new to this and mostly helping a neighbor setup his. You mentioned the settler tank should be bigger. My question is if I'm using ibc containers can I use a second for my settler tank? Would that give me the 15 minutes needed?
You can if you have the room Michael. Might be a bit tricky trying to collect the solids from the base regularly though.
Have fun with the build mate.
If you needed more settling time could one just add more 200L settling tanks? With sufficient drop have them ganged in series.
They would work better running side by side/in parallel as the flow into each would be decreased which in turn would be increasing the overall retention time.
Cheers John & have a top one.
Your explanations are very clear.Thanks for posting.We plan to use swirl filter in our unit.
Could you share mineralization and oxygenation of fish waste?
Would that make it easier on maintenence should the above step is used?
Happy aquaponics
Hi Neeta. Will be posting a clip ion the solids mineralisation system once I have one up & running. 👍
Hope your system is running well.
Hi Rob, I have just discovered you and I am thoroughly enjoying your content. A complete novice question here. Would it be possible to have 2 x radial flow settlers set up one after the other to maximise solid waste separation? Or is my thinking redundant as the amount of waste settling in the 2nd drum would be minimal? I have a 3D printer, so instead of a second settling tank, would creating a weir that you mention earlier in your video be a much better alternative? TIA. I am hoping to convert to an off the grid lifestyle in the near future as my life circumstances are changing.
Hi mate. It's best if the setters are set up parallel & not in series. This video might help explain why,
ruclips.net/video/VgBuUFx_xOE/видео.html
That link will take you right to the spot you need.
Hope that helps.
I do not understand how the settlement chamber does not overflow. The top is quite a distance under the water level of the fish tank it seems. Why stops it from overflowing?
The flow out is the same as the flow in so it will never overflow. 👍
Cheers.
Hi Bob, I'm Roberto from Brazil and I 've planing to create fish as well. Thanks very much for your program. It's will help so much. God bless you. Bye.
Thanks Paulo. I hope your build goes smoothly mate. 😁👍
I just shared your video to my FB group. I hope that will increase your exposure, Mate, from a different place. :D
Thank you very much mate. 😁 Hope they get the idea.
Cheers & all the best.
Rob which cut off or ball valves have you found the best ( easiest ) to open and close. I keep tropical fish as well and use vast amounts of valves in the fish room, some require Popeyes arm and cans of spinach to open. Thanks Ps I live in southern Ga in the states
I like the Sanking 3002 - Series Ball Valve & think that they're available in the US. Have found them fairly easy to operate when compared to others I've tried. I was drawn to them mainly as the handles are removable. I switched to them after we had visitors kids turn a few valves on & off while I was chatting aquaponics with their parents. 😉
Sorry I'm not much help there mate.
hallo do you perhaps have schematic diagrams of your setup? great video
nwbhout@gmail.com
I don't sorry as my build has been pieced together from second hand & recycled tanks.
Are you jsut starting out?
Maybe you can cut a piece of plastic to fit in like a cone at the bottom of the tank. With the discharge Port the middle of the bottom of the cone. If you want 45° sides, then multiply the radius of your tank by 1.414 . cut a circle of flexible plastic with Vishnu radius, then cut a pie slice out of it and a small circle in the middle where your outflow will fit. Then you can notch the edges where the pie slice came out and the outflow pipe goes through. If you want it to clean automatically, then put the pump on a timer and make a loop to above the height of the radial flow filter and install an air gap. This way the pump does not have to seal and you can put it on one of those timers that you plug into the well. Yes they had a bit of complexity, but you wouldn't have to manually flush your filter and your water quality would be more consistent. Keep up the good work Rob Bob. I truly value people like you who share their skills and try to encourage others to be involved in worthwhile hobbies
I like the idea of having the pump on a timer Glen.👍👍
Have seen folks add a cone into the base of their 55gal drums & they do work. Would have a propper crack if I had a plastic welder.
Many will also pack the internal walls of the filter with cement to form a cone then seal it with a food-safe sealant. They can then plumb the outlet into the centre of the flat base of the drum which makes life easier.
I'm fairly happy with the set up as it stands but would like to get propper cone base tanks for the settler & bio in the next large system we'll be setting up here.
Cheers mate & have a top one.
Rob why not pump to your radial settler and that way you can set your detention time for whatever you want and you don’t have to worry about the height of the radio flow filter?
Hey Aaron. I prefer to keep the pump out of the fish tank & in a separate sump in my builds. Have seen systems where a pipe comes lose & all the water is pumped from the tank leaving some very dead fish.
Cheers mate.
@@RobsAquaponics Thanks rob for your response. I am thinking about putting a sump between the fish tank and the radial filter thus avoiding the failure mode you described. I was just curious if the radial filter becomes less efficient because all the solids are going through the pump and becoming finer? I suppose I could adjust the detention time given I would now be pumping to the radial filter... It's probably tough to measure, but your opinion is valuable. Anyway, thanks for your work. You've inspired our family to aquaponics... Greenhouse coming soon! Take care.
@@MrAaronCard Thew pump will smash the solids into finer particles so would need a longer retention time to fall out of suspension.
The settler will do a better job before the sump but the fish will be safe in either position as long as the water leaves the FT via a solids lifting overflow/outlet.
Hey Rob thanks for a great video! In your opinion what will be the most low maintenance filter or settler for IBC tote fish tank and grow media systems?
Thanks & sorry it took a while to get back to you Cosirius.
I would think that the radial flow settlers would have to be the best DIY solids solution.
For a commercial unit (hobby or commercial system size) , I like the AST bead filters.
astfilters.com/aquatic-systems/project/bubble-bead-filter-for-aquaponics/
They also add extra biological filtration so would be a great addition (if you have the coin) to a NFT or DWC based grow system I think.
Hope that helps some.
Thanks for your video. If I wanted to have a longer retention time and can't find a larger tank, can I achieve the same results (increase RT) by putting 2 tanks in series?
Parallel would be better Amanda as you would be splitting the flow rate into 2, effectively halving it. That should double your overall retention time.
If they were in series the water would still be flowing at the same rate but I dare say some extra would be collected in the second filter, not as much as if the filers were in parallel though.
Hope that helps some.
Thanks Rob, great video, always so helpfull!
a suggestion for the outlet of the pipe that comes close to a professional RadialFlowSettler: you could cut the slit on the outlet pipes, which you make double (in a fork shape), zig zag instead of one elongated slit on each side.
water is wetting. when water runs over a horizontal barrier, it usually creates a wider jet of water in the middle, rather than a flat jet of water that spreads across the entire width of the barrier. I would therefore zigzag the slit so that the overflowing water splits into many small jets of water. That might slow down the water flow a bit more.
Thanks for that Paul. I have contemplated that but never got around to installing the extra pipes. It was putting too much weight on the drain pipe leaving the filter. Might have another crack at it though as the exit drain arrangement has changed now the biofilter has been installed.
Cheers.
Is it possible to set up simple/reliable hydro/aqua system that will hum along without daily intervention when I take off and hit the road for a few months of vacation travel?
Quite possible but plant selection would be key. A lot of leafy greens are fast growers so may be finished before you get back. You'd also need to automate the nutrient dosing & water control as well.
why not have the direction change happen below the water surface
It doesn't matter if it happens above or below from what I've seen with our systems. 👍
Cheers.
Rob Bob's Aquaponics & Backyard Farm thanks Rob I wouldn’t have guess. Setting up my first system as we speak.
Would you slow down the water flow if you added bristles that hang into the water? An old broom head glued to the lid for example.
That would work + it would help to collect some of the fine solids as well. Might add that to the "to try" list.
Thanks Hannes. 👍
Whenever you are pumping out the solids, from where you taking the make up water? Can it be taken from the taps directly?
I have the water in a storage drum to let the chlorine off gas. You can see it in one of my more recent clips. ruclips.net/video/H-jfWMpZXHI/видео.html
If you have rain water tanks you can add water directly from them if you think they're not contaminated in any way.
Hope that helps.
Great video Rob, i like the up grade you are going to do to the discharge from the settler. I really like the way Bigalow farms did the over the top to a flat plate into the stalling chamber from the fish tank, what are your thoughts on it?Thanks again Rob. Cheers Mike.
Hey Mike. I like Rob's idea & will be playing around wit that design in the future as it requires less pipe & holes that need to be drilled. 😉👍
Cheers mate & have a top one.
Great vid as always, I’m learning a lot. Think I’ll go with simple Dutch bucket hydroponic system this year and maybe upgrade to aquaponic system next year.
Nice one Michael.
Cheers & have fun with the build.
Or you can sell your fish manure. Just strain it, dry it, bag it and trade it for gold because these dirt farmers love it.
I'm greedy & prefer to keep it for myself. 😉😁
Cheers Cliff.
Have you considered putting sump tank underground for temperture control? This way u dont have to lift growbed up and they can stay safe and steady on the ground
Unfortunately that's a but hard in this location due to the sewer drain pipes under ground here.
I did have the last sump partially buried but not too deep due to some very large tree roots from out mango tree.
Definitely worth doing if you can though. I'd still keep the beds up this high though for ease of use. Would help to have some lower beds for tall growing veg like tomatoes though.
Cheers Yan He. 👍
Hey Rob it is possible to have the cone inside the settler too you may loose a little volume inside but it is possible to have 4 smaller pieces of plastic that would be angled in a fashion that will force the solids to congregate at a single point..
There's no reason you can't Lincoln. Have seen many settlers with cone bases.
Only reason I use the flat based drums is due to price & that the drain system I sues cleans them out just as well.
Cheers.
It's useful..... Thanks
Glad I could help in some way.
Cheers & happy growing.
@@RobsAquaponics thanks Bob
Where do you get your 200l drums?
Gumtree & the local produce/farm supply stores are the best places I've found r stacey. 👍
me gusta su video el cual lo pondre en marcha para mi estanque de ferrocemento, le mandare un video una vez construido, muchas gracias
Me alegro de que el video te haya ayudado.
Espero que tu construcción salga bien.👍
(google translate)
Question 2: botton drain is hard to service in case of a clog, what about using an airlift pump to remove solids that you could easily take out and clean periodically
With a Martinez design airlift you could raise water several feet to add head
The solids in the system aren't large enough or tough enough to clog a 1"/25mm pipe. I have had bits of plant debris clog the intake on the sludge pump.
Hi Rob, I'm yet too setup a small aquaponics system here and confused by to many reference. Should the water pass through biofilter bed (grow bed) and then to the deep water culture or can i bypass the grow bed and flow water to DWC?
You can bypass the grow bed if you think you have adequate solids filtration Mandan. It's best to remove as much solids as you can before adding the water to the DWC.
@@RobsAquaponics thanks Rob, that pretty much clears my doubt.
What if you added a second radial settler, so that the flow goes from the first settler to the second settler, would that allow you to increase the retention time? Asking because I have access to those blue 55 gallon drums but nothing larger.
You would still have the same velocity of flow so not much would settle out in the second settler NotACat.
You would be better off splitting the flow into two then running that through the two settlers which would double the retention time. You could then run the outlets to separate components or join them back up, depending on how you'd like to plumb up your system.
Hope that helps some.
Great video again, Rob. It is just great to see The Robs networking ;)
I was very grateful he agreed to share some footage Eco Geek. 👍 Rob is one top bloke & folks could learn a few things from sussing out his work I think.
Cheers mate & have a top one.
@@RobsAquaponics Yep he is another one who knows a thing or two.
Just fond your channel, got to say its awesome, got some really interesting stuff going on
Welcome aboard & thanks Dan.👍
Cheers & happy growing.
Hello sir. May I know what software you are using for your animation? Thank you!
The art wok is done in pain.net & I animate it in Blackmagic's DaVinci Resolve. 👍
Cheers.
@@RobsAquaponics Thank you!
What u have done for bio filter
The grow beds are the main biofiltration in this system.
I also have this smaller Bio I added as well just after the radial flow settlers,
ruclips.net/video/U_ulT72bYKk/видео.html
Hope that helps some Deepak.
Dude you've got more views than CNN ! 👍 LOVE YA BROTHER ! 👍
🤣 Cheers FLM.
Hey. My 55 gallon drums form heavy sulfides. I have 14,000 L pools. I dont want to pull too much so i have a smaller settler. Im a shrimp farmer in the states and use biofloc from ammonia management.
Love your set up. I cant make em work without sulfides.
If you could address that issue id be very grateful.
Hi Glen. I'm sorry to say that's out of my league mate. I prefer to post on topics I have direct knowledge on through experience.
Have you tried looking up a few of the university sites? I've found the The Southern Regional Aquaculture Center (SRAC) very helpful & may have some info to help you out. srac.msstate.edu/
Cheers.
@@RobsAquaponics its all good. I figure your solids are drastically lower than mine.
Btw, im a big lurker fan. Lol
Question 3: has anyone you know tried a centrifugal separator like the Lakos filter type to remove solids?
Not that I've seen. Many backyarders would se it as a bit of over kill. These DIY setters do a great job at removing the bulk of the solids if they're sized correctly.
Thanks for share the links! It's a great information
My pleasure & have a top one. 👍
Question 1: instead of searching for a cone botton drum it seems that one could fill the botton of the drum with concrete, foam or some other kind of filler to make a sloped bottom to better collect the waste, any reason this is not done?
It has been done but it also reduces over all volume which in turn reduces retention time. 👍
it looks like a baffle/ weir like you see in a passive septic system, but then i see an additional weir can be added for increased efficiency. thank you for explaining. your animations are succinct for my learning style. "now back to the fish muck"
Thanks for the vids as always, do you have a vid to explain how the poop gets in the swirl? Ta
The solids lifting outlet (SLO) in the fish tank looks after the solids removal David. 👍
This is an older clip on the SLO if that helps at all mate.
ruclips.net/video/bmzgANTGJ0k/видео.html
Love you videos. Just bought a house with 2 acres in Canada Hoping to start setting this up for next growing season. Any tips for cold northern climates? How are the solids picked up? I didn't see a pump or anything connected to that plumbing.
Hey Marty. Setting the fish & filters up inside (basement or warm garage) or well sealed greenhouse will help keep them warm through winter. You can then run the water outside to the hydroponic side, or do that inside as well depending on space.
This video will help explain how the solids move from the fish tank to the filters,
ruclips.net/video/2FTlha0c2aA/видео.html
Cheers & have fun with the build when the time comes.
Hi Rob, how much is the capacity of the fish tank in this video, how many fish can grow in 10000-litre tank. Is this type of filter can be use for 10000-litre tank? I want to do a system. Kindly advise.
The tank in this clip is a 1000L tank.
I would stock no more than 400 fish in a 10000L tank unless you have commercial grade drum style filters for the solids & adequate bio-filtration to handle the conversion of the ammonia through to nitrate.
Cheers.
could 2x of the 200l rfs be used in series to help dwell time?
Parallel would be better as it would increase the overall retention time. I posted a bit of information on it in this video.
ruclips.net/video/VgBuUFx_xOE/видео.html
Hope that helps some.
@@RobsAquaponics thanks mate
@@k20Fritz No problem. 👍
Rob, did you lose a bet with a pair of hair clippers? 😜
🤣 Nope but am regretting it as the temp has dropped a bit over the past week. 😉
Cheers Craig.
@@RobsAquaponics Aargh! I'm the same and I'm in Scotland 🏴. We've had 7 weeks of heatwave... got a close shave from wifey... and now it's raining ☔ Oh well, at least the veggies are getting a good drink! Hope it gets a bit warmer again for you too 👍
Hey Rob! love your videos they are really insightful! Wondering if it possible for you to upload a list of materials that you have used in this particular build and their individual sizes (pipes etc). i know what a pain, but would really appreciate!
Will look at adding something to the website Jamie.
Shall notify folks in a clip or Facepalm once it's uploaded.
Probably best to not hold your breath though as it might take a week or 2. 😕
@@RobsAquaponics awesome thanks so much for the reply Rob!
Great Channel Rob ! Thanks so much for all the detailed info on different systems. Very easy to follow and is inspiring to say the least.
Am glad you've found it helpful Paul.
Cheers mate & happy growing.
Sempre acompanho seus vídeos , Taquarituba , São Paulo ,Brasil ..abraços 👍
Obrigado Carlos. 😁😁👍
Haha the idea that taking out solids will take out all the nutrients....
Thoughts by folks who have no real experience...
And a remineralization tank will let those folks keep their poo! 😆
One of them owns an aquaponics shop & holds workshops here in Australia ID..... The mind boggles sometimes. 😉
@@RobsAquaponics Ohhhh WOW! I knew the US wasn't the only place there was tons of bad info on aquaponics... 😆
I watch all your videos and enjoy your info!
On the retention time: Could you run three of the 200L (600L total) barrels in parallel and still have the same effect as one 600L barrel?
That would help a lot Brad. 👍 You looking at adding additional settlers?
@@RobsAquaponics I babysat a system for a summer back in 2010 and have just kept up an interest in the topic since that time.