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Although not specifically about ponds, the following does involve raising fish, albeit with a fish tank in conjunction with a separate raft tank of tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, and spinach. The electrical cost is cut in half by using all air and NO water pump. If I was to use a biofilter that does not require air, that is gravity fed, such as an rbc, the wattage would be cut at least another third.

As you can see the airlift does not sit in a vessel of water but is external vs. the typical airlift that is mounted in a vessel of water. It receives water via gravity up to the same level of the vessel it came out of (in this case it's a a moving bed filter), and the air pushes it the rest of the way out. (I hadn't trimmed the upper portion yet.)

Here is the 1.5 inch vertical riser pipe that terminates just below the water level of the raft culture tank.



I actually dug a trench to drop the level of the riser pipe as close to the optimum 65 inches as possible. Unfortunately I wasn't able to go the full 65 inches as I hit a drainage pipe of all places right in line where I set up my connection to the raft tank! I will however be increasing the size to 2 inches to increase flow, and will move it over a little out of the way and under the buried pipe and will be able to set it at the optimum 65 inches. Next year!

Part of the trench that shows the fitting and airline that was tapped in.



The pressure chamber is two 2 by 1.5 inch reducers glued together with 3 rows of holes drilled into the 1.5 inch pvc pipe that slides through these pieces to create a chamber. I had to do some grinding on the fittings to get the 1.5 inch pipe to slide through. Once the two reducers are slid over the holes, it's glued in place. This is know as a yamabuki pressure chamber airlift design. The Europeans are moving about 66 gpm of water with zero lift on only 10 watts of elecricity with a 20 lpm pump for their high end koi ponds.







The left barrel is the clarifier tank that is packed with orchard netting that traps solids via siphon tube from the fish tank. The water overflows to the right barrel that is the moving bed biofilter. All gravity no pump required to move the water from the fish tank until the airlft takes over.



The water exits the bottom of the moving bed barrel (one on the right) and fills up to the same level as the moving bed barrel (no head as it is the same level as the barrel when it exits the vertical rise pipe). The mb3 media is kept in via a shower drain installed in the 3 inch exit pipe.



Water flows via gravity back to the fish tank (fish tank is lower than the raft tank)



The air pump mounted in a weather proof ventilated box that feeds the system.




80 lpm (60 watts) air pump is enough to run the airlift, fish tank membrane diffuser and moving bed barrel. 600 + gph with a 1.5 inch airlift. Should be able to move more once the airlift height is optimum and the diameter of the riser pipe is increased. There is also considerable water resistance in the raft tank due to extensive plant roots, and flow was measured at the tank return. So flow is probably greater at the raft tank inflow.

Reduced diameter of riser pipe ='s more lift
Increased diameter of the riser pipe ='s more flow.

Last edited by Cecil Baird1; 09/01/14 08:34 AM.

If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.






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Wow, looking great! Can you reduce the resistance in the DWR by trimming the roots a little, IF it becomes an issue that is?

I need to look up the yamabuki lift, looks interesting. What sizes are you FT and total grow area?

Rob C

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How big of a air pump are you using?

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Originally Posted By: john kelsey
How big of a air pump are you using?


I believe he said 80lpm, 60 watts. Look at what he typed under the last picture.

Cecil, I'm amazed. It looks good! How much of a PITA will it be to winterize it so nothing freezes/cracks during the winter?


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Originally Posted By: fishtruck
Wow, looking great! Can you reduce the resistance in the DWR by trimming the roots a little, IF it becomes an issue that is?

I need to look up the yamabuki lift, looks interesting. What sizes are you FT and total grow area?

Rob C


No idea about triming the roots but the idea is to run the water between the roots.

Fish tank is 8 feet in diameter and about 600 gallons. 200 6 to 8 inch tilapia. I did have another 100 bluegills in there also but they were moved to an indoor tank yesterday.

The raft tank is 4 X12 feet.

Last edited by Cecil Baird1; 09/01/14 03:15 PM.

If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.






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Originally Posted By: john kelsey
How big of a air pump are you using?


Like Esshup said 80 lpm at 60 watts.

I need to experiment with higher pressure pumps and see if I get different results.This one is a linear air pump that you can barely hear. Sold for septic tanks.

Last edited by Cecil Baird1; 09/01/14 03:27 PM.

If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.






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Originally Posted By: esshup
Originally Posted By: john kelsey
How big of a air pump are you using?


I believe he said 80lpm, 60 watts. Look at what he typed under the last picture.

Cecil, I'm amazed. It looks good! How much of a PITA will it be to winterize it so nothing freezes/cracks during the winter?


Easy. All the plumbing comes apart with Fernco connectors. I didn't fill in the trench until I upgrade to a larger diameter airlift riser, but if I did the airlift would pump out the water.

The siphon pulls out and the drums have either a drain or the airlift pumps out the moving bed tank. The raft tank has two drains.

The plastic media is scooped out with a gallon ice cream contain with large holes drilled in the bottom and added to an existing moving bed filter.

I'll probably drain and tarp the raft tank, and drain and tarp the fish tank or just drain bring it into the garage and set it on top of the boat. Everything comes apart easily. The fish tank has a bottom center drain too.

The blocks stay right where they are! Remember what a PITA it was to move the at the aquaculture show?! I don't do windows and I no longer move blocks!

Last edited by Cecil Baird1; 09/01/14 03:30 PM.

If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.






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Cecil.

Very impressive!!

I may want to stop by and take a look for possible upgrades for next year to Tilopitopia.

I like the low power requirements. That makes it very interesting, and simple....


Brian

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You'd have to fly! I heard you were afraid of flying. LOL


If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.






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I'll risk it for this.......


Brian

The one thing is the one thing
A dry fly catches no fish
Try not to be THAT 10%
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Brian, if you have a long layover in Indy, it's roughly 2 1/2 hrs to my place, and another hour and change to Cecils from here. Come on up and we'll boogy over there.


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Okay Scott,
Its a deal, I'll start looking for a good trip to indy and let you both know as soon as I find one.


Brian

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Try not to be THAT 10%
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That'll work! Give me a few weeks notice so I can make sure the schedule is clear.


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Ok

I found your full report over on AP Nation. Looks like a great project with lots of good info.

Thanks!

Rob C

Originally Posted By: Cecil Baird1
Originally Posted By: fishtruck
Wow, looking great! Can you reduce the resistance in the DWR by trimming the roots a little, IF it becomes an issue that is?

I need to look up the yamabuki lift, looks interesting. What sizes are you FT and total grow area?

Rob C


No idea about triming the roots but the idea is to run the water between the roots.

Fish tank is 8 feet in diameter and about 600 gallons. 200 6 to 8 inch tilapia. I did have another 100 bluegills in there also but they were moved to an indoor tank yesterday.

The raft tank is 4 X12 feet.

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Cecil,
When you talked about the 65 inch height, are you saying above the water level? Below the water? Total height?

Also, what is lost if you are above or below the optimum? Thanks for the thoughts, I have plans now........

Also, are those uniseals? and if so, which type?


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Originally Posted By: highflyer
Cecil,
When you talked about the 65 inch height, are you saying above the water level? Below the water? Total height?

Also, what is lost if you are above or below the optimum? Thanks for the thoughts, I have plans now........

Also, are those uniseals? and if so, which type?


65 inches (1.7 meters) is the optimum total height for the air to rise in the vertical lift pipe to create the greatest flow.

Optimally you do not want to lift the water up into the air above the receiving water level at all. If your lift pipe height is less than 65 inches (1.7 meters), or you have to lift the water exiting the pipe into the air it will reduce your flow. There is a limit on how far you can lift the water anyway in a typical air lift.

Picture in your mind a 65 inch open ended vertical pipe standing in water about that depth. Air is injected into the bottom into the pressure chamber and the compressed air rises taking water with it. As the water rises more water rushes into the bottom to take it's place and so on which creates a continuous flow. This works so well because air naturally rises.

In my case I didn't mount the vertical lift pipe inside a tank of water, but made it external. The water rises in the vertical pipe to the same level as the water in the top of the moving bed filter. (Before air is injected) The injected air then pushes it out with flow.

I got the idea from this multilift system:



Uniseals in the blue tanks. Bulkhead fittings in the raft tank as the wood and liner was too thick for a Uniseal. I believe 1/2 inch is the cut off for Uniseals but don't take that to the bank.

Keep in mind if you have an existing concrete floor, unless you want to raise the top of your fish tanks 65 inches off the floor, air lifts may not be practical. However I have seen tanks elevated and mounted on treated lumber with decking around them.

I plan on having a trench for the airlift in my pole building before I pour the floor.


BTW another way to move water efficiently if you don't have to lift much is an axial flow pump like this one:

http://alliedaqua.com/axial-flow-water-pumps.html

I chose the external pipe option as I didn't want to puree the dirty water before it got to the clarifer tank. Churning dirty water in an RAS is a big no no as it make the particles small and more difficult to remove.

Last edited by Cecil Baird1; 09/03/14 09:33 AM.

If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.






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Ft Wayne Airport is closer to Esshup and Cecil than Indy.


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Originally Posted By: Bill Cody
Ft Wayne Airport is closer to Esshup and Cecil than Indy.


And of course it's an "International Airport" although no International flights land there - or at least non stop to Ft.Wayne. Kind of an inside joke around these parts.


If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.






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But, FedEx flies out of Indy, so he might be able to visit on a long layover while "working". wink


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Originally Posted By: esshup
But, FedEx flies out of Indy, so he might be able to visit on a long layover while "working". wink


Good point!


If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.






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The 757 flies to FW, but the MD does not. I'll be looking for a good trip asap.


Brian

The one thing is the one thing
A dry fly catches no fish
Try not to be THAT 10%

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