Well, if I can't go with the fish right now maybe I should try Hydroponics. So I altered my plans AGAIN. Now I will see what I can do growing fresh fruits and vegetables without the fish. After all, if I can do it without the fish, doing it with fish should be a breeze. LOL

I decided to use Vita Grow Hydroponic Nutrient System and ordered three 4lb. boxes from the Internet.

I had the growbeds made and lined , now I needed a way to fill and drain them. Ebb and Flow! I researched Bell Siphon and thought I had it all figured out. Of course, I had materials on hand that I could use instead of buying everything new. Like a few of 4" ABS pipe and a 20' length of 3" ABS pipe left over from building my house. (I didn't plan to well when I did that either.) I cut a couple pieces of the 4" pipe, 10-1/2" long for the screens. I drilled a couple hundred 3/16" holes all around the pipes in the bottom 9-1/2". That should keep the gravel out and let the water flow in freely. Then I cut a piece off the 3" pipe for the bells, 20" long. I then used a 1-1/2" hole saw to cut six evenly spaced holes around the center of the pipe. Then I cut the pipe in half. That left a nice scalloped edge to allow the water to flow into the bell around the bottom. The pattern I was following from the Internet had an air tube running down the side. I drilled a 1/4" hole in the side, about 3/4" from the top. I also cut a couple pieces of gray faucet inlet tube about 8" long. I used a couple 1/4" drip irrigation els to connect from the hole at the top side and into the down tube. End caps were too expensive so I used end plug knock outs. Now I had all the parts, I just needed to put them together. I used JB Weld epoxy to accomplish that task. While that set up I proceeded to make my stand pipes. I used 1-1/4" PVC, cut to the height I wanted the water in the growbed, and fitted into a 1-1/4" to 1" coupling that screwed into my bulkhead fitting in the bottom of the growbed. I drilled a 3/16" hole through the side of the coupling as an emergency drain in case the power cut off before the growbed was completely full and the siphon hadn't started. I then cemented the pipe into the coupling and screwed it into the bulkhead. The Bell Siphon looked pretty, now if it would just work.
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Next came the plumbing. I used 1" PVC for everything. Mainly because I ran across a lot sale for twelve 1" PVC valves for $20.00. I couldn't pass that up. I first worked on a drain, from the bulkhead on one end to the other end of the growbed where I planned to use a 31 gallon Rubbermaid tote for my tank. I made a gooseneck of els as the line came down from the bulkhead, then ran the pipe along the bottom of the growbed, turned it down through another el and into the tank. I put a cap on the end with three 1/4" holes to add to the spray for additional aeration. A Plumber's strap to support the end of the pipe screwed into the bottom of the growbed and that was ready.
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I got my pumps from Harbor Freight. Two 1375 gph submersible dirty water pumps. They were larger than I needed, but I intended to spray the excess water into the fish tank to aerate the tank. I built a manifold system with 1" PVC pipe, fittings and valves. A line connected the pump, in the tank, up to the manifold. An outlet off one end with a garden hose coupling to be used to drain the system when needed. This line used one valve. Then another valve in the manifold to shut off the water to be directed to the outlet. Then through a tee with a down pipe and another valve, then a spray head (an end cap with three 1/4" holed drilled in it). This line would be used to pump water directly back into the tank for additional aeration as needed. Another valve in the manifold to shut off the line to the growbed without disturbing the valve settings to the growbed, then another valved down pipe. This one is to carry the excess water from the pump back into the tank which would aerate the water while the growbed filled. The line continued in the manifold to a tee where it divided into two lines. One, through another valve (used to adjust the flow into the growbed) and into a tee distribution pipe that runs across the width of the growbed, capped on both ends. It has 1/4" holes drilled every inch along the line. The other line from the main line tee is directed through another adjustment valve up and into a seven foot long 3" ABS pipe with holes cut every foot. This will be my strawberry patch.
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The light fixtures were hung above the growbeds, suspended on chains from screw hooks in the ceiling. The pumps and lights were fitted with 24 hour timers and were ready to go.

Now, I just needed the gravel. My friend Neal had reported getting expanded shale from a company in Utah, Utelite near Coalville. The shale is broken up into chunks, sorted to different sizes and run through a kiln at 2000 degrees. That expands the shale like lava rock. When it cools the air voids remain in the rock. Some of it is so light, it floats. The shale sounded like a good deal to me and it wasn't that far from home. I drove my pickup up and they loaded a cubic yard + on it. A half-ton pickup loaded with 1675 lbs. of rocks. I got my load home, then the work began. I took two laundry soap buckets, drilled multiple holes in the bottom and filled them with the gravel. I then ran water through the rocks to wash away the dust. They were fairly clean anyway. Then I would carry the buckets down the basement and dump them into my growbeds. It took a lot of trips up and down the stairs to empty that truck.
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Now, I had my system up ready to go. Just add water. . . .


Next post will be the woes of operating a home built system.