A year back I did emptied my growbed and uses pots to grow Gandarusa plants, this method of planting utilized much less LECA and make it less costly to make a bigger set if needed.It did grow well for the Gandarusa plant, it's long overdue that I wanted to try this method on other plants. This simpler setup may be more viable to do on a larger scale with minimum changes to existing media base siphon flood & drain technique.
I had done gutter growbed in 2010 and it's at that time was difficult to control its flood and drain reliably. I was using loop siphon due to the confine space of the gutter and it was not successful in planting anything significant.
I am giving it another go, this time I will use my 15 mm StrainerBell siphon on left as photo above. It is the smallest siphon that I had done and after tested it for almost a year, I feel it's capable of controlling the flood & drain within the confines space of a rain gutter.
As a trial setup, I decided to do a simple gutter growbed setup, that could accommodate up to 9 or 10 pots place over a fish tank. This arrangement suit the small space that I have.
The gutter was kept for a long time, I got it in Nov 2014 to do this setup. Unfortunately due to the problem I am facing during that period has kept it on hold until today. Above photo I was testing the gutter for leak, I will use only two. Made a rack for the two gutter over the fish tank from leftover dickson bars and had to join them making a longer piece.
Water feed as usual "T" with 1000 Liter per hour pump feeding the two gutter. Water head is about 18 inches.
15 mm siphon, making it as short as possible, water level is less than four inches.
This siphon has been tested on my ornamental set and had survive a full growbed rootball without failure. So I feel it's time to use it for this set, anyway this is the smallest I can make.
First flush test and as you can see from above water is not level, this is because the front part of my house is slanting. I will need to adjust the rack to take up the gradient. The rack has been adjusted, see the different between the far and the near end tank to rack gap. It is about two inches different in height to add up on the far side of the rack.
Siphon in between the pots, I will use LECA in the pots surrounding with flood & drain water. This style reduce LECA usage and we may use pebbles too at smaller quantities making it lighter.
Water feed is at one end of the gutter with siphon at another, trying to create a nutrient flow within the growbed and water movement in the fish tank between siphon outlet and pump intake.
It does flush well, will put an aerator outlet to reduce noise and at the same time giving much needed oxygen to water.
Okay, this setup needs to be cycle with fish and simple plants. LECA will go in those pots next and will get some cheap fish to ensure no mosquito breed in the tank.
