Grow tubes: 4" pvc with 3" holes drilled 6" apart. I ran painters tape to make sure I drilled a (relatively) straight line. Dog tax: paid.
In order to ensure proper flow, I mounted the pipes with 1.5" of slope over 6'. The final 18" of pvc is clear so I can see what the root system looks like and if there are any blockages forming.
The aquaponics fully plumbed now. There are 1.5" supply and return lines. The return slopes all the way back to the tank. The 180 gallon is on the middle rack, 90 sump underneath. I have some coarse 20PPI sponge inside the 4" pipes to catch some debris and reduce noise. The 40 gallon quarantine (currently my nano community tank) on the bottom right.
For the aquascape, I wanted to do a sunken forest kind of theme. I used 316 stainless screws to attach slate to the bottom of each log and the hollow stump. In the end, I didn't achieve the look I was going for, but it's good enough for now. I'll hopefully get some plants to fill in the larger open spaces and maybe another couple logs.
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