Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Does Skype allow for viewing (like an online meeting) or just like a phone call?

Adam

yes it does online video meetings even with multiple participants

We use Skype at work all the time for meetings to share computer screens with off-site participants.

The video for the classroom went well. I got cheers when I showed the children the Brook Trout from the observation window in our 2600 gallon FT and even more when I showed them our Koi, and another round of excitement when the Guinea fowl came around to see what the hoboob was about while outside talking about the Koi pond. Yes it was thrilling for me too.
while showing the kids my filtration I noticed the RFF was overflowing the barrel. I've initiated a cleaning for the filters starting with the RFF.

Any update as to when things need to be ready for submittal or more for next year?


Adam

I know I feel like I should be doing something, but I think everything is in place for this month. Amanda told us we didn't need to have much of a plan for what she was going to present to the board as see was going to give them the basics only for now. I will check in with Mario ASAP and see what information he now has.

Good morning
I've found a flat bottom 750 gallon (2839lt) stock tank at a local store ~$250US. This could be the FT in the Grow-dome.

Also these barrels are available for ~$80US


Trying to keep costs down this liner will cover a 4' by 8' by 1' DWC.
We could do two 4x8 DWCs with two of these liners

we'll need two per bed and two per barrel bulkhead connectors or 8.

I don't know what 1KG comes out to in square feet which is how I bought mine for a 50 gallon barrel.

This is the beginning of the list for the Rio Gallinas Charter School
This is around $650uS
This makes sense so far?

I would advise against the bulkhead fittings. They are meant more for an aquarium application and not a DIY (do not know what medium may be used). Used, and doing away with when I am able to take offline and replace (with my new Koi tank).

The nut breaks easily and will jump threads and cease to clamp past that point right when you start to seal.

Uniseals? Or, the bulkhead fittings from TSC. Close to a 1/4" gasket material as opposed to under an 1/8"

One can get a food grade liner (Allied Aqua - - 6x25) for $85.00 (shipped) . Better and more durable and nothing leaches to what's being grown.

Can get EPDM (45 million black) liner in SF for around the same price. (and that is before approaching owners for additional consideration for pricing.

Are automated valves to be supplied by university or do you need to provide manual and they adapt?

Adam

Oh, and food grade barrels from Craigslist in Alb (55 gallon) 20.00/ea.

Used to have ones that tops come off, but alas, no supply available (at the present time). Picked up 6,but will have e to cut top off.

Adam

OKay I'll look thank you @Brohay

BroHay & Boss, I don't know if you guys have water tank fittings in the US or not? You need to be a pretty big boy with a pretty spanner to strip the on one of these guys. The PVC is quite hard and can be tightened very tight before you'd strip the thread.

Adam, you can get enough thread to be able to use the full thickness of timber without having to recess anything and with an extra rubber washer behind the liner you'd be able to clamp everything up tight enough to get a decent seal and no leakage. Use a bit of Silicone Sealant on everything and you'd have a perfect seal.

Make sure to the hold the nut on the liner side of the tank nice and steady when you tighten everything up and you wont get any liner wrinkling around the fitting.

If there is the hard plastic washer that the nut pushes up against, usually not an issue. When the nut is what pulls everything together and a fine thread, I have had some problems.

Just prefer a thicker gasket and coarse thread so I get a good connection without the use of silicone.

Adam

Yes, now that you mention it: The bulkhead connectors which I used have a big thick rubber washer on them. After I bought every 1 1/2" (38mm) bulkhead connector the three hardware stores in Las Vegas NM had, I got one home which didn't have a washer on it at all. I'm sure I wrote about a trick I learned as a mechanic. It's not the end of the world. Here is what you do; squeeze an amble bead of the best silicon you can find on the place where a gasket was. Watch carefully as you hand tighten the nut, stop when the silicone thickness is the same as the missing washer. Let it sit over night to set. Next day tighten the threads being careful to not deform the hardened silicone. A bulkhead connector isn't supposed to be so tight that we break the thing. Maybe this is a Mechanic's thing?

This technique also works well on a curved surface of HDPE barrel. Add a second silicone gasket to the outside edge. The part of this process that really matters is letting the silicone dry completely before tightening it.
I love the long threaded shaft of those JoeBlow showed, but I hadn't found those here.
Many of you already know how to do these things so I'm adding this to aide those who may be unaware and new to building structures.
On the outside of the wooden boxes of our media beds I use a lager hole saw to make the thickness match the thread length as Brohay did. After drilling the excess wood down a half inch (~25mm) stop and change bits to the 1 1/2" of the threaded pass through pipe and use the same center hole continuing through the 1 1/2" wood thickness. This also works for the standpipe pass-though in the bottom of the wooden grow beds.

Also for thin wall pass-though, Uniseals are fantastic and they have them cheaper by half at Amazon. Link: http://a.co/b4gETP1
I've been also posting the Rio Gallinas updates on Facebook and have received quite a bit of information about receiving donations and how to show thanks to the donors:
Some things I’ve learned working to get donations...

When you ask for donations, explain how you’re going to acknowledge them.

“We will put your logo in our printed material and post your name on our website as a donor.”

Invite the store owner or manager to your grand opening and thank them by name. Ask them to say a few words.

Invite them for a private tour to see their donation at work.

Print an inexpensive sign and put it on your tank, equipment, whatever. “Pond liner generously donated by the Joe’s Local Plumbing Store (logo)” Where I work, we have foam core signs on some machines “Donated by LANL (logo)”, or Sandia Labs, etc.

Sponsors and donors LOVE to be thanked and acknowledged. Donating is part of their marketing efforts and publicizes their business.

Make donor designations. Like donors up to $25 are Goldfish, $1,000 donors are Blue Whales. Or gold, silver, bronze, etc.

Have different levels of acknowledgement. For instance, if a store gives you a $5 part, send them a thank you note. If someone writes you a check for $1,000, put a sign on the equipment, post their name on your website, send the thank you note, invite them to the grand opening, and ask them to speak.

Have the kids write thank you notes or draw pictures and send to donors.

Give donors something in exchange. If you grow tomatoes in your aquaponics garden, take the donor a few tomatoes and explain he helped your class grow them.

Tweet and FB donor names with links to their businesses. “Thank you, Mom’s Diner, for your donation! (Link to Mom’s Diner’s website)”

None of these are expensive things to do but all will help donors remember you and motivate them to donate again.
My Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/brians.outfit

I don't have the time (usually) to wait on things to cure - - taking a different approach with the latest version (4.6 - - honestly don't really know, somewhere in the 4th go-around)

I know more than I did last year and sure this go around will be met with success.

On the grow bed area, are they wanting to keep it simple with one bed, or is that all funding will allow at the present time?

Adam

I hear you on that time issue. It can work out if you leave sealing the bulkheads until the last thing done in the day.
As far as the funding is concerned, between the LANL grant and what the Charter School has saved in its Grow-Dome fund as well as asking for donations we can build four 4'X8' DWC beds. Amanda has this on site which we can use to create a larger DWC.

A friend also has one liner at 10'x13' new liner.
The only reason I did calculations for the 4'x8' DWC was to find the liner with the least amount of scrap left over. I didn't see liners for narrow and long beds. Your suggestion of liner is excellent and may make all the pond liners unnecessary.
I believe we were going to do two 4'X20' DWCs. This is the spit balling stage and any improvements are much appreciated.
With this donor idea, we may be able to get local carpenters to build the framing and beds, once we design them.
I also mentioned to Amanda that I'd like to reduce the geodesic dome to one door and move the second over to the main entrance for an pseudo-air lock entrance.