Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I built a mineralization tank a year ago. I never really found complete information on the topic so I built one out of a large plastic garbage can using air lift pumps to circulate the solids. It seemed to work in the beginning. Once a week I would shut off the air, overnight, and the next morning I would pump out the clear liquid. I would then pull the fish poo from my bead filter, filling the mineralization tank back up, and start the air pumps for another week. I never really found any information on operating the system so I’m guessing on much of this. All my information was coming from the composting world especial Dr. Elain Ingham. Using lots of air and circulation the bacteria should break down the solids into their component parts was my thoughts.

I’m finding a year later that my tank (50 gal. with 30 gal. of sludge) is filling up. My solids are still liquid but there are too many of them for me, after removing the clear liquid, to add more solids. At some time do you have to just bucket out the solids and start again. I’ve never read of anyone doing that? I thought everything was to break down? Can someone please tell me how should I to operate a mineralization tank?
Thank you
steve

Here’s so,e reading for you.
viewtopic.php?t=22769