Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Does anyone currently use a settling tank. Or is there a benifit from using one in a system.

You mean as in for solids settling and removal ? If so think Synapto has one.

I have a "swirl filter" which I suppose is a sort of settling tank. I kinda wish I had not bothered though since the flow rate I'm sending though it is too fast for the swirl to have enough effect.

In a well designed backyard scale system, I doubt there would be much benefit from using such things since they really need to be cleaned very often to avoid creating a place for bad bacteria to grow.

My system kinda grew and grew and I'm struggling a bit with the fact that it is a fairly large system that is not CHIFT PIST and therefore the extra flow from the pump that I like to divert into the fish tanks for more aeration/flow is still full of fish poo.

The problem I find with the swirl filter or any settling tank is that if you leave the gunk sit in the bottom for long, it is a really nasty job to clean it out. Like gag me with anaerobic the stink of it. To avoid that one would have to be cleaning the gunk out like every other day if not every day.

My next system will definitely be CHIFT PIST so I can avoid this problem.

If you are going to go NFT,Continuous Flow or Floating Raft, it is sensible to have a solids removal system.

I have a tap on the 200ltr swirl filter and every couple of days I fill a bucket and let it settle and pour the bulk of the water back into the system. If the base of the drum was more funneled I could get away with just quickly running the tap for a few seconds every couple of days.
Was thinking of using a settling tank to remove the bulk solids and then water through NFT.
The drum filter seems to get a lot of solids and a lot of this could be dust from the air getting into the tank.

I think that for a system your size, without a cover, or say for example a pond, there would be considerable debris entering the FT aside from just the fishwaste (happens with my pond). In that case, and not wanting to start any arguments about adding more GB's (they are a filter in themselves), there is justification for having some form of additional filtration. Problem is how do you propose to clean the settling tank as it will need cleaning regularly?

When I connect the large swirl filter it has a sloped base and a drain. I could set up a small tank or a few 200ltr drums and fill these and empty after a day and see what settles. When they are filled you can always bleed off the first flush of water to the dirt garden to keep the bottom clean. It would be nice to automate the process. Is there any way to make particles settle faster.

Perhaps slow your inflow a little??

Add a floculant (spelling) Think they are some safe ones.

While looking for a safe flocculant, I came across chitosan. It is a flocculant made from the carpace of shellfish (perfectly safe and natural) it works because it carries a positive charge, and most particles in suspension are negatively charged (and hence repel each other).
After a little more research a few more interesting uses (1) it stimulates plant growth and (2) Used as a prophylactic it is a very effective fungicide.
As I said it appears to be 100% safe and could be a very interesting addition for AP.

Looks have some merrit

Check this out from USA
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/engineering/geo ... /tanks.cfm

perhaps one draw back maybe to do with thpH of the FT



I guess they have addressed it in a suitable manner for the given situation and we would have to do likewise to adapt it into the ap scenario.

Vegieman

Hopefully ph would be within these ranges as below 6 becomes dangerous and over 8 locks out most nutrients.
This was also the bit I was interested in http://www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/ORG/07-106sum.html

Wonder if it can be made or occurs if you have a lot of yabbies in the system. Has anyone compared the clearness of the water in yabbie tanks compared to fish tanks.

Interestng question, I will see what our local breeder says.

Yep Sleepe I am very aware of pH rates etc. from breeding Cichlids etc.