Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Yea, that is what GNC is, basically a vitamin shop. Sad, the state of things around here, "health food" isn't actually food at all.

Well got the chilled/lit shelf going with my grow grip seedling rafts planted today. Lets hope we get good germination this time. I'm still having to tweak things a little to get the temperature right since the shelf is above the AC unit so I have a curtain around things and some baffles directing air flow to actually cool the trays on the shelf. Now I'm waiting for the thermometer to catch up to tell me if I got it right or if I'm still overshooting and making it too cold.

I'll keep my fingers crossed TCL

Ok, 68 F between the trays when I have 66 F set on the AC. That is with the light on during the day.

I'll have to check later tonight or in the AM before the light comes on.

Well I've finally got a good controller for the Automated pool diversion valves. Gee only took me like 5 years!

Some things are worth looking for for 5 years.

I didn't ever "find" one, I had to finally make it myself, problem was I needed to find all the parts in a form that I could put together reasonably "elegantly". Or at least as elegant as anything I do.

Hey TC, just got done reading about 60 pages of your thread here and got a couple quick questions if you don't mind (I hope I didn't miss the answer somewhere).

While the new feed bunks you're using look tempting I'm a little hesitant to use them after hearing of your troubles with leaks. I know you came up with a solution, but as a complete newb to aquaponics I'd like to keep the potential complications down. Not to mention the landlord would probably freak out if he came over and saw a leaking uniseal.

I digress. The point is I was interested in knowing how your durascrim/pond liner media beds were holding up? I know you said you'd started to sink screws into the snap clamps on the 1+ yr old GB's but how have the faired since then? I only ask because I'm in Arizona and I imagine the sun will cause them to break down even faster here. I'm especially keen on the idea of having the flexibility to make any size GB I want. That and the all metal/plastic construction.

For ST I see that you recently mentioned that the shallow beds aren't ideal for most pumps. Something I had honestly overlooked. I was thinking I could just make the ST's using your liner method too. But I suppose FT/ST made out of IBC or HDPE tanks is still best? I wish I could get away with burying an IBC ST but the ground here... plus I'm thinking it might not really help cool my water much. I'm just glad I'm at a slightly higher elevation here. It's typically 5-10 degrees cooler than downtown.

Oh, sorry one last question. What type of plastic are you using to help attach the uniseals to the liners? I think you said 1/8-1/4" thick.

No rush on the answers. I'm still weighing my options and I know you have your hands full with baby and the farm.

Anyhow, thanks for the informative thread. Take care!

Don't use the drain hole as a guide for the hole saw as you drill for the uniseal and you should be in good shape. I made that mistake.


Still holding up.


12 inches deep can do depending on the pump, flow rate and amount of water level fluctuation. Many people with raft systems put a pump in an end of a raft bed but a raft system has a much larger water volume to handle fluctuations before it would get too low for the pump.


Anything between 1/8" and 1/2" will work. The thicker the plastic, the harder to push through a uniseal. Most of my liners plumbed with uniseals have 1/8"-1/5" thick backing. With the liner also getting pinched between the backing and the uniseal it does tend to make pushing through just a little bit harder but it does make for a tight seal. Just make sure the liner won't be getting pulled or stretched next to where you plumb the uniseal.

Ah, so you mean plug the premade drains and make your own then?



Good deal.



Well, it's certainly not going to be a large system. 4-8 Meters^2 most likely so as long as I make sure I size the ST with an adequate buffer is sounds like I can get by. Since I'll be using all media beds I'll just have to use something in the 70-100% range of the bed volume? Speaking of is it a problem to cover your ST? I'm assuming not since some people bury there's. I just thought it would help with evap, water temp, and protection from dust storms. I don't need a bunch of sediment in the system if I can avoid it. Of course I can't avoid it completely.



Ah, gotcha the type of material doesn't really matter. Just the size.

Thanks for the response!

Glad you found a solution for your diversion valves.

either that (if the drains are over the braces you have to plug and make your own elsewhere) or just make sure to put your starter hole off to the side of the premade drain hole but keeping the premade drain hole within the holesaw space. The problem is the premade drain hole is too large to be the guide hole for the holesaw and it wiggles too much.


Sump tanks don't need light and a cover is a good thing, but make sure your cover still allows you easy access to peak in and check it easily and you don't want to seal off all air exchange, make sure it can breath a bit.

Gotcha.



I figured that would be the case but just wanted to be sure. Thanks again.

I really wish the timing was right to move further up north to some place cooler. Get some land. Not that envision myself building a business like you. Would just be nice to have the room and no Hoa nonsense. Be able have some animals. I had boxers growing up as a kid but I've never got one because I've felt that it'd be a bit cruel as they love to run and jump.

Well, one thing at a time.

Hope all is well on the farm.

Well, I think maybe I've sorted out my germination issue. Of course like most challenges it was probably a combination of several things. Temperature being a primary issue as well as seed depth and light.
So using a small bit of wet wicking matt in the grow grip and keeping it all moist is a first step.
Planting the seed right at the top so it is just in there far enough not to roll off, wicking matt needs to be at just the right height. Give everything a spritz and have some water in the bottom of the tray.
Put on shelf with dome over it (temp around 70 F) for a couple days or just till pellets start to break open.
Take off domes, Move to shelf under light in front of AC, Add water as needed for a few more days till leaves appear.
Move outside once all have first leaves.

I need to get a bigger light fixture so I have space to manage more than 2 trays at a time. I think I need at least a 6 tube T5 light fixture.

Right now it looks like I've got FAR better germination on the trays I have under the light at the moment.
Primary change with those trays is I planted the seed, previous I think my helper was pushing the seeds too far down. And the AC has been running much cooler in that room than I had been running it before. And I changed to putting the trays under the light AFTER the seeds had started breaking and I took off the domes.

The set of trays I tried putting under the light immediately didn't work well because I couldn't keep the temperature stable enough under the domes, the AC was either not enough or way too cold. Temperature still fluctuates more than I like because of the current light and shelf placement being ABOVE the AC unit. I think when I get a new light fixture I will actually set it up so the shelf is lower and the AC will blow just above the light to hopefully give more even cooling.

Sorry I have no clue about germination (I really need to get up to speed on gardening in general). However your struggle with temp. reminded me of something I did years ago when I had to install a network repeater outdoors and my employer didn't want to spend money. I bought a little portable fridge. One of those thermoelectric coolers stuffed in a small ice chest. For some stupid reason I even jury rigged an old PC power supply for power since they're usually DC. Anyway it's probably a bad Idea in your situation because you need light and putting one in an enclosed case like that... anyhow I only mentioned it because it might get you thinking in the direction of a contained environment.

Again probably not a good idea but that's the random thought that occurred after reading your post.