Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Yep, acids are not a problem at all, infact they are one of the better options because when you rince them out with clean water it dilutes the acid down to nothing. They don't tend to impregnate the plastic like some odours in food stuff either, damn those pickle barrels can stink...

Ok...that makes sense. Something I wouldn't have thought if someone didn't tell me.

Ta!

Thanks a bunch for the info. It's much more enjoyable to reuse and recycle rather than buy new.

I'm anxiously awaiting the book and DVD but I think I'll start with a barrel system.

-Hank

Baldcat,

Hows your barrelponics going? got any new pics for the album?

Do you still have approx 40 fish in the bath tub? how big are they now?

Steve

I'm going to start with a Travis Hughey barrel ponics system in my basement. But I don't think the pdf ever says how big the barrels are, just "blue barrels." I got 55gal ones, but my supplier also had 30gal ones. Which did Travis (and Joel here) use?

If Travis used 30gal, I'm going to have to adjust the size of the pipes!

Joel, it would be great to see pics of the siphon you made on this system. I too was hoping to go siphon instead of toilet flapper.

55 gal is the right size.

Yay, thanks!

a 55gal halved barrel holds about 8 gallons of water with pea gravel so your flood tank needs to be set for 16 gallon per flood.

Now the reason Travis used the toilet flapper design is so the growbed flood volume can be adjusted easily..ie if you are starting seeds or seedlings you would want to flood the bed higher then when the roots are established the water flood level is best under the top of the gravel by an inch to prevent algae and to reduce evaporation.

I have not tried using a bell siphon on a flood tank but I will when the weather warms up a bit. Hard to get siphons to work when the water freezes...

There have been folks who have built systems using the 30 gallon barrels, they are not as stable or forgiving with the smaller total volume of water. Have fun with it swanberg and start a thread of your own under members systems when ya can as lots of folks here are happy to assist as you progress.