Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Well today the free grow bed arrived along with my nice new bright orange 1100L fish tank. Here are some photos for you all.

I love the orange tank, its beautiful! The grow bed looks like it had an interesting past. So now, gravel washing?

As for the position of the grow beds that has yet to be decided. I want to put them on the flat roof but weighing about 500Kg full I am afraid the Indonesia construction main not hold up so it is off to dust of some old engoneering books of mine and do some test loads.

Ah Gravel washing. Well i have come to a dilema here.

1. I can buy prewashed gravel at about 5 for 25kg

2. I can go find some gravel for free and wash it myself.

3. I can go find some gravel for free and then have the kids "help" wash it as a learning experience.

I think number 3 is going to be the winner. All the kids have been crawling all over the place looking for fishies already. They are real excited about this project.

JT did I see Bintang written on the side of that tank, meaning it's a giant beer keg?

As an educator I would go with 3 - it not only shares the load, but gives them a sense of ownership in the project - which means that they should keep an interest in the whole project

oh yes -as for your growbed...
It looks similar to items I have seen removed from fishing boats - just a thought.

M no sorry to say not a giant Bintang Kegger though if it were..... Oh i loose myself.

AM Yeah the kids look like the choice got to get them into it with both hands (if you know what I mean)

Now I am off to scrounge up some gravel.

Well I found some gravel. Not free but for about 8 dollars I got half a truk bed full. Should do me alright. Any hints on washing techniques. I was thinking using a screen and spraying water over the top.

1) welcome to the AP addiction
2) nice going on the gravel
3) hah! everyones an expert on gravel washing - after they have done it :tongue3:
GW is one of those jobs that seems easy at 1st then you wonder why u started,
your idea is as good as any - keep us informed on how you enjoy it hehehehe

Oh and con as many people into helping as u can
Ell

Give it all a good soak while it's still on the truck. Then make up a screen that sits on a wheel barrow. Shovel the gravel onto the screen, squirt the gravel, water runs into wheelbarrow. Slide gravel off screen into bed, then empty the wheelbarrow onto the garden. Little water wated, no lifting of the screen, and it's the only way to get it pretty clean IMHO (to wash over a screen that is) Even after doing that, expect some fines in your water (hear a groan coming out of me after running the first flood cycle and murky water came out)

Oh on antoher note today. WNet looking for fish and came across this place that had carp for sale. Small little building Walk around the back and there is this massive fish farm like 5 acres of ponds thye are still making them and the fish are going in in dec. I just stood there going I want to use this for my systems. I think they though i was mental or something standign there drooling all over.

Refer to Point 1 in my previous post above

It gets worse!
(we are still waiting for the first AP related divorce or split up )

Now here is a question for you all. I know its kind of an opinion thing but what do think is better.

1 To have all my water go up into a header tank and then auto siphon into ebb flow growbeds and into the tank.

2 To use the header with a resticted flow and then put the auto siphons in the beds (header will have overflow back to tank for areation)

I am thinking of going with the second option so i can use the header tank to grow duck weed in. But i don't know how hard it will be to run a syphon in the bed with the parts available here