Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

That's what I do, get me a bulk load, 1000 lbs at the local. Ours offers different sizes. The best is the 3/4 inch. I learned not use the bagged stuff, its to coarse.

In Cortez, 1000 lbs go for a round $90, Flagstaf Red, very clean.

good ideas on the bulk lava rock. Just another reason why I need to finish my dump truck project. Yesterday we, as I hoped got washed rock and sand from a local gravel yard, using a small trailer on my Jeep and a yard of gravel on my friend Jason's PU truck. Almost sad and embarrassing, an old hippie like myself hasn't got it more together with my truck.

Good Morning
I still haven't got my website back online, but here is a little update on a lot of progress.

Matt cleaned the construction debris from the tanks, then filled them with a six inch layer of washed gravel. The gravel will be covered with root-block/weed-cloth, then the topsoil goes in, then the permanent plants fruiting such as grapes and kiwis which with a little luck will grow up on trellises to offer sun cover over the fish pond.

The empty tank is the sump tank. It still needs to be smoothed out with stucco, then lined with poly-pond-plastic.
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One of the goodies I bought from the hardware store yesterday is a masonry blade for my old Skilsaw. That blade under Jason's skilled hands did an amazing job of cutting flagstone.

It took some doing from some seriously tuckered out guys, but we got the big flagstone under the aquarium perfectly level.

Whelp, as you might imagine, I'm a wee bit tucker-out. I can't wait to get the aquarium filled and start it cycling, which I fully plan on doing today. Also though, I bought new supers for my bees, so I'm going to open the beehives and swap out the top boxes for these new boxes and take a little look around inside.
No rest for the weary.
Brian Rodgers over and out.

looks great Brian. Is that stand going to be in the water? I thought the area was all FT? I like a diamond blade on my angle grinder for stone work too. Very handy to knock off corners too get the stones to fit right.

Too, to, two? What a horribly constructed previous post.lol You get the idea.

no that's the small sitting area. Although, I'm considering putting another media bed under the window, if I can figure out how to get the water back out, as this is below the FT and ST

no problem CoachChris I appreciate the quick input

I've busy, not as busy as bees of course


One hive opened, inspected and a new Super (the box with the honey frames you see in the pictures) installed. The combs weren't full or sealed, so I moved them and cleaned them up and put that super back on. Alond with another new super.

When my hive comes, I will be asking advice Brian. Do you get stung a lot? I've heard of guys who don't even wear suits while working with their bees. I guess it depends on the hive? I'm allergic to bee stings, so will be suiting up initially at least.

Thanks CoachChris. Better take what I say with a grain of salt; I'm no expert. It has been decades since I kept bees. Of course this never stopped me from posting.

And I did write you a reply, but apparently the Internet went out after I tried to post it on Tapatalk, grr. I'm sure it was good too, because it is such a struggle to type on the phone for me. Anywho I took it as a sign to get back to work.

Weekend is over, I think I have a lot to show for it.


BTW, that's the PV powered air pump I bought for putting in a cooler to oxygenate water for fish we catch. That little thing works great.
I tried to take it easy on Sunday... Then the Internet got spotty, so I decided to paint the interior of the pond with Herco Koi pond coating.


I had always intended to paint the floor lighter color so we can inspect the bottom for cleanliness. Then of course I read the directions... Three consecutive coats of this $125 - $140 pond coating! I think this product was made for wealthy clients not DIYers. Any color besides black is $140. We had on hand two gallons of black believing naively that we'd as I said use different colors in different places. Perhaps I should have put the white on, but I thought it probably make a mess where the two colors meet. Ordered another black, grr. I hope our experience helps other make a wise or at least informed choice for pond coating. This stuff hits the wallet pretty hard.

Its really coming along Brian. What a fabulous space you will have once finished. I will have to read back through to see how you are plumbing everything up.

a couple pictures from this morning

Thanks joc. I've got my pumps ordered, and now that the first coat of Herco is on I'll start working on the SLO and plumbing the systems. I'll probably wait until my wife gets back from Arizona with the fiberglass cloth to finish my media grow beds. Which reminds me I'll need to order some resin, sigh

That looks great.
I used pool paint, it is around $70 a gallon and it is fish save.

Better watch out Wednesday and Thursday, the left over from Hurrican Blanca will hit our area, some very good rain and lightning.
I had 5.5 inches of rain in Mai and already 1.5 in June. Last snow was 1. of June, its crazy this year.