Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

perfect for the bracing the middle. The aquarium is a 90 gallon glass deal the prior owner stripped all the bracing and took out a side to make a clear iguana house. I sealed it all back together but it doesn't have any of the normal bracing now.

I did get a 8' c-band dish from a friend of mine going to attempt a solar heater setup from that but i think getting the main pump working again should be #1 on the list. At minimum I will be adding another pump this coming Friday. Chicken wire will have to do for a cover for now.

eeeek

Chicken wire not good with fish. The galvanized coating will leach zinc into the water. You would be better wrapping widow screen around a milk crate and putting the pump in that and securing the screen around the pipe and electric cord with a string or zip tie. Unfortunately window screen will gunk up rather fast, a netting with 1/8-1/4" spacing would be better but ya gotta do something. Heck a pop up laundry basket might do in a pinch. Or perhaps a dunk sack or mesh laundry back around a milk crate or something though those probably won't last long term.

Pump is the priority.

LOL no the chicken wire is for the top so i don't have anymore "leap of faith" going on, it would not be submeriged so i don't think it will leach at most it will rust from being so close to water all the time.

The big pump is still in peices on my work bench it's 70 bucks i just don't want to trash it, though it probably is dead. the little pump seems to get the job done with filling the grow beds but I know it will not have enough power to make a spray bar like the bigger version. I think I will look into getting a proper aireator and another pump so if one goes down it's not the end of the world. all the eggs in one basket have cracked so to speak.

After this harvest in the next few weeks I intend to change a few things. one of which will be to bury the water tanks and plumb my solar heater for winter. If the plants survive then so be it. I really want to make this work for me and to make it viable I have to keep the costs down. the end result would be a letcus, tomatoe, herb patch that can feed 6 people + another 30. The first 6 are the objective right now. I have been thinking of using blue kiddy pools with float floats for the letcus beds but the space savings of the pipe setups I have see look appealing as well. my wife is open to green foods as long as they are hidden under salad dressing.

Off the handle question: Can you eat Bell pepper leafs? They look tempting to suatee with some butter and salt like spinach.

the pepper leaves,
I've seen some things that say they are edible and other things that say they are a nightshade and not safe to eat.

yep I have read those same posts I am tempted to try with so many on these bushes but those posts have me wary. Thinking they will end up worm food unless a goat will eat them.

Friday can't get here soon enough the plants look shriveled by the time I get home to switch over the tubing from the pump to the other grow bed.

Hi, I'm in Gainesville, FL as well and currently looking for IBC totes. Can you tell me what lumber yard you found your at?