Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

What have you lined the GBeds with?

Hi TT, given us a starting point to think about. No he doesnt really want to do anymore digging. We are on black clay, sets like concrete in the summer and slippery like ice in the winter.

VB, we made the gow beds out of fibre glass and Murray coated them with a waterproof resin.

the frames are made out of treated pine timber (unusual sizing..cost heaps more than we thought), he made the legs out of angle iron and special bolts, welded nuts to circular plate for feet , making them adjustable for leveling. Yes we do have reinforcing underneath to take the weight. There is a finish of aluminium strip to hold the fibreglass growbed neatly.

Lost me there guys.... did you make the fibreglass growbeds up inside the timber and then coat them with a waterproof resin... (who's Muray) ... or did you buy some fibreglass growbeds from Murray (in Qld) and then brace them with a timber surround?

Kind of lost on this "waterproof resin" thing.... what did you use and why???.....

Yep - I was wondering the same.

Ok, Our names are Murray and Fiona. (Muzza & Fi) We are in one of King Erics photos.

Made the fibreglass beds in moulds, then built the timber frames around the beds.

please dont shoot the foot slogger. The original colour of firbeglass is a strange..start again, fibreglass has no particular color and is usually sealed with (just read the can) RF resin which in this case is White Flocote.
Which according to the boys from the panel shop at work (both professional panel beater) is required to help seal the fibreglass.

Hope this is of help.

Ah, now I remember... the moulds were the top of a truck sleeper cab....

Yep, you would have to flowcoat or gelcoat them.... ask C1 though, coz I think that one is OK but the other might be a bit iffy....

Yeah I know the stuff, My place here in Bundoora is full of it.
My biggest mistake yet was digging my pond, not cos it invoved digging, just that I started in February last year... It took amost 2 months to get it finished! there are picks on my thread. (not of us working unfortunately)

Would the REAL Murray please step forward.

Merry Christmas to all, hope Santa brought you all what you wished for.

Now it is down to some serious APing. On annual leave for 4 weeks so heres hoping....

there is a little confusion in our household as to whether to use 40mm or 25mm out of the pump to the grow bed, as either can come out of the pump. Also would it be best to have the 40mm from grow bed to sump or go up to 50mm?

The grow medium we are looking at is either clay balls or another product that looks like gravel called Maiden Well but about 4 times lighter? Has anybody used this?

my experience is to use the largest the pump will take to have more time between pipe cleanings. Bio sludge will clog the pipes and they must be cleaned more frequently the smaller the pipe.

Haven't used it as a growing medium, but I know both the major "speedy" seedling producers (Leppington Speedy Seedling & Berwick Speedy Seedings use it exclusively in their hydro seeding trays.

Definitely worth a try I think.... I'm seriously considering it for reasons of weight (renting, so I might have to move anything I build) and cost.

It's basically "kitty litter"...... cystalline silica.... fossilised shells, skeletons etc.....

For those that want info go here.....

http://www.maidenwelldiatomiteaustralia ... efault.htm

yep, I reckon go the 40 on the inlet, 50 on the drains.

with dt and mon on piping. You can reduce down to 25mm at bed taps if required. Starting with a bigger pipe ex pump means u may be able to increase ur system size (might find u have room for a few vertical towers in ur fab gh,) without increasing the pipe size. If ur running flood and drain, it just means u slightly lenghthen ur pump cycle as u add extra gbs. Bit of trial and error, but that is way down the track.

That Maidenwell stuff looks nice. How does it compare price-wise with hydroton?

I have used 1" pipe everywhere at the moment, and am in the process of upgrading to 50mm at a minimum, because of the troubles I have had. bigger pipe = less worries. Less blockages, less cleaning, less airlocks, higher potential for gravitational flow etc.