Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Basically after I was successfull getting the LEDs to turn on and off in the 1 minute FOR LOOP, I put that into a 15 minute FOR LOOP. I have since changed the code to turn a small dc hobby motor on and off directly from the microprocessor (Board of Education with BS2sx).

More on that code and some pics of the indexer come thursday or friday.

Well, I finally got around to starting on the greenhouse. I've change from a lean to design to just using the south facing wall of the farm shop. Money and time are big issues right now.

It's been awhile since I've posted pictures. I'll have to relearn.

The vertical wall will use inflated double plastic.

This is where I could use some advise on how to inflate the double plastic using outside air. Also How much space is necessary between the sheets of plastic?

The total width of the greenhouse has been downsized to 16 feet. The wall height (glazing plastic) will be about 8 feet tall. Although the inside ceiling height is now at 9 feet.

The shop is a typical pole barn construction. So the walls are 6 inches thick. Encapsulising the 6 inch by 6 inch posts, using traditional flat 2x4 girts inside and out. Not a bookshelf girt layout.

Today I was able to pull off the inside wall sheeting, remove insulation and the inside horizontal girts. Man the mice had a field day in there! I'll have to reroute the electric service outlet that was in the wall. Next Saturday I'd like to pull off the outside steel sheets and install the double plastic and inflate.

Any ideas on how to inflate the plastic, spacing, blower CFM minimum? Will I have to put in vertical support for the plastic.

Well I started 2 projects at my work place.

After reading about TC's use of plastic bottle caps in Florida I thought I would try it here in Minnesota. So I asked permission at work to collect recycled plastic caps. So far that's going well. I'll send a pic tomorrow.

The second project we are trying to promote is a very small AND on going aquaponics demonstrator system no bigger that an aquarium for a fish tank. The purpose of the demonstrator system is to introduce people to the concepts and maybe get them to assemble their own small aquarium systems at their homes this winter.

And this is where I need some suggestions and help from the members of this forum.

I would like to show our plant supervisor some photos (actually links to photos) of possible small aquarium scale systems.Also I'll ask her to view this thread from time to time, starting tomorrow.

So could anyone start nominating LINKS to photos?

One system that comes to mind is "Stephanie's Window System" posted not long ago. The other one was an aquarium with just an air pump, stone and plants growing into the water.

I would like to start small like those systems and then periodically add on to the system to show and demonstrate SMALL samples of grow beds, NFT, tower and other extensions. Again the idea is to just introduce the concepts.

The location for the demonstrator will probably be the employee break room.

Also I would like to brainstorm further for ideas on how to explain the concepts. For example how a student might do a display board at a science fair. How to present the Nitrate cycle. The water tests and range of various parameters. Types of fish and plants. Maybe a photo of a family sized system.

Most of the workers in the plant are women so I'm thinking of something they could do in their kitchens like starting various herbs, salad fixings and such.

Anyway please chime in. Any and all suggestions would be greatly be appreciated.


Thanks in advance.

Big Lake - Monticello Area, Minnesota

Stephanie's Window System:

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=10923

Another aquarium system with turtle:

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=9481&hilit=aquarium

Finally got around to starting a new project with apple cider plastic bottles for grow beds, a 10 gal fish tank with a submersible pump.

Pics to follow AFTER I figure out how to send pics again.

Pics of plastic bottle and marked for cutoff.

P1020124.jpg

Bottle marked for cutoff

To put a hole in the bottle, I heated up a spike and bolt to melt thru to keep a tight fit for 3/8 inch rubber tubing. Pics are in reverse order.

After I made-up one bottle I changed the procedure to applying silicone inside first before inserting the tubing. Then applied more silicone to the outside. In both cases I massaged the silicone to make full contact to eliminate leaks. sorry I didn't take a pic of the final result. If I got any stuff on the camera I would have to spend the night out in the barn

Anyway here are some pics of the "Kitchen System"

The bottle to the right is 3/4 inch gravel.

Next to it is mostly plastic bottle caps with a layer of 3/4 inch grave to hold it down.

Next is cut up furnace filter material.

The tan colored stuff on top is small aquarium pebbles.

Basically the submerged continually pumps up to the manifold on top. The water comes out in continuos streams thru the media and back to the fish tank. What goes into the grow beds comes out just as fast. There is no flooding and then drain cycle.

The system has 4 gold fish and a small Rosy Red. Not my choice in fish but it's a start. The system has been running for about 2 weeks now so I did some chemistries on it and got the following see pics.

So now what? pH has to come down. But, add more fish and let it come down or treat the water?

One other thing, the wife will be taking about 1 gallon of the water each week to water her potted plants, so I will be adding water weekly.

Any and all thoughts are welcomed.

I'm having trouble understanding how to edit my signature.

My goal would be for people to click on "Kitchen System" or "Strawberries" and then go to the appropriate area. I do not want to show the mess of http link.

How do you do that?

Bob,
you have to enter the text like the following.

[u rl=http://www.blah.com]Strawberries[/url]

You must omit the space between the "u" and the "r" in your text.
I had to put a space there so you could see what to type.
Hope that makes sense.

Thanks DuiNui !