Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Thank you TC for some sane advice.

Don't worry I appreciate the opinion and wont rip your head off... other blokes been barred.

Do a search on his posts or PM me if you really want to know what the go was.

Me I'm moving on... need to get some sort of container for fish!

ROZ, well put - I used to ask simple questions as a newbie and was amazed at the friendly and helpful suggestions received (and I see it is still rising to the top.............)

PH was a consideration though, if you can keep your system at or above 7.0 (which i recomend anyway) then you will be better off.

Also, EB will be able to clarify this, and i'm not sure on previous construction details, but they MIGHT have been joined at the seam with a lead / copper solder once where as now they MAY be fused....All stuff to consider.

Steve

You are very welcome ROZ.... It only took me a couple minutes to give you a informative and straight answer, I am happy to help out and share experiences anytime, just like the vast majority of us here.

Lets move on the worst offending posts have been removed anyway.

well put TC

Tanks guys...

Noted comments Steve.

Anyone have an idea of just how quickly lead/copper solder (if that's the case) would leach and be taken up by fish?

Know of cumulative effects of metals via food chain but grow out would only be about six months or so .... would this be enough time for take up of any leaching into water.

Would like to utilise the tank if possible, because it's there and free, but am having to wait until after xmas for finances to cover pump etc

Scrounging piping of a couple of plumber mates ... maybe the kids will buy me a pump or santa

Will ultimately go for a plastic or fibreglass tank of reasonable size, just a matter of money (maybe the kids can go without for xmas hehe) and where to put it.

look just buy the kids a big pool, then in a few months when they get tired of it just fill it full of fish, if they complain tell them it is thier fault for not using it enough! if they keep complaining, buy them fishing rods and tell them they will be in charge of harvesting. then make them go away so you can talk to your fish in private!

lol .... know of any fish that eat kids...

luv a closed circle

depends on the size of the kids

Dunno about the leach rates, but generally accepted thing is that ANY is too much. most lead test kits read into the Parts Per billion range.

Dude, if you want to use the tank and are not sure of its make up why not get some industrial polyethylene film and line it with that?

Or check with C1 i his concrete wonder sealant could be used in it.

Probably line it Steve if its not too expensive...

Have my eyes on a 4,500 ltr tank for $870 after xmas if I can afford it and if I canfigure out where to put it.

Kind of wonder what we all did before we knew about stuff like leaching and whether we've done any harm to ourselves...

not uncommon I would have thought for a large number of people to have used tanks like this for drinking water in the past....

Humm maybe that explains some of my old brain dead friends, thought it was just old age ... maybe it's lead poisoning

ph is important, but the way i figure it why risk it?

Bit of a tangent here, but what some folk don't realise is that its the TOTAL toxic load that we put on our bodies (and the diet we have) that causes our ills. It explains the old "my grandpa smokes two packets per day and lived to be 96" line.

Bearing that in mind, when you look at all the "perfectly safe" (cough cough) products we use every day......................work it out.

Steve

and then chuck in the placebo effect...
another can of worms being selected

Ahh and here we go around the roundabout again.

Posted a thread regarding toxicity of those polystyrene packing peanuts...

Some research seems to say bad (ie coffee cup debate of a decade ago) others say not a problem...

then you have to ask are the UV stabilised poly tubs many on this forum use(although labelled "food grade") really any safer.

From what I understand they're merely an extruded form of polystyrene or similar polymer.

Ahh... just thought, guy down the road has a PHD in Industrial Chemistry and is a professor and fellow....

Note to self... see John