Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

aahh, I'm sorry to say Tragic, there is no such thing! There have been various suggestions, ute and firehose, trailer and hose, the list goes on....

IMHO get the bulk of the silt off. I used a steel frame with shadecloth stretched over it. Place on wheel barrow, wash, then tip waste water on the garden. When you fill your system and start cycling, the fines will eventually settle at the bottom of the growbeds, or I put about 12 old socks over the return water pipe and that filtered the fines out within 24 hours

If those fines settle in the GB's might help with a bit of iron uptake later on too. Thanks.

Yes but you wouldn't want too many fines on the bottom of your growbed... bloody stuff sets like concrete, and it will stop the flow of water through the gravel.. At least it does with the pea gravel we have heere in W.A.

It's the hardest job of building an aquaponic system, but hey, You've only got 400L to do....

A true Aper does not look for short cuts when washing gravel

suitably chastised our hero trudges off to remove another layer of skin from his hands in the name of goodness, decency and authenticity.

LOL, thats the spirit!

yeh, but from what i've seen of yur fair state, EB, your water is like liquid concrete anyway (pictures water wheel at augusta)

tis easy, just get the wife to do it.

Any man can be the master of his domain fizzyj, but it is just not worth the trouble. Fight the battles that need to be fought. Rocks i can handle.

Things are moving on the AP front. Finished up buying a sump pump which will go in the fish tank. Subpond 300. I should be able to use it in a bigger system along with my spa pump next time. It's still too big but have that eye to the future. Have joined all the bits n pieces together and will post some pics 2moro for feedback, before actually gluing it together.

Long wknd in vic this wknd. Plan on getting things up and running water wise, sort out the bugs and let things poke along b4 putting fish in next month. Going away for easter so fish to go in 2nd week of April. Bit of luck the system will have cycled by then.

Been busy

Got some 13mm flexi hose to use as my siphon, just need to get it all working. I hate washing rocks. 280w pump fills the barrels inside 3minutes. Need to throttle things back. Interestingly, the barrel in the foreground fills quickest, barrel closest to pump fills slowest, when all taps are fully opened. I hate washing rocks.

Siphon rate is about 7 litres per minute. I could put a tap in line prior to the first barrel to throttle things back, or i could put a bypass a little closer to the pump and just have it flow back into the tank as an aerator. Is there an optimum fill/drain period? I need to get a pump timer. Being sunday i may have to go to the B shop. I hate washing rocks.

Cool fish shaped sillouette in the bottom of the standpipe!
Are you going to support the white pipes along the back?
Looks good!
Axl

Very Nice setup TT, I suppose it is modular by the look at the end cap at the end you can just keep going.... .

It is times like these that the hardware stores start to notice how much PVC stuff you are buying. My local M10 asks about the aquaponics every time I go there now... which is every couple of days .

I feel sorry for who ever sleeps in that room at night.... hehe! Personally I don't mind the sound of water...

LOL Pvc prices should be spikng by now. Who's purchased stock? EB?