Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Thanks Guys...

Process of elimination tt, led me to the conclusion that the gravel was contaminated.....I basically started from scratch, drained/scrubbed tank, removed all the gravel and replaced it with quarried 7mm 'sewer mix'
Haven't lost a fish since compared to 1-4 per day

sold the 'dive gear' on ebay recently....to a guy in the next suburb.

perhaps it was sumthing they wash the gravel with. Glad things are on the up.

Might like to PM "Redleg" and let him know the supplier.... he's around your way and could make the same mistake...

Wow, that is a LOT of bathtubs... They look very specky when there are that many of them lined up like that.

i dont know what they would cost but i have heard of a salvage yard here in WA that has heaps of em, a bit out of perth in bullsbrook .... bummer forgottent the name my bro went there to get some chimney for his wood heater

and Worms your setup looks really good i like your little pump enclosure

Glad to hear you got your system back up after the flood.

Have you had anymore problems with excess water getting into the system from rainfall? I see the GB's are still exposed, any plans to put a clear poly roof over them (kind of like what you have over your tank, just using some of the clear poly panels instead of the tin.)

Worms, I remember you said you used pipe to make the racks to support your GB's. Do you have any recommendations on using your idea, anything you would change the next time you were to build another set up?

Kevin

G'day all,

Rup, Redleg has no worries getting this stuff...not available to public

Delgrade, bathtubs cost me 5$ each, Im toying with the idea of putting more underneath for yabbie tanks...it must be able to overflow back to the main pump so i dont need another pump. one pump rules!

Mokevinb, have been considering enclosing the lot not so much to keep rain out but to warm things up alittle. not too worried at this stage. The bathtubs are definitely a big cathment area but that could be a good thing, I think the correlation between alot rain and alot of fish dead was the fact that cantaminants from the gravel were being washed into the tank. We had approx 300mm in 12 hrs recently with no probs (new gravel)

The pipe rack is definitely the way to go in my opinion. It was so easy to build and is plenty strong enough to hold the approx 7 tonne!! The pipe was all second hand from the tip shop and a local fencing mob which i scored for next to nothing, the downie T fittings were 13$ each when i was a regular customer, this reduced down to 6$ each when i bought 10 at a time (and told them alittle white lie that i was a fencer) . As far as changing anything next time around.....maybe test out some 50mm stuff for strength, seems to be more common than 60mm and fittings are cheaper. Total cost for entire grow bed set up minus plumbing would be around 300$...got to be happy with that.

The pipe and bends look like SWV soil waste and vent!
Major plumbing there worms!
Good job!
C1

Hi Worms.
well done, your set up looks great.
i have just got a tank and have my eye on the dump
for drums and baths ,slow starter not helped by the weather lately.
if you are ordering fish soon maybe we could combine?
i live near newcastle and offer bribes to oyster fans.
cheers .redleg

Hi Worms. I have picked up 11 bathtubs and have a couple questions.
What size piping have u got running there? It looks like 50mm out of the tank and to ur GBs. I can't tell whether u have 90mm or 110mm as ur drain return pipe. Any problems, things u wish u had done etc? I am setting up 8 beds 2moro and would like to make sure i have things spot on.
Tragic

Interesting to see you've used the DWV for your irrigation side of things worms... How did you go getting fittings going from the pump into DWV? I found it very hard to get fittings to convert from one to the other...

Actually, what Worms has in the photo above is what we call PVC here in the US. It is used as supply line as well as DWV. It ranges in size from 3/8 up to 4 inch. It has a variety of fittings that you can use, and I assume he used some glue joint, internally threaded reducing bushings. That way he was able to use his hose bibs.

Kevin

We have two PVC pipe standards. Pressure and DWV. 40mm pressure is not the same size as 40mm DWV, i think one is measured in O/D and one in I/D

They did that for awhile here and then just went the route of settling on a standard where all of it under 4 inch is suitable for either. When you get above 4 inch they go the route of having two different kinds. I've got one piece of 6 inch pressure line that looks like the white glue together schedule 40, but it connects with a molded on bell and an "O" ring. I've got a section of the 6 inch DWV and it is green and much lighter. Other than uses where it will be inside finished wall, or structure, it is generally just slip fitted together when it is buried underground as a drain line.

Kevin

the DWV here is not pressure rated (or at least not rated high) thus i think its a lot cheaper