Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi everybody!

We are two Chileans that are trying to get our first aquaponic system running in Santiago. Aquaponics in our country is virtually nonexistent, and we would like to start a small business/community around it so that everyone can benefit from it.

We have built a traditional IBC CHOP 2 system, with one full IBC for the fishes (1000 lts), three IBC beds and a sump tank. We have attached a picture so you can see more clearly what we are talking about.

We have almost all the hardware ready, our final problem has to do with the growing media and we humbly request the community’s assistance and guidance in order to solve this problem, move forward, and tell you more about our success (hopefully!).

Our problem is that we haven’t been able to find a suitable media for our system. Hydroton and expanded shale do not exist here or have prices we can’t afford, volcanic rock may be an option since there are volcanoes in the south of the country, but availability in our area is a problem and we haven’t found suitable vendors (only Little bags for the grills).

So, we are trying with gravel, but we can’t seem to find anything that keeps the ph of the water at aceptable levels. We have been testing experimentally with different sources using destilled water and electronic ph meters (calibrated) and none of the samples tested have been lower than ph 8.

Our question is: Is it possible to use this medium and expect the cicling process or artificial ajustments with HCL to stabilize the ph of the system at an aceptable level? Or should we keep looking?

Thanks in advance!

welcome to the forum

Hola Marko... welcome

Hey Marko...

Do you have washed river stone available locally?

We have not found large vendors of river stone... We have found only small ones that sell them for decorative purposes at high prices, out of reach for our requirements.

Just today we discovered this site, alibaba.com, there's a chance that we decide to import expanded clay pellets from China, anyone ever tried that?

Thank you so much for your warm welcome!

Hello Marko, I am a Chilean living in Canada. I will be moving to Chillan in about two years.

I just learned about Aquaponics a few days ago and fell in love with the concept.

Since you and other Chileans on the forum are already ahead on the game, I will ask you for help given the particular problems in our country.

What fish is ideal for our country?

Hola, posting.php?mode=reply&f=18&t=15558&sid=a3dbb43dab0aab36d5f50ced2b42a3a9#

I'm new in Providencia Santiago and starting my first aquaponics systems in my north facing apartment window. I'm having the same problem finding a suitable substrate, like Hydroton, so I think I'm going to set-up a NFT first and use small river rocks in the net pots.

When I find some Hydroton, I'll probably start a new ebb and flow system with a few beds. Can you get it from China?

What are you using for fish? I think there might be some tilapia in an aquaculture farm near San Antonio. Anybody fish in the fresh water streams around here? Near Maipo?

BTW, does anybody know a place to get some Red Worms (Eisenia fetida) in Santiago? I need to get my vermi-composting going.

Let's get together and "practice our English/Spanish" sometime!http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/posting.php?mode=reply&f=18&t=15558&sid=a3dbb43dab0aab36d5f50ced2b42a3a9#

Spring has sprung!
Mykl

Welcome to the forum Marko. Hope you get the media supply situation figured out soon. What's the pH of the water to begin with? You might check if the pH goes up without any media, maybe the rocks aren't the issue.

Hello Marko, did you try volcanic rocks? I'm also working on an aquaponics project in Chile and would like to try volcanic rock as a growth media.

Hi Alejandro, welcome to the forum, I don't know about Marko but lots of others use volcanic rock. Try searching for scoria and you'll find a bunch of posts. This is probably the thread that comes up the most - http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2509&hilit=is+scoria+safe